Truck drivers needed in the Basin

Truck drivers needed. No kidding!

A shortage of truck drivers - whether on short runs inside the city or long hauls across the nation - has been hampering companies in the Permian Basin in recent years. And some of those in touch with the problem say it isn't getting any better.

While ABF Freight System hasn't had difficulty keeping its drivers due to a competitive wage and benefits package, finding new drivers has proven difficult, manager Chad Martin said.

"We're short one driver now," Martin said. He said the company is in need of part-time help and finding those workers has proven difficult.

Meanwhile, Sally Davenport, spokeswoman for FedEx Express noted that the shortage of truck drivers has left the Odessa-Midland FedEx Express crews four positions short.

She said since the company typically hires part-time drivers who want to work about 20 hours per week in the Odessa-Midland area, it's looking for one full-time driver and two part-time drivers, which would translate into four part-time positions. But the part-time drivers are simply not available in the Permian Basin workforce.

The shortage of truck drivers that has hampered companies in the Permian Basin isn't a problem that's only being experienced locally. Willie Taylor, executive director of the Permian Basin Workforce Development Board, said the shortage of truck drivers is occurring all over.

"That need is all over the United States," Taylor said. "It's crucial. Nonprofits need truck drivers. The school system needs truck drivers. It's everything from long hauls to short hauls. Even in nontraditional jobs."

Taylor said schools that offer training through which drivers can qualify for their Commercial Driver's License simply haven't been able to keep up with the demand.

"They're kicking them out about as fast as they can," Taylor said, but there still aren't enough applicants to fill all the openings for truck drivers. Noting the large number of companies seeking truck drivers, he added, "Every last one of them is working shorthanded."

Shanna Johnson, office manager for West Texas Oilfield Trucking, said that company is fully staffed now but there's no denying the widespread shortage of drivers that extends across industry lines.

Taylor agreed, noting that a qualified truck driver can go to work immediately in Odessa, Midland or elsewhere.

Gary Vest, economic development director of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, said, "We need an influx of workers. I saw two or three signs for truck drivers coming in to work this morning."

Vest said information he's received from other parts of the nation indicates some workers might be available from the states of Michigan and Ohio. He said the chamber may do some advertising for workers in those areas.

TRUCKING COMPANIES
>> West Texas Oilfield Trucking,
332-1479.

>> ABF Freight System,
332-9431.

>> FedEx Freight East, 580-3120.