Current trends are showing that there is a large group of professional truck drivers preparing to retire over the next few years. To fill the gaps being left in the trucking industry by these retirees, companies need to bring in new and talented drivers, and there are so many untapped demographics available to do that. Women are an underutilized truck driving resource, as well as next generation drivers. However, minority truck drivers are often overlooked; the stereotypical truck driver looks more like Kurt Russell or Jerry Reed to most people.
In 2001, only 27% of truck drivers were African American or Latino American. In the past twenty years, though, that number has risen to 40%, and now also includes a growing number of Asian Americans. What has changed in the trucking industry? And are those changes indicative of further inclusion and diversity coming in the future?
While we looked at recruiting Gen Z drivers in our blog on December 14th, 2022, and women becoming truck drivers in our entry on January 25th of this year, today, we are going to dive into why more minority truck drivers will soon be joining the industry. Don’t forget to look back on our previous blogs for more recruitment tips and tricks!
“Just the facts, Ma’am”
As everyone has seen, a new spotlight has been aimed on the trucking industry in the past three years. Unlike the time before the Covid-19 pandemic, many people now know that truck drivers move our goods across the country. However, most don’t realize that driver turnover in trucking is around 90% for some carriers. Also, the casual observer doesn’t see that truckers, on average, spend 40% of their workday waiting to unload and load, and that these hours are typically unpaid. The demands and requirements on truck drivers are well-documented, making it easy to see why fewer people are joining trucking companies. While the issues with the trucking industry itself are being tackled by everyone from the federal government to small business owners, recruiters for truck driving businesses are having to get creative to find new drivers.
Since the new millennia began over twenty years ago, the number of minority truck drivers has grown, although that growth has been slow. Since 2001, the number of African American and Latino American drivers has grown by 11%, from 27% to 38%. Asian American truck drivers, who now account for 2-3% of minority drivers, were not even counted among statistics until the past couple of years. While there may be miles to go, the foundation is there for the trucking industry to be even more racially inclusive over time, something vitally important to sustaining our nation’s most relied on branch of industry.
Bringing it all together
As more and more millennials begin to join the trucking profession, inclusivity is gradually becoming the norm. The need to hire younger drivers more quickly compels companies to share the values of millennials and Gen Z drivers, meaning the company culture must be all-embracing, or those young drivers will go to other businesses that do. For extra support these days, there are groups on social media that offer assistance to minority drivers, such as the Black Truckers United group. In Colorado, an African American couple has even started a truck driving academy, specializing in training minority drivers. It would be a boon for any trucking company to be aligned with minority support organizations like this, as it helps facilitate more diversity and acceptance between organizations.
Getting your house in order
As with most great habits, though, the work must begin on your home turf. One way to promote diversity within your company is to create an atmosphere of inclusion there. Workplace rules governing harassment and discrimination are easy places to start. An even easier way is to ensure that every employee has the same pay and benefits as their coworkers in the same area. Hold regular diversity training sessions to give your current employees a chance to better understand and appreciate people from different backgrounds.
After that, focus on recruiting the best drivers for your company. Many recruiters will tell you that “word of mouth” is a major factor for drivers looking for a new job, particularly from one minority driver to another. For an additional advantage, remember to make your recruitment marketing materials a reflection of your current, diverse workforce; mention inclusivity in your content and make creative images that show your company hiring the minorities, women, and younger drivers already on staff. Some companies have turned to internships and scholarships for recruits in underrepresented groups. Others, like Ellen Voie, president of Women in Trucking, stated that hiring minority drivers must start with hiring more minority recruiters. Just as with minority drivers seeing other truckers that look like them, once minorities see that recruiters look like them too, they’ll feel more comfortable signing with your company.
Don’t be afraid to ask minority drivers currently in your company how they would continue to attract diverse drivers; their insight is invaluable to you and utilizing it can only further improve your chances of bringing in more quality drivers.
Conclusion
Diversity and inclusivity are the trademarks of the most successful companies. Not only does it mean better business practices, but it is also important for being a good human being. There are so many ways to hire drivers, and the needs of the trucking industry are great. However, with a little care and planning, the trucking industry is set to become one of the most inclusive industries in the country, leading the way for other businesses to be the same.
Are you not meeting your recruitment goals? Join LzRecruit Network! Lower your Cost Per Lead and Time to Hire today. We offer 100% direct leads. For more information on the LzRecruit Network, contact us at 800-755-0623.
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Meaghan Goldberg covers recruitment and digital marketing for Lionzone. A Patterson, GA native, after graduating from both Valdosta State University and Middle Tennessee State University, Meaghan joined Lionzone in 2018 as a digital recruitment strategist before becoming the social media manager.
Resources:
https://www.prodrivers.com/news/2021/12/40193284/more-minority-representation-among-truckers
https://www.cartertruckdrivingacademy.com/
https://www.centerlinedrivers.com/resources/blog/diversity-in-trucking
