It’s Tax Day, that’s all we have to say about that. But, did you know on April 15, 1924, the Rand McNally Auto Chum was published; it is considered to be the first road map for the motoring public and the precursor to the best-selling Rand McNally Road Atlas.

Truckload Turnover Remained High in Fourth Quarter

Turnover Rates at Both Small and Large Truckload Fleets Over 90% in 2014

According to ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello, turnover at truckload fleets – a barometer of the driver shortage – remained very high in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Turnover at large truckload fleets fell one percentage point to an annualized rate of 96% in the fourth quarter, while turnover at smaller truckload carriers – those with less than $30 million in annual revenue – rose one percentage point to a rate of 95% in the fourth quarter.

“We’re seeing the turnover gap between small and large carriers narrow to levels we haven’t experienced in some time,” Costello said. “This is likely the result of larger fleets raising pay, offering bonuses and attracting more and more drivers from smaller fleets to fill seats.”

For the year, large truckload turnover was 95%, down one percentage point from 2013, but turnover at small fleets was 90% – up 11 points from the year before. The five point gap between the two turnover rates is the smallest since 2000.

“These figures show us that the driver shortage – which we now estimate to be between 35,000 to 40,000 drivers – is getting more pervasive in the truckload sector,” Costello said. “Due to growing freight volumes, regulatory pressures and normal attrition, we expect the problem to get worse in the near term as the industry works to find solutions to the shortage.

The turnover rate at less-than-truckload fleets was 10% in the fourth quarter, down from 13% in the previous quarter. For all of 2014, the turnover rate was 11%, unchanged from the year before.

TruckDriver.com
Carrier of the Month
California Overland, Ltd.

California Overland, Ltd. is a family owned trucking company established in 2001 and based in Wabasha, MN. They are an asset-based refrigerated carrier offering service in the lower 48 contiguous states and Canada. They offer refrigerated and tanker service hauling a variety of products including fish, produce, ice-cream, meat and other foods.

At California Overland, Ltd. they take pride in working with some of the most professional drivers in America to provide the best quality service to their customers.

California Overland, Ltd. is looking for motivated Company Drivers as well as Owner-Operators who like to keep it moving to become part of the team.

Lyle Meyer - Recruiter
651-565-2336 ext. 124
recruiting@caoverland.com

Salute to Women Behind the Wheel

Although female professional drivers might be hard to spot when you’re on the road, you can’t miss them at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel. This year, over 200 women were honored by the Women In Trucking (WIT) Association at its 6th annual event, held in conjunction with the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky.

There were a few women who were new to the industry, but most of the drivers had more than a few miles behind them. The 201 professional drivers had a total of 3,005 years of experience between them. Three women, Sandy Long, Candy Bass and Alice Thomas were recognized for driving more than forty years each.

Marcia Taylor, President of Bennett International Group and the 2014 Influential Woman in Trucking, addressed the audience with praise and advice, “I knew that as a women I would have to work to gain respect in the industry, by being both strong and the best I could be. You are to be congratulated for the job you do, the challenges you face as a women driver, and the important role you play in our business and the economy of our nation,” Taylor added.

The Women In Trucking Image Team was announced at the event. Five professional drivers will represent the association and the industry throughout the coming year by participating in ride-alongs, media interviews, and trade shows. Read more.

The event was streamed live and can be viewed at www.Salute2women.com through the end of April.