T h e B u s in e s s Of D a ir y
Lack of Drivers Tops the List of Trucking’s Biggest Obstacles BY CAROLINE K. REFF
T
he home page of Wadham’s Enterprises’ website says, front and center, “WE WANT YOU! WE WILL TRAIN YOU! With Our Paid In-House Training Program.” So, it’s no surprise that when asked what the three biggest issues in trucking are right now, Rick Wadhams, president of the company, simply replied, “Drivers, drivers and drivers.” Wadhams knows trucking well. His multi-generation owned and operated transportation company, which is an NDSA member, is located in Phelps, New York, and has three components: RIST Transport, Ltd., which handles LTL and truck load freight; ARG Trucking Corp., which transports petroleum; and Earl T. Wadhams, Inc., which is in the business of bulk milk hauling and was the foundation of the company founded in 1949. According to Wadhams, all of his divisions are short on drivers, but not for lack of trying. His milk division pays up to $25 per hour, but that’s not enough to attract the more than 20 drivers he currently needs. Wadhams has talked to competitors who are all in the same position, advertising on employment websites, airing radio advertisements and putting the call out for qualified drivers any way they can. “It’s just a pool that’s not out there,” said Wadhams of qualified drivers. “I think many people are still afraid to go back to work because of COVID or if they haven’t yet been vaccinated. Some people have re-evaluated their priorities during the pandemic, and they don’t want to spend as much time on the road, away from family and friends. Some don’t mind driving, but they don’t want to do the manual labor it takes to load and unload. Others have been made too comfortable by the extended unemployment benefits and would rather stay home than work.” Too few drivers is not only frustrating; it’s costly. Wadhams has done his best to offer drivers incentives in pay and scheduling. “On weekends, we’re short on drivers. We’ve been offered all kinds of business in the milk division that we’ve had to turn down. We just can’t keep overworking the people we do have.”
Wadhams Enterprises started its own training school five years ago for new drivers or those who have a Class B license but want to work up to Class A. It’s quite an investment for the company, as training can cost up to $25,000 per driver, and then there are no guarantees that the person won’t take that training and move to another company. “Places like Amazon are investing billions of dollars in transportation. Uber is looking into Uber Freight now. Everyone is trying to create their own delivery fleet, and that’s pulling a lot of drivers away from our industry — and just about every other industry, as well,” Wadhams explained. The American Trucking Association estimates a shortage of approximately 61,000 truck drivers nationwide — a deficit that is expected to grow to more than 160,000 by 2028. When anticipated driver retirement is factored into expected growth in capacity, the trucking industry will need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers over the next 10 years — or 110,000 drivers per year.
NED Magazine | Third Quarter 2021 • 27
