Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/231816
CCJ Fall Symposium Change in 2014 and beyond the constant theme "You all literally make something move. That's a foreign concept in Washington, which instead stops things – economic growth, wages and prosperity – from moving." – Laura Ingraham, political radio host and Fox News contributor I f fleets aren't circling the wagons, they can't be blamed for thinking about it. Challenges abound from every quarter in today's business environment, from industry-specific issues such as a worsening driver shortage, fuel price volatility and a raft of new regulations slated to hit all at once, to broader concerns such as an uncertain economy and the reality of the Affordable Care Act – also known as "ObamaCare." Speakers offered insights and advice on dealing with these pressing issues at the CCJ Fall Symposium held last month in Scottsdale, Ariz. FLEET EXECUTIVE PANEL SAYS DRIVER IMAGE, ENGAGEMENT CRITICAL TO SOLVING SHORTAGE In the next decade, the trucking industry must add 239,000 drivers annually to keep up with freight demand and replace the 37 percent of current drivers who will retire. A panel of fleet executives discussed solutions to this employment problem. The panel agreed that improving the public's image of the transportation industry is the single biggest obstacle for attracting new drivers to the profession. "We need to turn that ship in the right direction," said panelist Keith Tuttle, pres34 "The best hire is somebody who has got experience. There is a much higher turnover rate with guys who are right out of driving school." – Keith Tuttle, president, Motor Carrier Service ident of Motor Carrier Service, a 100-truck carrier based in Toledo, Ohio. Don Lefeve, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, said federal and state funding for CDL schools would be helpful. Congress has not dedicated funds COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2014 "We need to generate a workforce that wants to do this. People want a good job." – John Hancock, director of training and driver recruiting, Prime Inc.