ATRI Seeks Carrier Input on Hiring Across Demographics
Survey to Assess Willingness to Hire Formerly Incarcerated Drivers, Among Others
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Researchers at the are calling on motor carriers to participate in a driver demographic survey that for the first time includes an examination of carrier hiring practices for drivers with prior criminal convictions.
鈥淎s the trucking industry tackles truck driver workforce challenges, ATRI鈥檚 prioritized this study to explore underrepresented hiring pathways, including individuals with criminal histories,鈥 ATRI said in a statement. 鈥淭his survey examines motor carrier hiring practices, decision-making factors and workforce reintegration strategies, with optional follow-up research interviews for further insights.鈥
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e trying to do is create a road map for how truck drivers are changing and evolving over time by every demographic you can think of, from trip links to gender, to age, where they鈥檙e migrating within the industry, over the road, LTL to local courier service,鈥 said Dan Murray, ATRI鈥檚 senior vice president. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 a massive demographic study. And it has a couple little sidebars to it.鈥
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Researchers already have collected information on one of the sidebars, taking a look at the prospects of the foster care population, he noted.
鈥淭housands of people age out of foster care at 18, and essentially have no training, no background, no income, no job,鈥 Murray said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e working with the foster care industry to see if that鈥檚 a potential population for addressing the truck driver shortage.
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鈥淎nother one is looking at the formerly incarcerated population. Some people call it 鈥榡ustice involved.鈥 The question is are there groups within the formerly incarcerated that would both be amenable and willing to become a truck driver, but also is the motor carrier industry willing to hire them?鈥
Of course, it鈥檚 likely that if a potential driver spent time in jail for theft or some other serious crime, the industry would certainly not want to hire them into a position where cargo is vulnerable, Murray said.
ATRI already has begun checking with motor carrier focus groups on who would be willing to hire formerly incarcerated people, and some have said, 鈥淲e just won鈥檛 do that,鈥 Murray noted. However, he added that ATRI鈥檚 preliminary research has identified about a dozen carriers willing to hire drivers with criminal records.
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Murray said truck drivers鈥 average age of about 50, combined with an accelerating wave of baby boomer retirements, is creating particular challenges for the trucking industry, which has one of the nation鈥檚 oldest workforces.
鈥淎s the industry continues to seek out solutions to its various workforce challenges, there is a new emphasis on the possibilities of hiring truck drivers with criminal histories,鈥 said Robyn Smith, director of driver relations for May Trucking Co. and a member of ATRI鈥檚 Research Advisory Committee. 鈥淗owever, there is limited data on how to successfully integrate these individuals into motor carrier operations. ATRI鈥檚 research will provide valuable insight to help the industry balance safety, compliance and workforce development.鈥
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May ranks No. 98 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking into three different avenues,鈥 said Abbigail Huffman, an ATRI research analyst and co-author of the study. These include examining driver population trends over the past 10 to 20 years, analyzing the characteristics of modern truck drivers, and exploring potential pathways for those involved in the justice system and foster care.
Researchers are hoping to complete the study sometime in April, Huffman said.
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