Companies looking to hire truck drivers as shortage impacts grocery stores shelves

WEXFORD COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- They are vital to the health of our nation's economy.

But there is a major shortage of truck drivers and the issue isn't just because of the pandemic.

According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry was short nearly 70,000 drivers in 2018.

Now, the shortage is impacting everything from food on grocery stores shelves to when you might get your next online order.

"The impact that the trucking industry has on the economy is huge," said Pinnacle Truck Driver Training President Tim Baker. "If we don't have enough drivers, companies start to fail, and just goes downhill from there."

The trucking industry is experiencing a major driver shortage and the pandemic isn't helping.

"There is already a shortage of truck drivers, but with the pandemic and the supply line issues, and the huge uptick in people staying home and ordering things online, it's just made a bad problem even worse," said Baker.

Baker is trying to help solve that problem by teaching people the necessary skills they need to become truck drivers.

"Today we have students out here on the range, they're learning how to be truck drivers to fill that need that there's 100,000 or so new jobs waiting for these guys to show up," said Baker.

In the next decade, Baker said the industry could need as many as one million new drivers.

But if the industry can't fill that need...

"If we don't get the number of drivers we need in the industry you're going to see increases in shortages, you're going to see prices going up," said Baker.

Which is one reason Tabitha Knudsen is training at Pinnacle to be a truck driver.

"I'm glad to get out there and become a part of the industry and become a part and meet the supply and demand chain," said Pinnacle Truck Driver Training student Tabitha Knudsen.

And truck companies are ramping up their efforts to get more people like Knudsen out on the road.

"All companies that I've seen and looked into have raised their pay per milage, so they offer benefits, you know dental, vision, and all that stuff. for the first time I'll actually be able to start putting together a 401K," said Knudsen.

"I can start you with a company that will pay you $90,000 and you can go home every weekend," said Baker.

If you are interested in earning your commercial driver's license to become a truck driver you can go from the classroom to a paycheck in six weeks at Pinnacle.