All around the United States we are witnessing a shortage of qualified truck drivers in 2019. The effect of this can be seen in higher shipping freight costs and lower standards of employment for truck drivers.
Due to the fact that qualified drivers are turning away from employment with trucking companies, these companies are resorting to hiring less qualified drivers to get the job done.
According to Greg Baumgartner; a Houston Truck Accident Lawyer, the move by these trucking companies pose a great danger and could lead to breach in safety.
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Reasons for Shortage of Drivers
The major reason why fewer people are taking up jobs as truck drivers is poor pay. Truck drivers are paid less when compared to other jobs on the same level. Although most trucking companies have increased the pay for drivers, on average, their salaries are still considerably low, so most people would rather apply for other jobs than drive trucks.
In order to encourage more individuals to take up jobs as truck drivers, a bill was recently passed to reduce the legal age limit for drivers to obtain an interstate commercial driver’s license. Many have expressed concern about this bill stating that it might not necessarily result in an increase in number of truck drivers, but would invariably lead to safety threats, as experience is important for driving trucks.
As with every form of transportation, experience has a large role to play with regards to safety and efficiency. As the age of a truck driver increases, it is believed that experience increases, level of safety increases and all these ultimately results in less road accidents. On the other hand, young and inexperienced drivers are more prone to getting into accidents.
With this in mind, and with measures being put in place to reduce the number of 18 wheeler accidents that occur in Texas, it is believed that reducing the age requirement for a long-haul driver will not increase the number of persons applying for this position as expected. Instead, it would reduce the number of experienced drivers we have operating these trucks.
The ultimate solution to the shortage of truck drivers is making the profession more attractive, and this is only possible by increasing the average pay of a truck driver as well as inclusion of bonuses and other job benefits.
For more details, visit https://www.texas-truckaccidentlawyer.com/blog/why-reducing-the-age-of-cdl-drivers-is-a-bad-idea/
