Need a job? One industry has truckloads

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Even in these tough economic times, one industry has a job shortage. The trucking industry needs drivers. If you look in the parking lot of Noblesville based Perkins Specialized Transportation a painted trailer sits with an advertisement for drivers.

"The driver shortage is so big, that we're turning away about 7 loads for every load that we're taking, says Perkins owner Andy Card. After three very bad years for business, Card says the shortage could eventually hit your wallet.

"We lost about 40-50 percent of the trucking companies through the last recession, and there's a driver shortage and those who have survived can charge a higher fuel surplus, a higher rate," says Card.

With more than 3,000 trucks in its fleet, Indianapolis based Celadon is among the big boys of over the road trucking. CEO Stephen Russell sees the shortage first hand; "The shortage is getting worse yes," he says.

Russell says aside from an economy that forced many drivers out of the business, new regulations that went into place in December have also thinned the ranks.

Known as compliance safety accountability or CSA, these rules make public the infractions of both truckers and companies.

"That is making roads safer. But as a consequence it is causing companies to let go of drivers who have bad records," says Russell.

Pay can be good for drivers, $45-50,000 a year at Celadon. But Russell says it's not for everyone.

"Life is tough, because for an over the road driver, they're going to be home only 3 or 4 or 5 nights a month," he says.

That makes it tough to convince potential drivers to take to the road. Russell says there's another factor making it tough to train new drivers, money. He says getting a loan to go to truck driving school is more difficult now, because of new federal regulations.