Truckers Be Happy – Trucking Industry is Adding Jobs

The trucking industry has been smashed by the Great Recession, but truckers can be happier now. The trucking industry is adding jobs and fast.

If you are a trucker, I don’t have to tell you the last two plus years have been a tsunami of bad news in the industry. From companies shutting down and leaving their drivers stranded on the road to huge entities like YRC barely staying in business, it has been bad news followed by more bad news. Well, how about some good news.


Economists have been saying we are coming out of the Great Recession for much of this year. It sure hasn’t seemed like it. Finally, we are seeing some changes for the better. The reports are in from the Department of Labor and the reports are good. The trucking industry has added nearly 2,000 jobs for drivers in the last two months of April and May. After the last two years, that is practically a hurricane of hirings.

Even better, the near future looks positive as well. While there is no information from trucking companies indicating they intend to hire more drivers, there is news on a different front that begs this result. The overall shipping index is up again this month. Practically speaking, this means more goods are being shipped. If the index keeps rising, more drivers and support staff will be needed to move the goods. That is certainly good news.



So, are we past the troubled waters of the last few years? I wish I could say yes, but it is unlikely to be smooth sailing from here. Companies have been beaten to a pulp are hesitant about taking on anything more in the way of personnel than they absolutely need. As a result, I think we will see up and down months for the rest of the year, but the overall direction should be positive. Thank God!

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