Driver Demographic Cliff: How fleets can survive the workforce aging crisis

This week in trucking: Driver bathrooms, charging consolidation

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of May 28. * A House committee passed a surface transportation bill * Motive is updating its dash cam tech offerings * EV charging companies Voltera, Revel are merging * In fuel this week, diesel fell 7 cents

Driver Demographic Cliff: How fleets can survive the workforce aging crisis

There is a fundamental shift happening in how fleets hire, pay, and retain drivers. The trucking workforce is rapidly aging, and the critical population of 45- to 65-year-old drivers is shrinking. What happens when the demographic cliff hits your fleet? In this episode of The Fleet Lead, FleetOwner’s Josh Fisher sits down with Leah Shaver, president and CEO of the National Transportation Institute [https://driverwages.com/], a leading organization that tracks industry drivers’ wages, benefits, and retirement trends. Leah shares her experiences with driver demographics, how carriers approach age differences, driver retention, and more. Tune in to discover: * The Root Causes: Why traditional retention strategies are failing the next generation. * Creative Solutions: How carriers are moving past the “earn your stripes” mentality with flexible scheduling and modern incentives. * The Legal & Cultural Hurdles: Navigating marijuana regulations and the generational communication rift. Episode Chapters & Timestamps * 1:04 – Understanding the Driver Demographic Cliff * 2:06 – The Compounding Factors Restricting Driver Supply * 5:46 – Moving Past the “Earn Your Stripes” Mentality * 8:49 – Creative Scheduling and Modern Incentives * 10:11 – Bridging the Generational Communication Rift * 21:17 – Navigating the Industry’s Marijuana Hurdles * 27:20 – What Modern Drivers Actually Prefer * 34:00 – Immediate Action Items: What Fleets Can Do Today

EPA 2027 Prebuy: Build slots, fleet strategies, and powertrain planning

The Model Year 2027 prebuy has changed considerably over the last few years. What hasn't changed, though, is that fleets can still expect a several-thousand-dollar premium on the next series of compliant trucks. Don Davis, executive vice president of national accounts for Fleet Advantage [https://www.fleetadvantage.com/], shares his perspective on the coming prebuy, equipment procurement, and overall truck lifecycle management. Timestamps: * 1:30 – Is there still a prebuy? * 3:34 – Are fleets starting to feel constrained equipment availability? * 5:19 – How the prebuy changed    * 8:32 – The NOX rule's cost increases * 9:53 – What should fleets do?

America 250: How NASCAR and North Carolina helped shape American trucking

Transportation is a major part of America's identity, and few regions are as steeped in automotive history as North Carolina. The Spirit of Innovation is more than alive in The Tar Heel State, from NASCAR to truck OEMS. Fleet Maintenance [https://www.fleetmaintenance.com/] editor Lucas Roberto visited Charlotte's NASCAR Hall of Fame [https://www.nascarhall.com/] where Winston Kelly, executive director of the facility, explained North Carolina's automotive culture, how the region's talent draws OEMs like Daimler Truck North America, Mack Trucks, and Volvo Truck North America. He also shared some lessons that commercial vehicle technicians can take from motorsports mechanics.

This week in trucking: New registration system, electric truck rebates

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of May 21: * California launched an electric truck rebate program * FMCSA's new registration system is live * Einride has an autonomous deployment in the Midwest * FMCSA announced $217 million in grant funding * Spot rates hit record highs * Diesel dropped 4 cents