May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- People in the trucking industry say more than 80,000 truck drivers are needed to fill jobs across the U.S. They say they can't fill demand for their trucks fast enough.
Robert Poe, a recruiter for TMC, an Iowa based trucking company, says his company can't hire people fast enough to keep every truck on the road. He says right now TMC has about 400 more trucks they'd like to see on the road. Poe says the jobs are better than most people think.
"You can have guys here in class that are just on fire about doing this, but after 3 or 4 days away from home that fire isn't there anymore. It takes a unique guy to have to do this, even though there's a shortage of drivers, it takes a unique guy to do this," said Poe. "There's just simply not enough drivers to meet current or short term needs."
Poe says the job may not be made for everyone, but people can find a company that better fits the needs of their family. He says there are companies that offer plans for drivers to be home on most weekends. Overall he says the jobs are good paying jobs with good benefits.
Students at the Tennessee Driving School say they've already been approached by companies looking to hire, and many of them will get reimbursed for their schooling. Many of the students have been laid off from their jobs and decided trucking was the best way to pay the bills in the future.
