ARLINGTON, Va. — The turnover rate for over-the-road truck drivers is at its highest point since the second quarter of 2008, according to a report by The American Trucking Association (ATA).

The turnover rate for drivers at large fleets climbed to 79 percent in the second quarter, up four basis points from the first quarter, the ATA reported in their latest Trucking Activity Report.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said that even though the increase was small, they believe the market for quality drivers is getting tight and fleets are recruiting aggressively to fill the vacant seats. “The slowdown of the economic recovery has affected the turnover rate," he added, "but if the economy continues to improve we’ll see further tightening in the driver market and a renewed risk of a severe driver shortage.”

Small truckload companies and LTL fleets saw a drop in turnover in the quarter, from 47 percent to 50 percent for small TL firms, and six percent to eight percent for LTLs.