Truck Jobs Today, a national placement firm specializing in truck driver recruitment, says military veterans could help alleviate an alarming shortage of truckers and avoid costly impacts. The recently passed Military Commercial Drivers' License Act of 2012 makes it easier for veterans and active service personnel to obtain a CDL required for a trucking career.
“Our nation is facing a critical truck driver shortage that could explode within the next decade, sending consumer product prices skyrocketing and devastating the economy,” says Christopher Grant, Truck Jobs Today CEO. “If a small percentage of the 1.6 million Armed Forces personnel returning home from active duty chose a trucking career, they could turn this shortage around.”
According to a recent update from the American Trucking Associations, the current shortage of truckers is about 20,000-25,000 in the long-haul sector. This significant shortage could jump to 239,000 in the next decade. Such a shortage could create a domino effect on the economy resulting in supply chain disruptions, delayed deliveries and drastic price increases for consumer products.
“Military veterans who want to continue serving their country can help prevent this by becoming truck drivers who keep our products and economy moving,” says Grant. “Recent changes in rulings, along with veteran benefits, have opened doors to a trucking career at a time when we desperately need drivers.”
In October President Obama signed the Military Commercial Drivers' License Act of 2012 permitting states to issue CDL licenses to service members domiciled in another state. In 2011 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations finalized the Commercial Learner's Permit rule enabling veterans with two years of safe driving experience in military equivalents of commercial motor vehicles to waive the CDL skills test.