A lot has changed in just 10 years – the commercial transportation industry has grown at an exponential rate due to global demand and a race to fulfill and ship orders faster. As a result, every facet of the supply chain has become more adaptable to change – from cargo facilities management and drivers to new technology companies streaming in to manage logistics, compliance, safety, insurance and cybersecurity.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, an estimated 16 million people (10.3% of the U.S. labor force) worked in the transportation and warehousing sector and related industries in 2023.
With rapid growth, we’ve also seen a shift in workforce demographics. In this article, we dig into three key demographics (age, race and gender), explore what’s changed in the last decade, and look ahead to what the future holds for DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in trucking.
An Aging Driver Demographic Opens the Door to Gen-Z and Beyond
The age gap and the driver shortage continue to be a challenge for carriers due to a number of factors:
- An aging driver population
- Increase in freight volumes
- Competition from other blue collar jobs
- Gen-Z’ers (born 1997-2012) who want more – benefits, better work/life balance and safer work conditions
“The trucking industry needs to find ways to attract more younger drivers. Right now, the average age of an over-the-road driver is 46 years old, and almost as alarming is that the average age of a new driver being trained is 35 years old,” American Trucking Association (ATA) Chief Economist Bob Costello said.
One solution the FMCSA implemented are new recruitment programs for CDL drivers, specifically targeting over-the-road drivers. In 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program, a three-year program to help individuals ages 18-20 help trucking companies hire and train new drivers through an apprenticeship pilot program.
The average over-the-road driver age is 46 years old.
While attracting a younger demographic continues to be a challenge, there is one segment that shows promising growth – veterans.
Veterans – Finding a Place in Transportation
The trucking profession provides a unique opportunity for veterans leaving the service and transitioning into civilian life. Veterans possess key characteristics that create the perfect combination for a qualified commercial driver – responsible, dedicated, strong work ethic, confident and resilient. Organizations like Veterans in Trucking are opening doors for hard-working veterans seeking a new career while also offering support through education and mental health.
The Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award honors military veterans who have made an outstanding transition into the commercial trucking industry, and is awarded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program. 2024’s nominees included representatives from the U.S. Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Army.
By investing in the recruitment of a larger pool of workers from young to military veterans, trucking companies not only improve their workforce but also improve the lives of others.
Women Representation in Trucking
Due to organizations like the Women in Trucking, founded by Ellen Voie in 2007, with a mission to promote the employment of women in trucking, the female workforce continues to increase year over year. A career in professional driving has gained more popularity through advocacy and diversity programs making their way into hiring and recruitment programs that boasts a range of benefits:
- Independence
- Flexible schedule
- Livable wage
- Benefits and inclusion
18.9% of transportation workers are women and 81.1% of transportation workers are men.
A study published by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), reported between 2013 to 2014 that 2.45% of CDL drivers were female. And this year’s Women in Trucking (WIT) Index (2024-25) shows an average of 9.5% of women are professional drivers with CDLs.
Driving positions are not the only profession trending upward. Truck dispatchers experienced an increase in recent years (approximately 38.5% of truck dispatchers are women) due to the rise of delivery services like Amazon, and a demand for more trucks on the road.
Although women have faced adversity with prejudices, stereotypes, safety concerns and wage gaps, women continue to persevere and prove their role in trucking as reliable, dedicated, hard-working and conscientious drivers.
Race and Ethnicity Trends in Trucking
Dating back to 1935, Frederick McKinley Jones invented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks, which was later adapted to other modes of transportation including ships and railway cars, and eventually used to transport food and blood during World War II.
Remarkable contributions from Frederick McKinley Jones to The Ford Motor Company’s infamous, ground-breaking assembly line paved the way for the next generation of innovators to join the fast-paced world of transportation.
Fast forward to 2025, and the tech boom pushes on with new technologies to improve commercial transportation efficiency, costs, security, safety and compliance:
- AI
- Data analytics
- Warehousing automation
- Telematics
- Autonomous vehicles
- Cybersecurity
The tech sector has attracted more racial, ethnic and even age diversity. Thanks to more companies embracing diversity and inclusion programs, the commercial transportation industry has become more racially diverse over time.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Force Statistics shows an increase in the transportation and warehousing segment.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – 2014 – 2024
- Black/African American – 18% – 22.5%
- Asian American – 4.6% – 6.8%
- Latino American – 18.2% – 23%
Looking Ahead: Industry Initiatives and DEI Programs
In the past decade, it’s evident, the growth across multiple trucking sectors is not slowing down any time soon, and its impact on employment, innovation, opportunity and diversity will continue to shift with it.
Through programs like the American Trucking Association’s DEI Best Practices, Veterans in Trucking, Women in Trucking, LGBTQ Truckers and Black Truckers United, motor carriers and the companies who support the supply chain can help educate and promote diversity and inclusion initiatives for the transportation industry.
Check out these organizations and others to learn more about DEI best practices, and how to attract and retain a more diverse workforce.
For carriers wanting to understand their driver workforce better and evaluate trends and gaps in age, gender, race, health and more, consider investing in tools like the MVR Dashboard, a data-driven platform that gathers demographic driver data into an easy to use dashboard.
SOURCES:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Force Statistics
2024 U.S. Transportation and Warehousing Employment
2014 U.S. Transportation and Warehousing Employment
https://www.zippia.com/transportation-worker-jobs/demographics/
https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/Transportation-Economic-Trends-Transportation-Empl/caxh-t8jd/
https://www.womenintrucking.org/
https://www.facebook.com/blacktruckersunited/
https://www.fuelsfix.com/2022/04/nine-influential-black-figures-in-transportation-history/
https://www.trucking.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/ATA%20DEI%20Best%20Practices_0.pdf
