This is pretty interesting

The need for drivers is growing to 111,000 by 2014 with a current yearly turnover of 121%.

Companies are buying new trucks, double the replacement rate, hoping to find drivers.

62% of the readers of Commercial Carrier Journal stated that driver shortage was the top constraint of growth. One trucking company had 600 trucks parked with no drivers.

The baby boomers are retiring with few replacing them. Now in school it is taught &"you have to have a college education" or you can't make it. They look at truck driving as less of an opportunity for success.

Rates paid to drivers – $40,000 to $50,000 plus benefits – is not unreasonable pay. A recent ad for drivers posted for 1 year experience could earn $52,000. If you have more experience you make more.

Driver bonuses – Walmart pays $65,000 for a 1 year driver and $75,000 a year for a 5 year driver + benefits, and treats them with respect. Drivers will become smarter and better educated.

Recently, a Steel plant in Pennsylvania had a plant meeting on "How to work with the truck driver 101". It's a two way street, we will see significant driver pay/incentives to induce drivers to stay on the road. They are pressured to hurry and sit and wait for long periods of time to be unloaded.

Driver shortage will not improve over the short term. Long term with wage increases it will begin to increase the supply of drivers.

In the East Steel Mills are losing flatbed trucking because the drivers have to tarp and chain down and would rather haul a van.

One company announced it gave the largest increase to it's owner operators in 70 years — $4,000 increase and gave them different delivery routings allowing them to spend more time at home and predictable work schedules. Another has incentive programs to earn another $5,000 or more on new compensation programs. Another $600 for every 60,000 miles. Drivers to be paid weekly.

People were buying other competitors for the drivers.

The driver is no longer at the whim of everyone.