Haulit is here to help! With the CDL Driver Shortage continuing to deepen across the U.S, carriers, shippers, business owners and drivers are having to look for new solutions to help bridge the gap. As business owners work through the financial issues of cdl driver loss, finding ways to meet the growing demand for small order deliveries is on the rise.
While they may not be built for large quantity deliveries, Haulit Trailers were created to help maximize small load profitability and provide a solution for truck driver shortages within communities.
What is the CDL Driver Shortage?
America is seeing a massive shortage of CDL Drivers across the country. Its a rough lifestyle to live and finding quality and qualified drivers for the job now is hard to find. Many drivers are tired of the demanding career and what accompanies it -like limited to zero quality family time, unhealthy & sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, disrespect on the road, and even poor opportunities for proper hygiene.
Many drivers experience divorces, dissatisfaction, and depression for missing out on their families and kids growing up. Even with increasing salaries or signing bonuses, because of the lifestyle, drivers are turning elsewhere for work and looking for other income and career opportunities. As an effect, America is seeing a massive shortage among its carriers.
This increase in driver shortage isn’t new. A gradual decrease has been seen and felt over the past 5 years, affecting the way carriers and shippers are having to do business. With the freight demand increasing and driver shortage increasing, the industry could see a severe disruption in the supply chain.
The Truck Driver Shortage is not a Myth!
Don’t just take our word for it! Look at the headlines from other leading posts on the subject!
“America has a massive truck driver shortage.” The Washington Post
“Facing A Critical Shortage Of Drivers, The Trucking Industry Is Changing” National Public Radio
What Are Truck Driver Shortage Solutions?
The driver shortage increase has put up a huge red flag among policymakers, shippers, and carriers. Companies are having to put new policies into place to keep drivers driving for them. Pay increases and incentives are also being issued. While this doesn’t help the lifestyle any, it is keeping some drivers on board, but not enough to bridge the gap.
High tech and trendy training programs are coming into effect to help draw the pull of the younger generation to the career. With an aim to help draw the younger generation to the career, making training simulators feel like a video game and increasing new safety features on the trucks themselves is helping draw the younger crowd to the road, but will it be enough?
It is estimated that in order to meet the nations freight demand, the industry will need to hire 1.1 million new truck drivers over the next decade in order to replace the retiring drivers and keep up with growth in the economy.
The shortage creates a problem not only for shippers, carriers, and communities, but for the drivers themselves looking for work elsewhere. One way drivers have looked for solutions to making or supplementing an income while getting out of the rigorous demands of the trucking industry is by becoming independent contractors and brokering deliveries on their own.
Many want the freedom from the fees, freedom to set their own hours, keep the money that they make for their deliveries and broker deliveries within the community to have less demanding driving hours away from home and more family time.
Shippers, carriers, and local businesses within communities are having to come up with solutions as well. In 2013, Green Valley of Utah looked for solutions within their business and what they could do to bridge the gap of the effects of driver shortage.
Drivers were short, but the orders and demand for small orders within the community was growing. Realizing that they weren’t profiting or maximizing smaller load and order profitability, they sought a solution that would help not only the driver shortage, but increase sales on small order delivery.
“I’ve seen it within my own sod farm. We’re losing money on the long haul because drivers are short to come by. We’re having to find ways to increase profits and find ways to deliver more effectively on smaller order deliveries, mainly 2-4 pallets. The CDL Driver shortage has really made us have to look at our whole delivery operation differently” -Sod Farm Owner, Colorado.
Companies are having to look at their entire delivery operation and bridge the gaps. For Green Valley of Utah, the old method of using a forklift and truck was costly. It required at least two drivers, more equipment, and longer delivery times. They looked for a solution and the first Haulit prototype was created and built. It provided a way for the farm to maximize on small order deliveries and allowed non cdl drivers to make the deliveries.
For them, it was a win, win. Knowing that a single pallet delivery trailer helped solve the problem, but wasn’t economical, they soon created the two, then three, then four pallet delivery trailers that they use and have for sale on the market today.
While Haulits heavy duty utility trailers may not be built for large quantity loads, they are helping businesses, coast to coast, bridge the gap within their delivery operation and start maximizing smaller load profitability within their communities.
From Maine to Oregon, to Texas, Haulit Trailers are being purchased from their manufacturing plant in Utah and being delivered among sod farms, landscapers, tree farms, and those needing to deliver palletized and bulk materials. They aren’t the entire solution to the CDL driver shortage, but Haulit trailers are a huge start to companies having a solution that is economical and profitable.
The solution to the CDL Driver shortage lies in a completely new delivery mindset within the entire industry and those it effects. Haulit is paving the way as a solid truck driver shortage solution to consider.
Read more HERE about how to maximize pallet delivery profitability while helping solve the CDL driver shortage!