How Technology Broadens the Potential Truck Driver Base

The trucking industry is in the middle of a workforce crisis. With the average age of drivers continuing to climb and younger generations showing less interest in the profession, recruiting, convincing and retaining talent have become top concerns for shippers and carriers.

The reasons are not a mystery: long hours, paper-heavy tasks, on-site delays, and outdated systems don’t exactly appeal to a generation raised on smartphones and apps. But with the right technology, the industry has a real opportunity to transform the role and widen the driver talent pool.

Why the Industry Needs to Modernize

For many younger people, the image of truck driving remains rooted in the past. They associate the job with clipboards, long wait times, and playing phone tag with dispatchers. This perception is downright unflattering and a serious barrier to entry.

Today’s tech-savvy workers expect digital workflows, mobile access, and clear, streamlined communication. Without modernization, the industry risks alienating the very demographic it needs the most.

Many carriers have moved along the technology adoption curve, either by choice or by mandate (e.g. the ELD mandate of 2017).  However, when a truck driver arrives at a shipper’s facility, the truck driver is often transported back to the “pre-internet” times, which can cause meaningful frustration in an ever-technology progressing world.

Technology as a Recruitment and Retention Tool

Digital tools can reshape the day-to-day experience of truck drivers, making the role more attractive and sustainable. For example, automated check-ins, mobile-friendly instructions, and real-time yard updates reduce idle time and remove the constant need for printed documents or face-to-face status updates.

FreightRoll, developer of an innovative, AI-based yard operating system, has created technology that increases efficiency, boosts throughput, and eliminates wasteful choke points. It’s also designed with the user in mind, simplifying processes from the gate to the dock and back again.

FreightRoll’s digitalGUARD automates gate check-in and checkout, while digitalBOL enables paperless documentation, and digitalCOMMS facilitates real-time communication between drivers and facility staff. 

These mobile-friendly solutions, components of a unified whole, eliminate time-consuming steps, lower stress, and create a faster, more predictable workday for drivers. This is good for business and essential for attracting drivers who value efficiency, autonomy, and work-life balance.

Expanding the Driver Pool Through Accessibility

Beyond making the job more attractive, technology helps lower the barrier to entry. Traditional trucking jobs often require experience navigating fragmented systems, deciphering legacy procedures, or relying on tribal knowledge passed down over years. Today’s digital platforms simplify workflows, allowing new drivers to get onboarded quickly and succeed without decades of experience.

This accessibility also makes the role more inclusive. Streamlined, user-friendly systems can attract a broader range of candidates, including younger workers and career changers. In short, automation helps redefine truck driving from a manual, stressful job into a tech-supported profession that welcomes a more diverse workforce.

Why Shippers and Carriers Should Care

In tight freight markets, capacity is king. And the current container surge into the U.S. while tariffs are on pause — happening on the East and West coasts — will be followed by tighter trucking capacity. Improving the driver experience with technology gives shippers a competitive edge, not just in efficiency but in becoming a preferred partner to the shrinking pool of available drivers.

Modern technology also supports more consistent operations, fewer errors, and better data visibility. More importantly, it plays a critical role in building a workforce for the future. Supporting a tech-enabled driver journey is key to creating a long-term talent strategy.

Reimagining the Driver Role with FreightRoll

FreightRoll’s suite of tools was built to make the driver experience faster, easier, and more transparent. By eliminating common sources of frustration and confusion, these tools help reshape the role into one that appeals to a younger, more diverse pool of candidates.

The future of freight depends on expanding the driver base. To learn how FreightRoll can help you modernize the driver experience, contact us today.