The trucking industry is showing signs of recovery following a historically long freight recession. In June 2026, spot rates increased 43% year-over-year, and contract rates increased by 13%. While tightening capacity appears to be leading to a more balanced supply-demand market, trucking companies face challenges regarding quickly adding capacity.
High operating costs have put pressure on already slim profit margins, making new investments in additional capacity challenging at a time when strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deadlines for reduced emissions affect the availability and cost of new equipment.
“Without drivers, everything grinds to a halt,” said Andrew Owens, CEO and manager of A & M Transport. “That makes the driver shortage a supply chain and logistics issue.”
According to reports created by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the driver shortage is one of the issues of greatest concern to carriers. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has identified a shortage of 82,000 qualified drivers in 2026.
Driver demographics create the need for new sources of drivers, while some chronic issues that lead to driver frustration and dissatisfaction must also be considered when finding lasting solutions to the truck driver shortage.
Demographics Show a Gap Between Retiring Drivers and New Entrants
The average age of a truck driver in the US is 47, compared to 42 for the rest of the US labor force. Carriers and the ATA are working to address this issue by focusing on ways to attract drivers from a broader range of demographic backgrounds.
Attracting more women drivers, providing a career pathway for veterans, and offering a second chance to individuals who have been justice-involved are active strategies to build a more diverse and extended pipeline of professional drivers to replace those nearing retirement age.
Women Drivers are Underrepresented
While women now make up about 13.7% of US professional truck drivers (up 88% since 2010), they still represent a small share of the workforce. However, the number has increased by 50% in recent years due to active efforts to recruit and retain drivers.
ATRI’s research identified some of the barriers that prevent more women from seeking jobs as professional truck drivers, including workplace cultures where harassment and discrimination are common.
A network of support for women drivers can help them find ways to complete Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, despite scheduling challenges due to childcare or other responsibilities. An issue that ATRI has identified as a concern to all drivers, male or female, is access to restroom facilities.
Steps Toward Improvement
Carriers, individually and as part of industry associations, are actively working to eliminate stereotypes and outdated assumptions about who can be a truck driver. As with many industries, trucking companies that promote diversity attract customers, partners, and talented employees from many sectors of the population.
According to industry analysts, to attract more women drivers, companies should implement zero-tolerance policies regarding discrimination and harassment, as well as offer safe reporting mechanisms for victims.
Mentorship and training programs pairing experienced women drivers or staff with new hires to provide guidance and support have also been a successful strategy in retaining women drivers.
“Female-friendly” truck stops would improve the quality of the work experience for women drivers, allowing them to attend to basic needs in a safe environment.
For carriers, the benefits are many because women drivers tend to be committed and stable employees. While compensation matters, they weigh life-work balance issues before making a job change. Some flexibility in scheduling can retain female drivers, rather than a small increase in pay from another carrier.
Veterans Have the Skills That Benefit Trucking Industry
Returning veterans are often challenged as they look for meaningful employment following an end to their deployment. In 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the Freedom Haulers campaign, a unique interagency effort led by the DOT, Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Defense, designed to attract more veterans to truck driving jobs.
The campaign extends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Military Skills Test Waiver, allowing veterans with heavy-equipment military experience to obtain a CDL without taking a driving test. Veterans are eligible for this waiver for up to two years after leaving active duty in the Armed Forces.
A total of 34 states now offer the Even Exchange Program, which allows veterans to bypass both written and skills tests. Legislation also supports efforts to place veterans in truck-driving jobs.
The Veteran’s Transition to Trucking Act has been passed, designed to reduce the bureaucracy and red tape for veterans using VA education benefits in company-sponsored apprenticeships. This Act would allow interstate carriers to get a single VA approval for nationwide apprenticeship programs, making it easier for companies to hire veterans.
Justice Involved Workers Provide New Drivers and Second Chances
Another innovative approach to attract drivers is the Justice Involved Program, which has been viewed as highly effective. The program, a partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOC) and Emerge Career, targets formerly incarcerated individuals deemed low risk for trucking jobs.
The program offers CDL training, vocational education, coaching, and support services such as housing, mental health care, and childcare to help participants prepare for trucking careers. Industry representatives say the program has exceeded expectations, with more than 380 justice-involved New Yorkers enrolling.
Similar programs are being implemented nationwide. In North Carolina, the program provides work training and on-the-job training, with participants who complete the program being hired.
The Justice Involved Program has shown that structured, supportive, industry-aligned training can attract formerly incarcerated individuals to trucking careers. Not only does this Program attract new potential truck drivers, but it offers a second chance for the justice-involved to enter the workplace.
Attracting drivers is only one aspect of the driver shortage. The freight recession resulted in 28,000 truck drivers being displaced in 2026. Federal regulations eliminated another 180,000 drivers, with the majority choosing not to return to the industry.
Regardless of freight demand, large carriers routinely experience 90-95 percent annual turnover, meaning most drivers must be replaced every 12-18 months. This high rate of churn can be attributed to many factors. However, recent research by ATRI identified two issues that concern drivers and ultimately affect career decisions. These are excessive detention and delays and a lack of truck parking.
Excessive Detention and Delays Contribute to Driver Shortage
Every hour that a truck is idling due to detention and delays is a financial drain on carriers, as well as a key point of frustration for drivers, many of whom are paid by the mile. Research done by ATRI in 2024 found that 39.3 percent of all deliveries involved detention, which is defined as wait times exceeding the standard two-hour time window at shipper and receiver facilities.
These delays are even more difficult for drivers when shippers or receivers do not allow them inside or provide access to restrooms or food. The FMCSA has also documented average dwell times of 3.4 hours.
Owens views part of the solution to the problem as communication with shippers about the issue. He said, “This is an example of the 80-20 rule. Most shippers attempt to keep schedules on track, while the ones who do not cause hardships for carriers and drivers.”
There are also technology solutions. Dock scheduling software can help shippers ensure appointment windows are aligned with demand, and programs for process optimization support a shift to drop-and-hook models and can be used to generate digital bills of lading. Technology can also help shippers scale warehouse staffing and dock equipment capacity to match peak volumes.
Carriers can use automated tracking through required electronic logging devices, and other mobile tools can be used to timestamp facility entry and exit. Sending automated pre-arrival updates and alerts before free-time periods expire is another way to keep schedules on track.
With capacity beginning to tighten, carriers now have greater leverage to choose to do business with what Owens calls “shippers of choice.” He notes that carriers can actively decline loads or effectively “fire” shippers that routinely cause excessive detention.
Carriers can also negotiate and enforce structured hourly detention pay while documenting delays to support payment claims.
Lack of Truck Parking is a Safety Concern and Causes Driver Frustration
Another issue of concern to drivers is a lack of truck parking. If a driver’s hours are running out, time spent searching for parking in safe places can cause frustration and add to the physical demands of truck driving.
Government agencies, industry groups, and private companies are working to address the lack of truck parking with federal funding grants, legislation like the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, expansion of public rest areas, and private-sector tools to help drivers find and reserve safe spaces.
Truck Drivers Keep the Economy Moving Even During Difficult Times
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Owens notes that drivers were viewed as heroes. Despite concerns for personal safety, they consistently showed up for work, delivering life-saving medicine to medical facilities and necessities like food and water to consumers.
Owens recommends that all stakeholders remember those times and recognize the contribution that truck drivers make every day. They are not just parts of the supply chain, but people whose commitment is critical to the nation’s economy and the welfare of citizens.
