Where Are the Drivers? A Look at Regional Hiring Trends in Trucking

Where Are the Drivers? A Look at Regional Hiring Trends in Trucking

The trucking industry is feeling the pressure. While demand for freight remains high, carriers across the country are struggling to find enough qualified drivers to keep up. But this shortage doesn’t look the same everywhere. Hiring trends vary widely by region, shaped by everything from freight corridors to local economies and population shifts. Let’s take a closer look at how driver availability and hiring challenges are playing out across different parts of the country.

The Southeast: High Supply Meets High Competition

The Southeast (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama) remains a top contributor to the CDL pool. With logistics hubs, ports, and accessible training programs, these states are consistently delivering new drivers. However, competition is steep: many carriers are targeting the same areas, and driver loyalty is often low. Retention in regional and local routes is especially challenging, with frequent job-hopping. Population density, urban freight hubs, and job accessibility make the region a recruiting hotspot but also a recruitment battlefield.

The Midwest: Steady Talent, Aging Fast

Midwestern states like Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Michigan still offer a reliable talent base. Many drivers in these areas are loyal and often stay with one employer for years. Yet demographics are shifting rapidly. The average driver age in the U.S. has climbed from early 40s to around 47 or higher, and Midwest states skew even older. Turnover remains high, around 90% annually in large fleets, and retirements are outpacing new entries. CDL school enrollment is declining, signaling long-term supply concerns.
 

The Northeast: Heavy Demand, Fewer Willing Drivers

Despite heavy freight density, driver recruitment in major Northeast metro areas (New York, Boston, Philadelphia) remains tough. High living costs, congested traffic, toll-heavy routes, and regulatory complexity discourage many from staying or joining. Urban job scarcity pushes many CDL holders into suburban logistics or last-mile driving, widening the gap between freight demand and driver availability.

The West: Vast Distances, Thinner Driver Pools

States like Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado face recruiting challenges from sheer geography. Sparse populations combined with fewer CDL training facilities mean candidate pools are lean. Even urban centers like Salt Lake City and Denver are feeling the impact as living costs rise and fewer young people opt into long-haul lifestyles.

Texas: Two Markets, Two Realities

Texas leads in truck driver recruitment, especially in metro hubs like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, thanks to local CDL programs and explosive growth. On the flip side, rural and western parts of the state see slower applicant volume and longer time-to-hire. Many drivers still prefer to stay within urban corridors, limiting options for long-haul positions that span rural Texas.

Key Takeaways on Regional Patterns

• Southeast continues to feed fleets, but loyalty is fragile.
• Midwest remains stable and experienced, but aging fast.
• Northeast is strained by urban barriers and driver attrition.
• West suffers from low density and fewer training pipelines.
• Texas is strong in cities, weak in rural stretches.

Understanding these geographic trends isn't optional, it’s essential. Fleets that tailor recruiting strategy by region, demographic profile, and pipeline data will stay ahead of hiring challenges and optimize their sourcing efficiency in 2025 and beyond.

‍