‘Biggest exodus’ of Maryland truck drivers due to retirement

(The Center Square) – A driver shortage in Maryland and the rest of the country only became worse after the pandemic hit, one trucking group said.

The 22 board members of the Maryland Motor Truck Association said two months ago they had an immediate need for 650 drivers, Louis Campion, president and CEO of the association, told The Center Square.

“That means tomorrow, if I could get them, this is how many that I could use,” Campion said. “Which I think is fairly consistent with what we’re seeing on a national basis.”

The American Trucking Association performed a survey in the middle of October that indicated the driver shortage increased to 80,000 drivers nationally from 60,000 nationally before the pandemic. Most of the shortage is in the long-haul sector as opposed to jobs that enable drivers to go home at the end of the day.

“There are many factors with regards to the driver shortage and again, because it’s not new, it’s just been exacerbated by the pandemic,” Campion said.

The average age of truck drivers today is close to 50, he said.

“That’s been the biggest exodus from the industry has been driven by retirement, that we can’t backfill the positions that we are losing, in part because the minimum age to haul interstate freight under federal laws [is] 21 years old,” Campion said.

A person can attain a commercial driver’s license in the continental U.S. and Alaska at age 18, but only for intrastate transportation, he said.

“And that means the products have to be manufactured in Maryland,” Campion said. “Ultimately, their end distribution point has to be in Maryland. And so if you can imagine there are very few products where that’s actually the case.”

Virtually everything is created internationally or in another state and transported into or out of Maryland, he said. That eliminates drivers under 21. Someone who isn’t interested in college can start a career in other industries immediately upon graduation, but not trucking, where a person must wait three years to break into the industry with a few exceptions.

If any part of a shipment comes from out of state, a driver who is under the age of 21 can’t pick it up at a Maryland distribution center to finish the delivery in state in a truck 10,000 pounds or larger, Campion said. In western Maryland, someone in the Hagerstown area can’t drive north or south more than 10 miles without entering another state.

An effort to address the age issue was included in the infrastructure bill that was passed by Congress. A pilot program would allow 3,000 drivers age 18 to 20 to start hauling interstate freight with additional safety requirements and technology.

Campion said there’s recognition in the industry that people can join the military at 18, they can enter a number of other occupations and they can haul for smaller commercial vehicles such as Amazon delivery vans.

But once the trucks become heavier than 10,000 pounds, that’s considered a commercial motor vehicle. And suddenly they’re not able to haul interstate freight at all, he said.

Other factors contribute to the driver shortage, too, such as lifestyle.

“Trucking is not for everyone,” Campion said. “It is a demanding job, certainly.”

The need for a commercial driver’s license is based on the size of the vehicles, he said. Even some package delivery vans are over 10,000 pounds and would have restrictions and be required to meet safety standards. The smaller vans would be exempt from those regulations and would be able to be driven by anyone with a driver’s license.

Trucking companies have made as many as three pay increases in the last year in an attempt to retain drivers. This drives up transportation costs that ultimately will be reflected in the prices consumers pay.

The companies are trying to offer drivers consistency in their work schedules with regular days off so they don’t have to continually battle schedule and lifestyle challenges, he said.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square