American Trucking Associations caves on driver shortage lie: hard pivot to ‘quality’ dodge, with no apologies offered

Freightwaves ^ | October 29, 2025 | Craig Fuller

[PGR88]

For years, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) has relentlessly pushed the narrative of a catastrophic truck driver shortage—60,000 positions unfilled, supply chains teetering on collapse—to manipulate policy and flood the market with cheap, underqualified labor. This fabricated crisis wasn’t about solving real problems; it was a tool to lower standards, suppress wages, and prioritize big carriers over safety and sustainability. But in a stunning reversal at their 2025 Management Conference, the ATA executed a hard pivot, ditching the blanket shortage claim and reframing it as a “shortage of quality drivers.”

[PGR88]

Another controlled "industry association" using scare tactics about "truck driver shortages" and promoting propaganda about needing foreign truck drivers, for the goal of suppressing wages.

[Alberta's Child]

They've been discredited over the years and finally gave up on the propaganda because this is one of several topics where the ATA (representing large trucking firms) and the independent drivers are in complete disagreement.

There never was a truck driver shortage. The real problem is that the industry has difficult working conditions and a dysfunctional driver compensation system.

[Liz]

The ATA is feeling the heat-——all those non compis mentis
visa’ed Indian drivers killing people on the say-so of the ATA.

[millenial4freedom]

regardless of whether or not any industry has a 'shortage' of prospective workers, it is up for the employers of these workers to adjust compensation to attract the talent it seeks.

no ifs, ands, or buts...that's how a free-market works.

[1of10]

https://www.gurufocus.com/news/3166668/aurora-innovation-aur-advances-driverless-tech-with-expansion-plans

Aurora Innovation (AUR) Advances Driverless Tech with Expansion Plans

This is the future of trucking.

[ETCM]

American Trucking Associations (ATA) has relentlessly pushed the narrative of a catastrophic truck driver shortage—60,000 positions unfilled, supply chains teetering on collapse—to manipulate policy and flood the market with cheap, underqualified labor.

They saw how successful Big Tech was was with H-1b and decided they could play the same game. Of course, anyone who thinks Americans should be filling these jobs is just a xenophobe and racist.

[packrat35]

The ATA pushed this lie to drive down wages and to get foreign drivers into the US, so they could be paid much less.

Just like with H1b scam, it succeeded for many years till President Trump exposed the lie, along with several deaths from foreign drivers.

Driving is a hard job, but one which Americans can and will do for themselves as long as they get paid. Maybe, one day, driverless trucks will be a thing, but until then, real American men can perform this task.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Sequoyah101]

Dysfunctional driver compensation system

Amen. I would rather shovel chicken shit with a spoon than to drive a rig for the pay and conditions so many accept.

Most labor problems could be solved by a little more money in the cab, shop floor and the job site and a little less in the board room and a few quarters adjustment to profit expectations.

I never lost a thing by paying good people better than just ok people and I was always better of by getting rid of people who did not appreciate their job and giving someone else an opportunity.

I have intended to pay top wages and in exchange expect and demand commensurate performance.