Driver Shortage Top Challenge for Heavy-Duty Fleets
An annual survey of fleet representatives found that the driver shortage and improving fuel efficiency are among the key issues for heavy-duty fleets. The findings were published in the CK Commercial Vehicle Research 2014 Annual Fleet Study.
by Staff
October 21, 2014
Graph via CKCVR.
1 min to read
Graph via CKCVR.
An annual survey of fleet representatives found that the driver shortage and improving fuel efficiency are among the key issues for heavy-duty fleets. The findings were published in the CK Commercial Vehicle Research 2014 Annual Fleet Study.
Sixty-six representatives from small, medium and large fleets operating Class 8 trucks responded to a 20-question survey covering issues in the industry. Topics included planned truck and trailer purchases, capacity, brand choices, driver shortage impact and other current trends.
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The study found several common challenges facing heavy-duty fleets including the effect driver shortage has on a fleet’s willingness to add capacity.
Equipment purchase plans for 2015 have seen a minimal decline compared with what was planned for 2014 but a higher percentage of deliveries are expected in the first half of next year.
Fleets are interested in technologies that maximize fuel efficiency and safety. Technologies that encourage greater driver recruitment, retention and potential are also important, respondents said.
In addition to answered questions the report also features quotes for those surveyed communicating the issues they face and how fleets are adapting to the current industry.
The Department of Labor plans to expand Pell Grant eligibility to some shorter workforce training programs, a move the American Trucking Associations said will help strengthen commercial driver training schools and diesel technician training programs.
For an industry that has watched this issue go back and forth for years, the independent contractor proposal marks the latest swing in the regulatory pendulum.
America’s Service Line adopted Link’s SmartValve and ROI Cabmate systems to address whole-body vibration, repetitive strain, and driver turnover. The trucking fleet is already seeing measurable results.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued more than 550 notices of proposed removal to commercial driver training providers following a five-day nationwide enforcement sweep. Investigators cited unqualified instructors, improper training vehicles, and failure to meet federal and state requirements.
Illinois is the latest state targeted and threatened with the loss of highway funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation in its review of states' non-domiciled CDL issuance procedures. The state is pushing back.
After a legal pause last fall, FMCSA has finalized its rule limiting non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses. The agency says the change closes a safety gap, and its revised economic analysis suggests workforce effects will be more gradual than first thought.
