PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The United States is facing a shortage of nearly 80,000 truck drivers, a deficit that could grow to 160,000 truck drivers by the year 2031, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

That matters because data from the ATA shows 72.2% of America’s weight by freight is transported by truckers.


What You Need To Know

  • According to the American Trucking Associations, the U.S. is facing a shortage of nearly 80,000 truck drivers

  • Pinellas Technical College is hoping to reduce the truck driver shortage by training qualified drivers that will stay in the industry

  • India Lewis, a 22-year-old woman from Tampa Bay, wants to get into the truck driving industry and is participating in the college's program

  • View more statistics on the truck driver shortage on Spectrum Bay News 9 anchor Jeff Butera's TikTok page

“Everything, from the gas you put in your car to the groceries you buy at the local grocery store, depends on truckers,” said Rick Renaud, a commercial driving instructor at Pinellas Technical College. “If you don’t have enough truck drivers, there’s simply not going to be enough product on the shelves.”

Pinellas Technical College is hoping to reduce the truck driver shortage by training qualified drivers that will stay in the industry. The school in Saint Petersburg offers eight three-month classes a year. Students who complete the course usually have job offers waiting for them, Renaud told Spectrum Bay News 9.

“(After a) three-month program, you’re going to be earning very good money,” Renaud said. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed the median income for a big-rig driver in 2021 was $48,310, though some companies like Walmart have offered higher salaries to drive for the company’s private fleet.

But Renaud noted a key issue sparking the shortage: “It’s not for everyone."

The BLS reports annual turnover in the trucking industry has reached past 90% in recent hours. Long hours, life on the road and difficult regulations have driven people out of the industry.

One person who wants to get into the industry is India Lewis, a 22-year-old woman from Tampa Bay. She’s currently training to be a truck driver at Pinellas Technical College, where Renaud considers her one of his best students.

If she completes the course and enters the field, she would be a rarity in the trucking industry. The ATA reports only 7-8% of truck drivers are women, but Lewis sees no barriers.

“They want more women in the field, so it wasn’t really hard,” Lewis said. “You don’t have to face any obstacles being a woman trying to get into the field. They have their arms open.”

Pinellas Technical College has plans to expand its trucking school to accommodate demand and the need for more truck drivers.