JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There is a major truck driver shortage right now, and it’s predicted to reach a record high next year, which could impact supply chain costs.
“As long as I’ve been in the industry, it’s always been a challenge to seat drivers,” Clay Hamblen, safety director at Cypress Trucking said while a fleet of trucks wait for a driver.
“In my opinion, it’s a shortage of qualified drivers,” he said.
Hamblen helps train drivers to get on the road. He says there are a lot of misconceptions about the trucking industry.
“I think it’s a lot more challenging than people realize, you know, it’s not just jumping in a truck and see the country. Specifically with what we do, flatbed work, it’s a bit more physical.”
The American Trucking Association forecasts a 64,000 driver shortage in 2023 and a new record high of more than 82,000 in 2024. It says to keep up with demand, trucking needs more than one million new drivers over the next decade to replace those leaving the industry.
The problem is forcing trucking companies to really incentivize the job, you can actually make money getting your CDL with Cypress and it’s free for students who qualify.
In as little as 12 weeks, you can be behind the wheel of a truck, making big bucks.
The Cypress program guarantees a job to students who finish, and Hamblen says the starting salary is anywhere from $70-$100,000 per year.
And, if that’s not enough money...
“Our team averages $14,000 a week gross revenue, our top guys are doing $20,000 (a week) gross revenue,” Jim Grundy, CEO of SISU Energy said. “Take home is about 60% of that. So if you did $16,000, you’re gonna take home anywhere from $9,000 to $10,000 a week.”
Grundy is currently recruiting owner-operator drivers in Florida and he says there’s an opportunity to make $300-$400,000 a year.
“Our platform allows folks that want to make that kind of money, it’s there, absolutely,” he said.
A shortage of truck drivers is disrupting the supply chain and it could get worse. You’ve probably noticed it yourself.
- Shortages on store shelves
- Higher prices
- Longer wait times for packages
“I think that people don’t really understand the impact these drivers that are employed in these fleets and the impact they make on everybody’s day-to-day lives,” Hamblen said.
If you’re interested in any of these opportunities you can go to these websites: