Clashing priorities between large fleets and their drivers is a big concern. This is according to Rebecca Brewster, the president and CEO of the American Transportation Research Institute.
According to Brewster, and the data, while fleets remain concerned about staffing challenges, the drivers are wondering how they’ll pay their bills and whether or not they are going to have a safe place to sleep tonight.
Clashing Priorities Brought to Light
“Moreover, if your top issues are finding and keeping drivers, then you need to pay attention to what they’re concerned about,” Brewster said. “In fact, we do have a tie for the first time. This would be in the top spot between compensation and truck parking” on which the truck operators’ side of the ledger.
Higher Pay and Lack of Drivers
Therefore, the drivers are always pushing for higher pay and fleets that will always focus on the lack of drivers willing to work under current conditions. This is according to Brewster, moreover, the issue with truck parking is really untenable and it is basically not something workers of any type should contend with.
“Moreover, the lack of truck parking is a huge personal issue for me,” she said, pointing she drove past trucks parked on the shoulders and ramps of highways because there was a lack of parking. “In fact, it should not be occurring. Now, it is unarguable position drivers are facing.”
According to Brewster, the fleet executives can’t just accept these hardships on the behalf of their drivers. In fact, this is especially within such a tight freight market. “You really need to be equally concerned if you want to talk about finding and keeping drivers” with the real lack of safe parking, she did say. “In fact, everyone in this room does know where you’re going to put your head down in a bed tonight. Moreover, it is our professional drivers who don’t have that same luxury.”
Brewster’s analysis of the industry illustrated there are many ways in which the shortage of parking may indeed even be causing the “driver shortage” that does top the list of fleet concerns. There is an obvious ethical case to be made for finding safe places for truck drivers to park.
