Lack of Drivers Top the List of Trucking’s Obstacles

The Business Of Dairy Lack of Drivers Tops the List of Trucking’s Biggest Obstacles

BY CAROLINE K. REFF

The 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 qualifi ed drivers any way they can.

“It’s just a pool that’s not out there,” said Wadhams of qualifi ed 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 benefi ts 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 fi ve 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 fl eet, 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 defi cit 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.

The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the truck driver shortage with not only the realities of the virus but also the closure of DMVs and truck driver training schools, which impacted an already short list of individuals looking to enter the trucking industry. Add to that the skyrocketing demands in online shopping and food delivery, and the driver shortage has become a crisis for both trucking companies and the entire supply chain, including the dairy industry.

MECHANICS ARE SCARCE, COSTS OF SUPPLIES SKYROCKET

Another challenge to the trucking industry is the cost of repairs. “Costs have gone through the roof,” Wadhams said. “When we have a problem with a truck, it is usually involving electronic sensors and wiring, which have become so complicated that, instead of a couple of hours, it takes a whole day to figure out the problem and then several more hours to make the repair.”

In addition, the cost of tires has increased by 8% this year, and steel and aluminum are up 44% in just the past few months. Some parts, like microchips and other items made overseas, are simply not available or the prices are staggering.

And, if that weren’t enough, mechanics are scarce, too.

“This is another area where we’re doing all we can to find good help, but there just aren’t enough mechanics out there,” Wadhams explained. “We’re down at least five mechanics right now. Even though the going rate is as much as $27 per hour, we’re still having a hard time attracting and retaining good people — often for some of the same reasons we can’t get drivers.” Wadhams has no choice but to keep doing his best to service his customers as efficiently as possible, despite the obstacles. “We have had to be proactive about writing our own future, so we do what we can do to get our name out there, to let potential drivers know that we have increased our pay rate and that we are a great place to work,” he said. He’d like to see regulations revert to when drivers only had to be 18 years old to cross state lines. “We haven’t recovered from that change,” he said, noting that it looks like New York State will soon change the age requirements, although with restrictions. “That’s a three year gap at a time when young people are getting out of high school and looking for a good paying job. Even if they consider driving a truck, they would have to wait three years as it stands now. By then, they’ve gone in a different buyersguide.neastda.org direction, and it’s not likely we’ll get them back.”

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Contact Bill Brod by emailing billbrod@nedairymedia.com or calling 315-445-2347, ext. 138.