I have to agree with these rules, especially since I share the roads with trucks. I'm exhausted after working 40 (hard) hours a week. I can't imagine being surrounded by idiot car drivers and being responsible for a large, powerful machine for almost twice that much time.
I suspect that part of the shortage isn't just due to these new rules, though. I suspect that a lot of it is that people have made fun of truckers to the point that "truck driver" is the punch line to a lot of jokes. Combine that with the hours and being away from your family, and it's not hard to understand the shortage.
Truck drivers are no different overall than any other profession. Some are at the high end that transport something that is valued at 10M and some are hauling gravel.
If the guy dumps the gravel it’s cleared with a front loader. If the guy drops the 10M load of specialized equipment it might take another year to manufacture the replacement.
Professional vs. employed as.
Truth be told, there is way too much snobbery towards trucking. All You have to do is stick in a set of music or whatever and make sure you are doing your job. It sounds like the ideal job for someone who wants to travel and end up seeing the country and then getting more then enough time off. It would also end up having a good way to fit in plenty of partying.