The president of the Iowa Motor Truck Association says the industry is poised for some growth. Scott Wieser says America’s demand for goods is driving a need for more truckers. He says he just came back from a meeting in Chicago of all the major trucking companies. He says the freight projections, demographics of the people getting into the business, and new highway construction, show it will be difficult to meet the need with the current drivers. Wieser says they’re going to have to look to some non-traditional sources for drivers. He says there’s no set description of the drivers they’re looking for. He says some carriers prefer to have experienced drivers and some like to train new drivers. He says they traditionally have gotten farmers who come out of the field and start driving, but that’s not happening any more and he says they’ll have to look to women, Hispanics and others who traditionally have been in the industry. Wieser says one thing they aren’t looking for is someone to play the role of the outlaw truck portrayed in movies such as “Smokie and the Bandit.””I just cringe every time I see Burt Reynolds in that darn movie,” Wieser says. He says the industry gets safer and safer every year and says they have to to stay competitive. One downside the industry is facing is the increasing cost of diesel fuel. He says most of the carriers have worked with shippers to institute a surcharge to make up for the high cost. He says shippers understand the problem. Wieser says as long as people keep buying new products, the truckers will stay in business hauling them across the country.
