Major Issues Facing The Trucking Industry


The trucking industry is evolving and changing every day. New technological advances are improving safety and rates per mile. However, new regulations are also causing problems and major frustration.

We wish we could say that the trucking life was easy. It answers the call for freedom provided by the open road. However, there are actually a few major updates and problems facing the trucking industry that are causing major issues!

Major Issues Facing The Trucking Industry

1. The ELD Mandate

The ELD mandate is only days away on December 18th. If trucks don’t comply with the mandate by then they may receive some expensive citations. While some truckers welcome new technology and think that ELDs will improve the business, others disagree.

Many protests under the notion ‘ELD or ME’ have been taking place across the nation in an attempt to delay or completely get rid of the mandate. While their attempts have been unsuccessful so far, they aren’t giving up.

Also, many experienced older drivers say they will quit instead of complying, meaning the industry may lose the best drivers, and the driver shortage will increase.

2. The Driver Shortage

Currently,  there aren’t enough butts to fill driver seats. The nation is short about 48,000 drivers, even though the national unemployment rate is under 5%. As the shortage grows we could face an economic crisis.

Drivers are underpaid, treated poorly, and the lifestyle of being away from home is becoming unappealing. Companies need to step it up with better training, pay, and benefits to attract drivers and retain them.

3. Driver Health

Truckers are prone to smoking and unhealthy lifestyle habits that lead to major health issues. Truckers are obese, plagued with sleep apnea, have diabetes, are at risk for heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, and much more.

Even if we do have trained, experienced drivers, before we know it they could become too unhealthy to keep on trucking. That’s why a number of programs for healthy eating and trucker exercise are emerging.

4. Trucking is Unsafe

Trucking is rated as the most dangerous profession in the nation. Drivers are often in killed or injured in wrecks. While other drivers can cause these wrecks sometimes truckers are responsible for driving unsafely as well.

There are a number of distractions in the cab now from cell phones, cameras for vlogging, and more. With more of an emphasis on safety training, updated hands-free technology, auto-sensing technology, trucking could become a safer profession.

We Support Truckers

With the growing number of challenges the trucking industry faces, we would like to thank the hard-working men and women who are sticking with it. Trucking can be difficult, but your hard work helps to move the economy forward by delivering essential goods across the nation.

Upcoming holidays like Christmas, wouldn’t be possible without your tireless efforts to deliver loads on time. While currently, ExpressIFTA works to make your life a little easier by taking the stress out of IFTA reporting we hope the industry becomes a safer, more educated, and beneficial place for everyone involved.

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