Of the fleets reporting to CK Commercial Vehicle Research for the Q3 2011 Fleet Sentiment Report, 40% are affected by a shortage of drivers now and another 25% indicate they believe the shortage of good drivers will impact their ability to grow in the future.
Of those reporting an immediate concern, three-quarters need drivers to fill current vacant seats, 63% say it is limiting their ability to add capacity, and 42% are changing the way they deploy their fleet such as targeting more regional and local freight opportunities instead of longhaul loads.
Chris Kemmer, CKCVR’s founder, said, “Freight demand is good among the majority of fleets that report to us, but some could definitely haul more if they could find good drivers. Even for those that have a full complement of drivers now there is concern that this scarce resource will likely impact their future growth potential.”
The Q3 2011 Fleet Sentiment Buying Index, which is a measure of the number of fleets planning to place orders for power units and trailers in the next three months, rose to 104.3. This increase came exclusively from an added number of fleets planning trailer orders.
For more information about the Fleet Sentiment Report, visit www.ckcvr.com/FSR.html or e-mail [email protected].
