William B. Cassidy | Jun 06, 2011 2:42PM EDT
Con-way Truckload, looking to hire more truck drivers in the Western U.S., reopened a driver orientation site in Phoenix that closed during the recession.
The Joplin, Mo.-based truckload carrier plans to hire 30 to 50 experienced truck drivers a month in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.
The Phoenix site brings to six the number of driver orientation centers operated by Con-way Truckload throughout the country, the company said on Monday.
Reopening the Phoenix center will make it easier for truckers in the Southwest to attend a five-day orientation program required of all new Con-way drivers.
Demand for drivers at all types of trucking operations is getting stronger. DriverJobs.com has seen a 30 to 40 percent increase in job postings and driver applications over last year, National Sales Manager Tony Orr said.
For-hire trucking companies have increased payroll 3.3 percent since the beginning of the year, according to unadjusted figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Seasonally adjusted figures show a smaller, 1.5 percent increase in hiring since January than the unadjusted raw data, which is based on actual headcounts.
BLS data include mechanics, office personnel, drivers and managers at approximately 111,000 for-hire local, long-haul and specialized trucking companies.
Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter at @wbcassidy_joc.
