We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Driver turnover at large TL fleets hit 89 percent in Q3
newsworthy

Driver turnover at large TL fleets hit 89 percent in Q3

December 13, 2011
Mark B. Solomon
No Comments

Truck driver turnover at the nation's large trucking fleets hit 89 percent in the third quarter, the highest level of driver turnover since the first quarter of 2008, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) said Monday.

The third-quarter number represents a 10-percentage-point increase over the prior quarter's 79-percent turnover rate, according to ATA. Since bottoming out at 39 percent in the first quarter of 2010, turnover at large truckload fleets has risen by 50 percentage points, an unprecedented increase, according to Bob Costello, the trade group's chief economist. The driver turnover rate at large truckload fleets has averaged 81 percent so far this year.

The turnover rate at small truckload fleets, defined by ATA as carriers with under $30 million in annual revenue, jumped 10 points to 57 percent, the highest level since the third quarter of 2008, ATA said. Turnover in the less-than-truckload (LTL) segment remained relatively low at 10 percent, a reflection of the generally shorter hauls in this sector of the industry, which allows drivers to achieve a better work-life balance than their truckload counterparts.

In addition, LTL drivers are generally better paid than truckload drivers. According to recent data from consultancy FTR Associates, the median LTL driver's salary is about $58,000 a year, compared with $48,000 a year, on average, for truckload drivers.

For large truckload fleets, the highest turnover level on record was 134 percent, set in the fourth quarter of 2005, which was the tail end of the last great driver shortage cycle and the dawn of what would become a four-year freight recession that devastated the trucking industry. The subsequent decrease in driver turnover from late 2005 to early 2010 was also unprecedented, according to Costello.

In a statement, Costello reiterated ATA's long-held warning that an increase in freight tonnage, combined with the impact of federal safety regulations that will force marginal drivers off the road, will make it even harder for trucking companies to attract and retain high-quality drivers. Proposed changes in driver hours-of-service regulations, which could have the effect of putting more trucks on the road, will further increase demand for good drivers, Costello said.

Transportation Trucking Truckload Less-than-Truckload
  • Related Articles

    Driver turnover soars in second quarter for large, small truckload fleets, ATA says

    Turnover at large truckload fleets hits highest level since 2015

    Truck driver turnover held steady in fourth quarter, ATA says

Marksolomon
Mark Solomon joined DC VELOCITY as senior editor in August 2008, and was promoted to his current position on January 1, 2015. He has spent more than 30 years in the transportation, logistics and supply chain management fields as a journalist and public relations professional. From 1989 to 1994, he worked in Washington as a reporter for the Journal of Commerce, covering the aviation and trucking industries, the Department of Transportation, Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to that, he worked for Traffic World for seven years in a similar role. From 1994 to 2008, Mr. Solomon ran Media-Based Solutions, a public relations firm based in Atlanta. He graduated in 1978 with a B.A. in journalism from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Recent Articles by Mark Solomon

Coming together for road safety: interview with Joshua Girard

Off the rails

Freight rate spikes shaking up the C-suite

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Maersk deploys indoor drones for warehouse inventory counts

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

5afe63a5 7125 4318 b851 1e5738df1c91

Patterson Fan Co. | HVLS V-Series Ceiling Fan | Staging Area Air Movement

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
The Patterson V-Series is a high-volume, low-speed industrial ceiling fan that is designed to circulate a lot of air at a very low speed. These fans, ranging in diameters of 8’ all the way to 24’, are perfect for large, open spaces such as staging and shipping areas. One 24’ fan can generate a cooling effect of 6 –...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing