This month, the Georgia Department of Labor announced that it would begin initiatives to help trucking companies, including Mohawk Industries, fill open positions for truck drivers. As part of these initiatives, the Georgia Department of Labor will host a day long job fair at one of its local career centers in Calhoun, Georgia. Representatives from Mohawk Industries will conduct interviews on Saturday, June 22. All applicants must be at least 25 years old, possess a class A driver’s license, and have a minimum of one year of experience driving a tractor trailer truck.
Georgia’s truck driver shortage is 10 percent higher than the national average.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, currently, there is a significant nationwide shortage of truck drivers, and the demand for truck drivers is expected to rise even further in the coming years. There are presently a total of approximately 1,605,000 tractor trailer truck driver positions in the job market. However, this number is expected to grow by 21 percent in the near future. This represents a rate that is much higher than the average for most careers.
Georgia has one of the greatest demands for truck drivers in the country. The state’s demand for truck drivers is nearly 10 percent higher than the national average.
Health and safety risks, low wages, and new, stricter federal regulations contribute to the truck driver shortage.
There are several factors that contribute to this truck driver shortage including the fact that drivers are over-worked, paid low wages, and take on significant health and safety risks. In 2012, the average turnover for tractor trailer truck drivers was close to 98 percent.
Many truck drivers opt for better paying jobs in the construction and shale oil industries. The median salary for a truck driver is $38,000 a year. Typically, truck drivers are compensated per mile or per delivery.
However, Mohawk Industries says that its starting salary for new recruits will be closer to $42,000. Other trucking companies are also trying to provide incentives to new recruits. For example, Werner Enterprise is offering a $5,000 sign on bonus for certain positions and Swift Transportation is trying to lure in military veterans by offering to pay for their truck driving school tuition.
New federal regulations which take into effect on July 1 reduce the number of hours that truck drivers can work within a week from 82 hours to 70 hours. In addition, under the new rules, truck drivers are prohibited from driving more than 11 hours a day. This is expected to further increase the existing truck driver shortage.
Safety advocates believe the rules are not strict enough to increase trucker safety, while industry representatives argue that the new rules will have crippling effects on their business. Both sides have filed lawsuits challenging the new rules.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident involving a truck, you should contact an attorney immediately. Our Atlanta truck accident lawyers can review the facts of your case and provide you with the guidance and representation you need and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.