Truck Driver Shortage? Nah… It's a Retention Problem, and Here's the Proof

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

🚛 The Headlines Keep Screaming “Shortage”

Every few months, some big outlet or trade group yells from the rooftops:

“We’re short 80,000 truck drivers!”
“The supply chain is in danger!”
“America needs more drivers — fast!”

But ask any experienced driver with a few million miles under their belt, and you’ll hear a very different take:

“There ain’t no shortage of drivers. There’s a shortage of reasons to stay.”

Boom 💥

Let’s talk about it.

🧠 The Real Issue: Drivers Come In — But They Don’t Stay

Here’s the truth the megacarriers don’t want to admit:

Thousands of new drivers get CDLs every year.

Most of them quit within the first 12 months.

Why? Because the job they were sold… ain’t the job they got.

That ain’t a shortage problem. That’s a turnover problem.

In fact, some large carriers have driver turnover rates over 90%.
Let that sink in.

If McDonald's had that kind of turnover, people would be flipping burgers in the parking lot with no training.

😤 Why Drivers Quit (And It Ain’t Just the Hours)

1. Low starting pay – Many new drivers are told they’ll make $70K… but start at 30–40 cents per mile, getting shorted on miles every week.

2. Dishonest recruiters – “No touch freight” suddenly becomes lumper work. Local runs turn into coast-to-coast overnight.

3. No home time – Dispatch promises weekends off, but somehow your reset ends up at a Pilot in Indiana every week.

4. No respect – Shippers treat drivers like pests. Companies treat them like truck numbers, not humans.

5. Poor training & mentorship – New drivers get tossed into high-pressure situations with little to no support. That’s dangerous and stressful.

So they bounce. And who could blame ’em?

🤫 The Dirty Little Secret of the “Shortage” Hype

Why do companies keep pushing the “shortage” story?

Because it gives them:

Justification to keep wages low (supply vs. demand)

Leverage to push for looser regulations (like teen drivers or foreign labor)

Excuses when freight gets delayed (blame the invisible shortage!)

It’s not about solving the problem. It’s about protecting the profit model.

📉 Supply and Demand Don’t Lie

If there was really a driver shortage, like the kind they claim...

Rates would spike

Pay would skyrocket

Carriers would bend over backward to keep drivers happy

But that ain’t what’s happening. Instead:

Wages are stagnating at many megacarriers

Benefits are cut

Layoffs still happen

Carriers keep over-hiring rookies and churning them out like a driver mill

That’s not a shortage. That’s cheap labor turnover.

🛠️ What Would Fix It?

Glad you asked. Want to end the so-called shortage? Try this:

Pay drivers for ALL their time — not just miles

Be honest during recruiting

Stop scheduling 34-hour resets 500 miles from home

Give newer drivers better mentorship

Build company culture around loyalty, not leverage

Do that… and watch turnover drop like a rusty trailer landing gear.

👀 But Here’s the Part You Won’t Hear on the News

This isn’t just about driver count — it’s about driver quality and career sustainability.

If you’re a carrier hiring warm bodies to fill seats without investing in them, you’re not building a workforce — you’re running a revolving door.

And if you're a driver out here running hard with no plan, hoping things will get better on their own — hate to say it — you're on a treadmill to burnout.

That’s why smart drivers are now building backup plans, stacking side income, and looking to exit on their terms — not in a breakdown lane.

📢 Bottom Line

There might be a driver shortage on paper.
But in the real world, it’s a shortage of reasons to stay.

Fix the retention problem, and the “shortage” solves itself.

Until then, drivers will keep coming in… and keep walking right back out.

🚀 Call to Action

If you’re tired of the games and want to build a way out of the driver churn…

👉 Learn how to build online income while you're still trucking at OffDutyMoney.com

👉 Or if you're just starting out and want to do it smarter than most, go to LifeAsATrucker.com