I would assume the shortage is due to the 9 billion government regulations a driver has to deal with?
Drivers and companies.
Regulating owner operators out of business
1. Drivers are paid by the mile, not by the hour -- which means their pay has effectively declined over time due to increasing congestion and regulations that limit the time they can spend on the road.
2. The barriers to entry in the industry are so low that the trucker's job has become completely commoditized and the only way to compete is by lowering costs and keeping labor costs down.
3. Now look at those two previous items in the context of the very strict regulations for a commercial driver's license. A lot of companies have a hard time finding drivers because too many of the ideal candidates by any other measure simply can't pass the drug tests and background checks that the industry uses.
There has always been a shortage of drivers. I've been with my current company 17 yrs. Once we had a few guys laid off, but within 6 months we were hiring again. Our company even took to an apprenticeships program to fill the slots and we still need drivers most of the time.
There is no driver shortage. I, and millions of others, have a class A CDL with a clean driving record and a couple of years of over the road experience.
The shortage is in the compensation and working conditions.
Offered the right pay/benefits/ working conditions, I (and many others) could be enticed back onto the road.
And: Yes, you are right about govt. regulations.
BINGO