Fewer grey hairs and less wrinkles. The face of the workforce is changing. Almost 30% of the workforce is Generation Z (born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s).
The average age of transportation workers is around 45, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and a panel at the Truckload Carriers Association annual meeting in Phoenix Tuesday brought together some of truckload's brightest young talent to discuss the wants and needs of the next generation workforce.
Samantha Bodnar, president of D.M. Bowman Inc. and executive officer at The Bowman Group noted that transportation was not initially her career of choice, despite being the granddaughter of company founder Don Bowman.
However, she said she came to realize how exciting the industry was, adding "anything else after this would be boring."
James H. Clark and Son Vice President of Operations & Recruiting Jason Douglass agreed that trucking's message to younger would-be employees is often missed and there is a lack of understanding of how a career in transportation can change an employee's economic status.
"Drivers can make $100,000 a year," he said, Douglass himself a former driver. "It's out there."
The promise of a six-figure income is a strong draw to any job, but Ryan Whelan, Volvo Trucks Canada fleet sales representative, said a fat paycheck isn't the top reason Gen Z employees choose an employer.
"The new generation doesn't see their job as just a paycheck," he said.
Douglass agreed.
"We're looking for a culture of respect and a home-life balance. Employees want to be heard and they want to be validated," he said, adding a dictator-style of management isn't going to land (or keep) top generational talent. "We saw our parents get laid off from jobs, so we don't feel that loyalty back. We want to work our assess off, get respected for the work we do and we want time at home."
Whelan grew up in the industry and said transportation is generally not seen as a landing place for university graduates due to a lack of awareness of jobs that aren't driving trucks. He encouraged fleets to use social media to reach a younger generation workforce and get involved in local schools.
Bodnar, said age in D.M. Bowman's C-suite has dropped by more than a decade over recent years. That was not a focus of its hiring process, she said, it happened organically as applicants were drawn to the company's culture.
"If we hire someone that has the culture we want, they just enjoy work more," she said, adding the hiring process can take longer as the company focuses on finding the best possible fit. "You want to enjoy going to work everyday."
Douglass agreed and said hiring someone to simply plug hole does all parties a disservice.
"If somebody is not a right fit for your company, move on to the next applicant," he said. "So many times we put the wrong people in the wrong seats. There is an abundance of drivers our there. Hire with intent. The driver shortage is because the wrong drivers are with the wrong company."
As older employees enter retirement, there comes a loss of institutional knowledge but Douglass said that can be helped by a strong mentor program at the carrier level.
"Every carrier has at least one driver who is just chomping at the bit to be a mentor," he said.
