April 25, 2022

Fiscal Notes: Drivers Wanted – Texas Trucking Strives to Stay on the Move

(AUSTIN) — About 3.5 million truck drivers, with an average age of 46, are on U.S. roadways, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2030, more than half of current truck drivers will have passed retirement age. In the recently released March/April issue of Fiscal Notes, the Comptroller's office looks at looming labor shortages in the trucking industry.

“You may have heard the trucking industry is struggling to attract and retain employees. Big rig trucks are everywhere because the trucking industry is a crucial component of our state and nation’s economy,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. “Truck driving, especially long haul or 'over the road' trucking, is far from an easy job, and the coronavirus pandemic has only created more difficulties for both employees and employers. The result: Trucking companies have extremely high employee turnover rates.”

This issue of Fiscal Notes also examines labor shortages in the nursing profession. According to a March 2022 NurseJournal analysis of U.S. Bureau of Health Workforce data, Texas had the fourth-lowest nurse-to-population ratio among all states, with only 9.62 nurses per 1,000 residents. The Texas Department of State Health Services projects that, in a decade, Texas will face a severe shortage of nurses if demand continues to outpace supply. 

This issue also provides an update on the state’s important new Broadband Development Office, which is administered by this agency, and the meaningful steps being taken to close the digital divide for residents and businesses across the state without high-speed internet. 

Fiscal Notes furthers the Comptroller’s constitutional responsibility to monitor the state’s economy and estimate state government revenues. It has been published since 1975, featuring in-depth analysis concerning state finances and original research by subject-matter experts in the Comptroller’s office.

Fiscal Notes is available online and can be received by subscribing via the Comptroller's website.