Podcast: The demographic cliff of driver age
There is a fundamental shift in the way that fleets are hiring, paying, and retaining their drivers: the workforce is aging, and the critical population of 45-to-65-year-old drivers is shrinking.
For more information, FleetOwner's Josh Fisher hosts Leah Shaver, president and CEO of the National Transportation Institute, a leading organization that tracks industry drivers' wages, benefits, and retirement trends.
Timestamps:
- 1:04 – The demographic cliff
- 2:06 – Multiple factors restricting driver supply
- 5:46 – Moving past the "earn your stripes" mentality:
- 8:49 – Creative scheduling and incentivizing
- 10:11 – The generational communication rift
- 21:17 – Marijuana hurdles
- 27:20 – General generational preferences
- 34:00 – What can fleets do today?
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About the Author
Josh Fisher
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief Josh Fisher has been with FleetOwner since 2017. He covers everything from modern fleet management to operational efficiency, artificial intelligence, autonomous trucking, alternative fuels and powertrains, regulations, and emerging transportation technology. Based in Maryland, he writes the Lane Shift Ahead column about the changing North American transportation landscape.





