The nationwide shortage of long-haul truck drivers brought on by the surge in e-commerce has trickled down to other businesses that depend on over-the-road truckers, and Sterling, Virginia-based JK Moving Services is among them.
JK Moving has increased its annual guaranteed income for experienced, over-the-road Class-A commercial drivers to a minimum of $100,000 a year. That is a 20% increase over previous pay for JK’s long-haul drivers. The company was already paying well above the industry average of just over $50,000 a year, according to Glassdoor.
JK Moving has 220 drivers, about 25% of whom are over-the-road long-haul drivers. It said its goal is to double the size of its long-distance fleet.
It also recently raised pay for its local drivers.
“We have a driver shortage in our country that has been exacerbated by growth in online retailing. Despite the difficulty in attracting drivers, we remain committed to providing a best-in-class experience for our customers and that starts with investing in having a great team,” said CEO Chuck Kuhn.
Arlington, Virginia-based American Trucking Associations said the industry faces a shortfall of nearly 61,000 drivers nationally and will need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade to keep pace with increased freight demands.
Last year, JK moving acquired 135 acres of land in Manassas for expansion, including two 100,000 square foot buildings, and expects to create 300 new jobs there. It currently employs about 1,100 people, most of whom are in the D.C. region.
