Driver recruitment is predicted to slow into the first quarter of 2023 as freight demand continues to return back to pre-pandemic levels. With the previous efforts to raise compensation in order to entice drivers to stay in their jobs, as well as to appeal to new drivers, trucking companies anticipate allocating funds away from recruiting efforts to accommodate a decrease in consumer spending. The pandemic brought high freight demands as spending turned towards purchasing goods while stay-at-home orders were in place. Now that restrictions have been lifted for some time, people are gravitating towards spending on services or travel to make up for the time spent inside. This, coupled with an inflation, and a rising cost of living, is creating a new, unprecedented situation for many logistics fields. According to Scott Dismuke, vice president of operations at the Professional Driver Agency, “The sense that I’m getting from the folks I talk to is just some uncertainty. I think that is probably the best word to describe what next year looks like.” An article published by Transport Topics interviews several logistics professionals and reports on their outlook for trucking freight for 2023.
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