A Career in Trucking Needs to be Taken Seriously in 2025

Jan 23, 2025

A Career in Trucking Needs to be Taken Seriously in 2025

Here we are beginning another year with many problems in the trucking industry that need addressing from Driver Misclassification, road safety, professionalism, training, and much more. None of these issues are new but they all are important to the safety of the motoring public and to the sustainability of the trucking industry. Add to this pressure Government uncertainty that will affect the supply chain of not only North America, but the World at large and life can seem like stressful. Things in trucking are different in 2025 and vastly different from 1995 or even my start in the early eighties. How we fix these issues is not easy but we have been talking about them for years and in my mind they will take years to fix as well. 

I know the schools are worried about training issues and enforcement is how we are going to weed out the good schools from the bad. Some new changes are coming this year and that’s a start but we will need more. Legacy carriers are going out of business, many because of the damage of misclassification of employees from bad carriers and that too needs enforcement. This began being addressed and continues with education but it will take more than just education to solve this issue, government enforcement is required here. 

Professionalism in the industry needs to be improved and that ties in all the issues with road safety. Create professional drivers and road safety will improve. That professionalism starts with a good training foundation, not some quick way of getting your license. Working with respectable carriers that have finishing programs and respect their employees will improve road safety and solve the misclassification issue. 

In general it needs to be harder to get into the trucking industry not just pass a road test and climb behind the wheel. In the 80s many drivers gradually moved to the big trucks with employers that had straight trucks and more. You moved up as you performed well and learned more. Even in the eighties drivers were saying it should be harder to get into trucking, the job was respected to a point and the profession passed down through generations. We now see people getting into trucking to enter the country, find a job, or just get free training. We need more than that to have a safe and respected industry. In January we will be talking about many of these points on our podcast with more in depth information. Enjoy the shows and look for new changes for our shows and branding as we move through the year celebrating 10 years in production. Let’s make the trucking industry a respected place to work as many of us know it is and should be for the future. 

About the Author

Bruce Outridge has been in the trucking industry for over 40 years. With 25 years behind the wheel across North America and now covering the industry through Lead Pedal Media he has many insights as to the state of today's trucking industry and offers tips through his podcast on how to have a good career in trucking. You can learn more about Bruce and his work at www.BruceOutridge.com 

Listen to the The Lead Pedal Podcast

Tune in to the Lead Pedal Podcast for valuable trucking tips and entertaining tales for drivers in 2024. Stay informed and entertained with the latest in the trucking industry. Don't miss out on this resourceful podcast designed to keep you engaged and informed on the road. 
Subscribe now for weekly episodes! www.theleadpedalpodcast.com