Since 1995, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) has been tracking the trucking industry’s employment turnover rate. The highest rate ever recorded was 136% over 13 years ago, which essentially means that on average, trucking companies’ drivers were changing jobs about 1.3 times a year. Today, the trucking industry’s turnover rate is the lowest it’s ever been – a mere 61%. This means truck drivers are now staying with their companies for a little over a year and a half before moving on to another carrier.

The main reason the turnover rate is so low these days is because of the economy, which is not surprising at all. People are being much more careful about the decisions they make and how it will affect their job, and their life in general. The trucking industry’s driver shortage hasn’t gone away, it’s just on hold because freight is low and employees aren’t going anywhere. As soon as the economy picks up again, truck drivers will be, once again, one of the most top hiring industries in the country.