Hiring in the trucking industry is always changing. Freight demand shifts, driver availability goes up or down, and pay expectations evolve with the market. That makes it harder to rely on old hiring patterns when planning for the months ahead.
If you manage a fleet, staying on top of these changes can help you make better staffing decisions before hiring gets harder. Here are a few key trends in the trucking industry worth paying attention to this quarter.
3 Trucking Industry Trends Fleet Managers Should Watch
These trends may look familiar, but they can affect your hiring strategy in different ways depending on your market, routes, and driver needs. Paying attention now can help you avoid getting caught short later.
1. Freight Demand Is Starting to Improve
Recent freight data suggests the trucking market may be stabilizing after earlier slowdowns. According to the American Trucking Associations, truck freight tonnage increased slightly in January after several months of decline, showing early signs that the market could be recovering. ¹
Even small increases in freight demand can affect hiring. When capacity tightens or carriers reduce their fleets, the need for available drivers can rise quickly.
These early signals matter because they can help you adjust hiring plans before demand picks up further and competition gets stronger.
2. Wage Competition Is Still Strong
Even during slower freight periods, driver pay expectations rarely move backward for long. According to wage benchmarks from the National Transportation Institute, driver pay growth slowed during the freight downturn but is expected to increase again as freight demand improves and fleets compete more aggressively for experienced drivers. ²
Driver turnover also remains a challenge across the industry. Many drivers change jobs in search of better pay, more consistent routes, or improved home time. As a result, fleets often end up recruiting from the same limited pool of experienced drivers.
Pay is only part of the equation. Benefits, schedule reliability, route consistency, and home time all play a major role in driver decisions.
Keeping an eye on compensation trends now can help you stay competitive before hiring pressure rises later in the year.
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3. Driver Availability Remains Tight
The supply of truck drivers varies widely by region and job type. Some urban areas may have a stronger pool of local drivers, but regional and long-haul positions are often harder to fill.
Across the industry, CDL driver availability continues to be limited. The American Trucking Associations estimates that the U.S. trucking industry faced a shortage of between 60,000 and 80,000 drivers in 2025.³ This gap between freight demand and available drivers continues to affect hiring across the industry.
Several factors contribute to this challenge. The driver workforce is aging, turnover remains high, and policy changes affecting foreign-born drivers have tightened the pipeline of new CDL talent entering the market.
Specialized roles can make hiring even more difficult. Requirements such as endorsements, specific experience levels, or certain freight types can significantly reduce the number of qualified applicants.
Training and certification pipelines can also affect driver supply. The American Trucking Associations recently reported that nearly 3,000 CDL training providers were removed from the federal Training Provider Registry due to compliance concerns. ⁴ This change could further reduce the number of new drivers entering the industry in the near term.
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Read Next: Retention Tricks for Keeping Good Drivers
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Why Planning Ahead for Hiring Matters
In many markets, freight activity tends to increase later in the year. Retail shipments, seasonal demand, and supply chain cycles often drive higher freight volumes during the summer and early fall.
When freight demand rises, competition for experienced drivers rises with it. If you wait until demand spikes, hiring can quickly become more expensive and more difficult.
Planning ahead gives you more flexibility. By paying attention to current hiring trends, you can spot pressure points early and start recruiting before competition intensifies.
Hiring earlier can also support retention. When staffing levels match expected freight volumes, schedules tend to be more stable and routes easier to manage. That kind of consistency can improve the driver experience and support long-term retention.
Some of the practical benefits include:
- Reduced time-to-fill during busy freight periods
- More predictable wage planning
- Better alignment between freight volume and driver capacity
- More stable operations during peak demand periods
Fleets that treat hiring as part of operational planning, rather than a reaction to shortages, often move through high-demand periods more smoothly.
Stay Ahead With GoDrivers360
Q2 gives you a good window to prepare for the months ahead. GoDrivers360 helps fleets stay ahead of these challenges by connecting employers with qualified, vetted CDL and non-CDL drivers when they’re needed most.
If you’re reviewing your staffing strategy before freight demand picks up later in the year, GoDrivers360 can help you secure the drivers you need before hiring pressure increases.
Get a quote today to secure qualified drivers before demand rises.
References
- American Trucking Associations. “ATA Truck Tonnage Index Rose 0.4% in January.” American Trucking Associations, 2026, https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/ata-truck-tonnage-index-rose-04-january
- National Transportation Institute. “2026 Driver Market Forecast – the National Transportation Institute.” The National Transportation Institute, 20 Feb. 2026, https://driverwages.com/2026-driver-market-forecast/
- Castellanos-Canales , Arturo. “Addressing the U.S. Truck Driver Shortage: The Role of Foreign-Born Drivers, Visa Policy, and Supply Chain Impacts.” National Immigration Forum, 17 Oct. 2025, https://forumtogether.org/article/addressing-the-u-s-truck-driver-shortage-the-role-of-foreign-born-drivers-visa-policy-and-supply-chain-impacts/
- The American Trucking Associations. “ATA Applauds Trump Administration’s Crackdown on CDL Mills .” Trucking.org, 2026, https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/ata-applauds-trump-administrations-crackdown-cdl-mills