Recent changes to the seasonal CDL program will make it easier for fertilizer retailers to hire and retain drivers.
The updates will expand the validation of licenses from 180 days to 210 days. The president of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association says this comes at a good time with recent labor shortages. While drivers will eventually need to get Class A and Hazmat licenses down the road, he says this will now allow retailers to hire somebody today, and within a week, have them pulling ammonia tanks.
As of this summer, the American Trucking Association reports a shortage of 80,000 drivers, and that number is set to double by the end of the decade if more drivers are not recruitable.
