Businesses have been stringent on hiring new employees despite a recovering company, but some services are in higher demand than others. Retailers for example, are ordering larger amounts of inventory to sustain sales during the holiday season and may need additional staff to handle the increased workload. The same is true for their partners in the logistics sector.
Supplies and products travel across the country in many ways, but 100 percent of consumer products and 70 percent of freight tonnage are transported by a commercial truck driver, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Without an adequate number of truck operators, many parcels could be behind schedule during a period when shipments are extremely time-sensitive.
Delivery services businesses across the United States and Canada can find qualified drivers with HR software solutions. Based on a job seeker’s application, hiring managers can determine if their experience matches up to their organization’s goals. Depending on the size of the team, fleet drivers may be expected to drive long distances. The issue that delivery services face is that too many drivers are quitting their post—potentially impacting operations for many work sectors.
Earlier this month, the ATA found that that turnover rates for truckload fleets rose to 99 percent. In markets that have seen significant growth, the inability to fill vacant positions could hurt fourth quarter results. One of the reasons that truck drivers decided to hand in their keys derives from new industry standards like driving a maximum of 70 hours of week.
“Continued high turnover shows that the market for qualified, experienced drivers remains extremely tight,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said in a statement. “The continued improvement in the freight economy, coupled with regulatory challenges from the changing hours-of-service rule will only serve to put a further squeeze on the market for drivers.”
However, recruiters should not be discouraged by these findings because HR software solutions can help them find highly experienced drivers who are looking for better pay and benefits within the trucking industry. Also, logistics consultant Tompkins International found that logistics will grow at 7 to 10 percent by the end of 2013, ahead of the United State’s gross domestic domestic product which is projected to stand at less than 2 percent.