ATA Reports 11 Percentage-Point Decline in Large Truckload Turnover
ARLINGTON, VA – The line-haul driver turnover rate among large for-hire truckload carriers (fleets with at least $30 million in annual revenue) experienced its first quarterly decrease in a year during the 2007 second quarter.
ARLINGTON, VA – The line-haul driver turnover rate among large for-hire truckload carriers (fleets with at least $30 million in annual revenue) experienced its first quarterly decrease in a year during the 2007 second quarter, according to the American Trucking Associations as reported by the Web site www.thetrucker.com. Driver turnover is for employee, over-the-road, line-haul drivers only, and does not include local drivers such as for port operations.
ATA, which began collecting driver turnover statistics in 1995, reported that turnover for large truckload (TL) carriers was at a 116 percent annual rate during the quarter, down from a rate of 127 percent in the first quarter of the year.
“Soft freight volumes and looser capacity during the quarter likely helped lower the rate of turnover,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “However, the rate still remains high and hasn’t been below 100 percent since the fourth quarter of 2002,” according to www.thetrucker.com.
Small TL carriers (fleets with less than $30 million in annual revenue) saw their average turnover rate decrease to 90 percent, marking the lowest annualized rate in two years. This is the first time that the small fleet turnover rate has been below 100 percent since the third quarter of 2005.
The less-than-truckload (LTL) line-haul driver annualized turnover rate was just 13 percent during the 2007 second quarter, compared with 14 percent in the previous three-month period.
Both large TL and LTL fleets experienced reductions in total employment during the second quarter of this year, a trend that started during the fourth quarter of 2006 for the TL sector and in the first quarter of 2007 for the LTL industry.
As freight has softened, both large TLs and LTL carriers have tried to “right size” their operations, ATA said. The small TL carriers had essentially no change in total employment during the quarter, but they did increase their line-haul driver pool by 1.4 percent.
More Operations

Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
Fleet Safety, Technician Trends and Mixed-Energy Strategy
Take a look at the people, preparation, leadership, and technology helping fleets stay ready before something goes wrong this month.
Read More →
The Next Generation of Fleet Is Ready to Get to Work | Shades of Fleet
Meet the apprentices, early-career professionals, and emerging leaders bringing curiosity, new ideas, and people-first thinking to fleet.
Read More →
Shades of Fleet Call for Voices: Family Ties
Fleet may run on vehicles and data, but for some professionals, it also runs in the family. August’s Shades of Fleet explores the pride, pressure, lessons, and legacy behind family-run operations and multi-generational fleet careers.
Read More →
WEX Launches SecureFuel AI-Powered Fuel Fraud & Theft Protection Tool
WEX launched SecureFuel, a fraud-detection tool that uses AI-powered models to analyze fleet card transaction data and compare it with vehicle telematics data to prevent misuse or fraudulent purchases. In an exclusive interview, Work Truck learned more.
Read More →
Fleet Leadership, Mixed-Energy Strategy, and DOT Marijuana Rules Lead the News
From hard-earned leadership lessons to fuel strategy, fleet technology, and compliance, this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet covers the stories fleet professionals are reading most.
Read More →How Atlas Helps Drivers Without Distractions
Motive Atlas brings AI directly into the cab, helping drivers log in with their voice, get route and weather information, locate fuel stops, and instantly capture important road events, all while keeping their hands on the wheel. This video provides all the details.
Read More →
Behind the Scenes: Building the Ringmaster of the Road from Body to Paint Part 2
The body is built, the paint is on, and Team Fletcher’s Soap Box Derby car is nearly ready for testing ahead of race day in Akron.
Read More →
It's All Downhill from Here! Fleet Industry Raises $22,000 for Skilled Trades Scholarships
Work Truck’s Lauren Fletcher and Automotive Fleet’s Chris Brown turned a friendly racing rivalry into $22,000 for automotive technology and skilled trades scholarships.
Read More →
Fleet Confidence, Safety, and Smarter Risk Management Lead This Month
This month’s TruckChat: Top Monthly News Recap explores what it takes to build confidence across a fleet, from stronger leadership and technician support to better safety preparation, smarter use of telematics, and clearer plans for when something goes wrong.
Read More →
