It’s late 2022, and truck drivers are still in extremely high-demand. Even prior to the pandemic, the industry was abuzz with talk about the so-called “truck driver shortage.” After a pandemic and assorted supply chain crises, truck drivers are still needed badly.

Tactic One: Raise Pay and Offer More

Some trucking companies have tried to attract drivers by increasing benefits and raising wages. Walmart, notably, began offering a starting salary between $95,000 and $110,000. Not bad at all.

More flexible home time has been a common request for truck drivers when it comes to benefits, but some companies got even more creative than that. One company offered a driver’s advocate, who would help drivers with everything from scheduling appointments to managing financials.

Tactic Two: Increase the Hiring Pool

Another way to attract truck drivers for companies, organizations, or governments is to increase the hiring pool.

Efforts have been made to reach demographics that typically don’t look towards truck driving as a viable career. Some organizations specifically reach out to women and people of color in order to diversify the industry and expand the workforce.

Another way to grow the list of potential candidates is to lower the age of eligible drivers. As part of the recent Infrastructure Bill, one provision allows people under the age of 21 to haul freight across state borders.

Other efforts have been made to push for more H2-B Visas for foreign-born truck drivers.

Along the same lines, a new program in Wisconsin is training refugees to become truck drivers. The “Hidden Talents Project” is designed to help refugees find work (and help companies find workers) for industries where workers are in high demand.

With the help of a $1.6 million grant, the Fox Valley Technical College in Wisconsin is currently training six refugees of Afghan and Somali descent to become truck drivers.

Secretary Designee Amy Pechacek of Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development commented:

“We know that there’s a worker quantity shortage due to low birth rates, accelerated retirement, and net zero to negative migration to the state of Wisconsin. So we’re really focused on helping those individuals in the state who still want to enter the workforce and fill those vacancies.”

If the program is successful, we may see companies begin to lobby to increase programs such as the “Hidden Talents Project” in other states.