Nationwide trucker shortage has companies searching for applicants

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (WSAW) - A national trucking shortage has companies like Roehl Transport Inc. eager to train and hire new truck drivers.

“More and more people are getting vaccinated and the economy is starting to rev up, there’s never been a greater need for truck drivers than right now,” Roehl Vice President of Driver Employment Tim Norlin said.

The pandemic slowed down some of the trucking industry. But now it’s bringing new applicants to the trucking sector.

“I got laid off due to COVID-19 from a major hospital system in the Dallas area,” new trainee and Texas resident Cammy LaBay said.

“I was a private investigator prior to the pandemic and I got laid off because of COVID,” trainee and Las Vegas resident Osmeydi Soriano said.

People like Cammy and Osmeydi are willing to drive far distances just to learn at the Roehl headquarters in Marshfield. They both say it’s because of the high praise the Roehl training program gets from previous trainees.

“I heard this is one of the main terminals, and if you want to learn it right, you have to learn from the best,” Soriano said.

“They were like ‘If you want to learn right, you learn at Roehl. That’s the best.’,” LaBay said.

Trainees can be driving a truck on the open road by themselves within a few months and with no prior training. But to get to that point is a lot of studying and practice.

“I’ve not done so much studying since my college days. It’s so much studying, but they’re very thorough, super professional, I’m blown away impressed. I take it very seriously but I think I’m going to love it, I’m really going to love it,” Labay said.

Roehl is still trying to get more drivers through their program in the coming months. Trying to get much-needed cargo delivered coast to coast.

“Everything we use every day is moved by truck at some point in its life cycle. It’s a very important job,” Norlin said.