The truck driver shortage is expected to reach 50,000 this year and 174,000 by 2026, according to a report by American Trucking Associations (ATA).
The industry was short 45,000 drivers in 2015 and 36,500 last year.
There also is a shortage of qualified drivers.
The driver shortage began in 2008. During the Great Recession, freight volume fell and the driver shortage ceased, only to begin again in 2011.
One source of the shortage, the report said, is the age of drivers. The average age for an over-the-road truck is 49, and higher for other sectors.
Another source is the industry’s inability to attract a large number of minority and women drivers.
“While the shortage is a persistent issue in our industry, motor carriers are constantly working to address it,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. “We already see fleets raising pay and offering other incentives to attract drivers. Fleets are also doing more to improve the lifestyle and image of the truck driver, but there are also policy changes like reducing the driver age as part of a graduated licensing system, or easing the transition for returning veterans, that can make getting into this industry easier and therefore help with the shortage.”