A new report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center finds that among other things during the pandemic, there was not a shortage of people interested in truck driving back in 2021.
Instead the industry faced challenges with retaining drivers, with high turnover for long distance haulers.
Among other finds centered around disruptions from the covid-19 pandemic, employers were reducing workforces just as the pandemic was hitting and then struggled to rehire drivers and add equipment as the economy restarted.
This is the first study of the agricultural truck driving industry anywhere in the nation in almost 30 years.
Report recommendations include: the state should work with agricultural trucking companies, local training programs, and community colleges to expand and create opportunities for new truckers.
And the state should review the safety impacts of split speed limits for cars and trucks.
