The driver shortage is back — but this time it’s different

Nov 23, 2020 at 09:25 AM CST
In February 2020, the U.S. government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) OTR truckload driver count hit an all-time high of 471,000 drivers. The very next month – on March 19 – California announced the nation’s first stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 epidemic. One month later there were 23,000 fewer drivers. By August, the industry had lost an additional 7,000 drivers and the OTR truckload driver count hit its lowest point since September 2012, when the industry was still clawing out of the Great Recession.

Nov 23, 2020 at 09:25 AM CST

In February 2020, the U.S. government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) OTR truckload driver count hit an all-time high of 471,000 drivers. The very next month – on March 19 – California announced the nation’s first stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 epidemic. One month later there were 23,000 fewer drivers. By August, the industry had lost an additional 7,000 drivers and the OTR truckload driver count hit its lowest point since September 2012, when the industry was still clawing out of the Great Recession.