Trucking Wages Up in 2021, Study Finds
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- Created: 05.09.2022
Trucking Wages Up Alongside Freight Demand, Driver Shortage
As demand for truck drivers rises among a growing shortage, so have driver wages, according to a new study by the American Trucking Associations.
In the wake of increased shipping spurred by the pandemic and compounding fractures in the supply chain, the truck driver shortage has grown to a staggering 80,000 openings in the U.S. Couple this with a 3.5% unemployment rate and the need to entice drivers with competitive wages becomes clear.
“We are committed to creating better jobs for our drivers, and that includes offering pay that reflects the value of the work they do,” said John Culp, president of North Little Rock-based Maverick USA and member of the Arkansas Trucking Association Board of Directors. “If we want to attract the best candidates to our industry, we have to be willing to pay for it in terms of actual wages and other benefits.”
Up Front- Vital Role at Risk
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- Created: 07.29.2022
Shannon Newton
President, ATA
The heavy task of delivering 10.23 billion tons of America’s freight every year takes millions of people. Millions of people, fulfilling different roles—some put on a uniform before grabbing company keys, others invest in their own class 8 tractor, or pop the hood to maintain the machines, pick up the phones and create efficient routes, train the next generation of drivers or keep the books. Every role matters. An unreasonable burden to interstate commerce would be to dismantle one of the most critical roles—the owner-operator.
For nearly three decades, the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act has forbidden states from enacting laws relating to prices, routes and services of motor carriers to avoid an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce.
However, California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), popularly known as the “gig worker bill,” essentially requires companies that hire independent contractors to reclassify them as employees. Enforcing an ABC test all but eliminates a motor carriers’ ability to contract with an owner-operator because they are both in the business of transporting goods for hire.
The Last Word
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- Created: 07.29.2022
For safer communities and new hiring opportunities, consider ex-offenders
By Sec. Solomon Graves
More than 80,000 adult offenders are currently incarcerated in DOC facilities or on parole/under probation supervision, and over 80% of state prison inmates will be released from prison at some point in their sentence.
One word that describes this job market—competitive. One word that describes successful industries—innovative. An innovation being considered more often in this job market is hiring ex-offenders. These individuals want a chance to prove their skills; your industry and communities across Arkansas stand to benefit from giving that chance.
The Department of Corrections is working diligently to prepare offenders to be qualified job candidates upon release. We are very excited to be in the planning stages of a pilot program that could help offenders obtain their commercial driver license.
Oftentimes, employers only consider potential negative outcomes from hiring ex-offenders. Consider that there are also practical benefits, such as supervision terms that often require parolees to hold a job, stay away from criminal activity, check in with parole officers and submit to drug testing. Ex-offenders can be more reliable than other prospective workers.
ATA Names Womack Inaugural Maintenance Professional of the Year
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- Created: 05.09.2022
2021 Maintenance Professional of the Year - Ryan Womack, McKee Foods Transportation
At the Arkansas Technician Championship in Rogers last month, the Arkansas Trucking Association announced the winner of a new award: the Maintenance Professional of the Year Award. The inaugural recipient, Ryan Womack, fleet maintenance superintendent for McKee Foods Transportation, LLC, was named at the awards banquet on June 24.
“We have long recognized the top driver and safety professional at our annual conference, so we are thrilled to add this award and recognize the men and women who keep our equipment safely on the road,” said Shannon Newton, ATA president. “We could not have given this inaugural award to a more deserving candidate than Ryan. He is a dynamic leader within his company, our association and our industry.”
