US truckload driver turnover stays above 100% for second straight month

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ARLINGTON, Va. — The annualized line-haul driver turnover rate at large truckload fleets remained over 100% for the second straight month, and the churn at smaller truckload carriers rose to a five-year high, according to American Trucking Associations’ Trucking Activity Report.

At fleets which report more than $30 million in annual revenue, driver turnover dipped two percentage points to 104%, just off the five-year high of 106% reported in the second quarter. It is the first time since the fourth quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008 that the turnover rate has pierced the 100% barrier in consecutive months, the ATA reported.

“Increasing competition for quality drivers, coupled with gradual, albeit choppy, growth in demand for trucking services, continues to put pressure on the driver market,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello.

At fleets with less than $30 million in annual revenue, this competition contributed to an eight-point jump in driver turnover during the quarter. At 94%, turnover among small fleets is now at its highest point since the first quarter of 2007.

“These numbers continue to reflect a tight driver market, and an actual shortage for drivers,” Costello said. “We believe the industry is actually short between 20,000 and 25,000 drivers, but if freight volumes were to accelerate, I would expect that number to grow and grow rapidly.

The turnover rate for less-than-truckload fleets averaged just 8% in the second quarter, down from 9% in the previous quarter. This marks the fourth straight quarter that the LTL turnover rate was less than 10%.

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  • The grouping of LTL fleets “likely includes short haul” & I would think that those drivers would be on hrly. pay thus keeping the numbers down in that catagory??? Until the carrier’s realize that paying by the book mile is NOT the way to retain drivers there will allways be the “shuffle’ of drivers looking for greener pastures!!!!

  • In business, when you have tight supply, costs go up…for example, someone farts in the middle east and diesel fuel prices rise overnight. Carriers pay these increase prices and freight gets moved. Driver shortage is another issue. If there is a so called “driver shortage” you would think that carriers would treat driver pay like any other expense. There are a lot of quality drivers out there as well as new hires who would go to work in this industry if they were only adequately paid. I for one, am getting sick and tired of listening to the ATA cry the blues about this issue!!

  • the owner operators are getting screwed big time the rates for us are bad you can barley get by it time to start. Shouting down are trucks for a a few weeks until are rates go up so I can afford to keep my truck running and pay my bills and please get the dot off everyone’s butts it’s crazy out here almost not worth it anymore