“Many trucking companies tell me the person they are competing with for drivers isn’t other carriers, it’s the welfare state. Some of that is the function of the social welfare net that some people find it more desirable to sit on the couch and max out on welfare payments, food stamps and unemployment benefits rather than engage in an honorable profession like trucking.”
Those were the words spoken by John Larkin, managing director and head of Transportation Capital Markets Research for Stifel, Nicolaus and Company, at the Truckload Carrier Association (TCA) annual convention in Orlando last week.
Speaking to a full house of fleet executives, Larkin said today’s economy has set up the trucking industry for one of its best growth opportunities in decades.
Manufacturing and construction is growing again, houses are once again being built and consumer products continue to be purchased at record levels.
More trucks are needed and fleets are waving money around to anyone willing to drive them, yet the general public remains sedentary.
The average unemployed person is holding out for the job they want, not the job they can get (or need).
Makes me wonder if the aftermarket isn’t facing the same problem with its technician shortage.
