Sunday, March 19, 2006

Drivers needed

Trucking companies may soon struggle to find drivers as baby boomers age and retire, said Robin Milton, terminal manager of ABF Freight System in Muncie.

By the year 2020, there will be a need for 200,000 drivers, Milton said.

Younger drivers don't want to spend long hours behind the wheel and travel across the country, Milton said. The younger generation is being pushed in another direction.

Even though some trucking companies might have problems finding drivers in the next few years, Milton said he doesn't think ABF has anything to worry about.

"ABF is a unionized based company, which makes its wage scale and benefits plan in excess of other transportation companies," he said.

"ABF has it's own driving school in Arkansas and we send good candidates to that. It cost the company around $3,000 to properly qualify a driver and we will invest that in them to make sure we have good quality people," Milton said.

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