Trucking labor

Courier, trucking, and warehousing firms lost workers last month, but the seasonal surge and purge was more muted than expected, reflecting broader labor market resilience.

Firms engaged in last-mile delivery hired fewer workers than expected in December, but still made big employment gains, while real trucking jobs in the US dropped in a typical seasonal pattern.

A new rule proposed by the US Department of Labor could signal the beginning of the end of the independent contractor model in port drayage and other trucking sectors, opponents say.

The traditional increase in bookings for December and January shipments out of Asia is nowhere to be seen as importers in destination markets struggle with surplus stock levels and weakening demand.

Hiring expectations fell short across many transportation sectors in November, with real trucking employment dropping while warehousing firms and couriers added workers.

Stubbornly strong industrial output and pent-up demand are expected to keep pressure on trailer manufacturers to increase supply, even during a US economic slowdown.

For-hire trucking companies added almost 20,000 jobs last month, erasing September’s payroll cut as capacity shifts between trucking sectors.

While trucking makes hiring gains in the US, unadjusted warehousing and storage employment has fallen in four of the past five months, contributing to supply chain bottlenecks.

The addition of 22,500 trucking employees in May after a 14,900-gain in real jobs in April reveals a trucking sector confident in continuing freight demand as markets realign in 2022.

For-hire trucking employment soared past seasonal expectations in April, underscoring strong demand despite declining spot market pricing.

Facing one of the most challenging labor markets in recent memory, US transportation and warehousing managers are finding workers -- they’re just having trouble holding onto them, says a sector analyst.

Seasonality was behind the large increases in courier and delivery employment and a drop in trucking employment last month; beneath the surface, there’s tooth-and-nail competition for labor.

The fast-spreading variant of COVID-19 likely won’t affect trucking as much as warehousing and aviation, but its indirect impact will put more pressure on already high trucking costs.

A White House plan to encourage more trucking companies to recruit drivers via apprenticeships isn’t a short-term fix but may help long-haul carriers find drivers for the long term.

The for-hire trucking industry lost jobs in November, as it typically does, but fewer than anticipated as couriers and warehouses grabbed the most new employees amid strong pre-holiday demand.

A spot market gold rush is enlarging a hiring gap between large and small trucking companies, posing challenges for larger carriers seeking drivers and for shippers moving large volumes of freight.

Teamsters rank-and-file members have elected critics of outgoing General President James P. Hoffa to lead the union in a more militant direction.

Bigger than expected gains in warehousing and trucking in October are welcome amid ongoing reports of labor shortages.

The Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate for large employers will affect truck capacity and pricing, but questions about the extent of its impact remain.

A truck driver survey underscores the threat of potential service disruptions from an upcoming US vaccine mandate for large employers, with 36 percent of drivers showing no interest in vaccination.