The crane, rigging and specialized transportation industries require a wide range of employees, from welders, mechanics, equipment operators to accountants and sales representatives. This session focuses on some of the unique positions available for individuals entering the industry and describes qualification requirements, typical career paths, and expected salary levels. Speaker: Courtney Lockwood, Bengal

1. Courtney Lockwood
Bengal

2. NATIONAL
WORKFORCE PROFILE
155.9 million people in the
US labor force
146.9 million are employed
8.9 million are unemployed

3.  The trucking industry is a large part of the US work
force and there are approximately 2.1% (7 million)
workers holding trucking-related jobs
 Of those, 2.2 % (3.2 million) are employed as truck
drivers
 The construction industry makes up 19% (7.8
million) workers
2.1, 2%
19, 19%
79, 79%
Percentage of workers
Trucking Construction Other Industries

4. DEMAND!
 Since 2010, there is an increasing
demand for both freight services and
critical truck drivers needed to move
goods throughout the country
 American Trucking Associations
currently estimates the truck driver
shortage to be 30,000 to 35,000 — with
a potential shortage of 240,000 drivers
by 2022
 Construction industry projects to need
1.7 million workers by 2020

5. 3 CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS TO WORKER
SHORTAGE
1. Competition within the industry
 More than 500,000 individual
transportation companies & over 700,000
construction companies
 To recruit employees from one company
to another, employers may offer better
benefits, higher wages, per diem, sign on
bonuses or other incentives (referral /
retention / safety)
 Transportation losing workers to
 Construction Industry
 Business & professional services
 Overall workforce

6. DRIVER QUALIFICATIONS
/ REQUIREMENTS
 Common qualifications include a commercial
driver’s license (CDL), current medical card,
multiple lines of insurance, port access cards (i.e.:
TWIC), transportation security credentials and a
variety of “endorsements” such as hazmat, tanker,
etc.
 A CDL itself requires multiple weeks of training &
testing and some driving school tuition can run as
high as $6,500
 Employer pressures: Driving history, drug tests,
insurance costs, government monitoring, and
Federal Motor Carrier compliance, safety,
accountability and the Pre-Employment Screening
Program (PSP) all come into when hiring driver
likely discourage the hiring or retaining of drivers
with poor records.

7. WORKFORCE
DEMOGRAPHICS
 Average age of overall US workforce is 42
years old
 Trucking industry has higher average age
than other industries
 Average age of truck drivers is 55
 Average age of construction workers is 40
 Biggest obstacle to attracting younger drivers
to the industry is the federal requirement that
interstate CDL holders be 21 or older
 25 years of age is a common insurance-
based expectation

8. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ME?
WHAT CAN I DO?

9. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
 Escort Drivers
 Truck Drivers
 Dispatchers
 Project Managers
 Operations Manager
 Oilers
 Riggers
 Operators
 Welders
 Mechanics
 Field Supervisors (FM, GF)
 Superintendents

10. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
 Safety Representatives
 QA/QC
 Recruiter / Human Resources
 Planner / Schedulers
 Engineers
 Document Control
 Cost Control
 Estimators
 Timekeeper / Payroll
 Billing
 Accounting
 Sales / Marketing / Business Development

11. SAMPLE CAREER PATH:
Combination Welder
Work in field as combo pipe welder until skill is mastered per pipe x-rays
Become certified on pipe (stick, tig, mig, flux core)
Work in field as structural welder until skill is mastered
Become certified on plate
Enroll/attend trade school

12. SAMPLE CAREER PATH:
Vice President
Laborer Oiler Rigger
Crane
Operator
Operator /
Rigging
FM / GF
Operator /
Rigging
Supt.
Project
Manager
Construction
Manager
Vice
President

13. $$ SHOW ME THE MONEY $$
Laborer $37,000 - $45,000 / year
Rigger (Journeyman) $60,000 - $90,000 / year
Truck Driver $60,0000 - $95,000 / year
Certified Crane Operator
(Accredited 3rd party)
$70,000 - $100,000
Combination Welder $75,000 - $100,000

14. WHAT KIND OF
CERTIFICATIONS DO I NEED?
 CDL
 Endorsements: Hazmat, Tanker, Doubles,
Triples
 TWIC or other criminal background checks
 US Passport
 Basis + / OSHA Card
 NCCER / NCCCO certification
 Clean drug / alcohol screens (DISA or other TPA’s)
 Excellent safety record

15. TRAINING
 High School Outreach Programs
Program Type % of Public Schools Offering Program
 Business 96.5%
 Computer Technology 94.4%
 Mechanics and Repair 81.9%
 Precision Production 78.9%
 Construction 73.5%
 Childcare and Education 68.3%
 Healthcare 64.9%
 Agriculture 62.4%
 Other Technology 58.3%
 Marketing 57.9%
 Food Service and Hospitality 57.4%
 Communications Technology 53.6%
 Other Occupational Programs 48.2%
 Personal and other services 48.0%
 Trade and Industry/Transportation 28.8%
 Protective Services 25.8%

16. TRAINING
 Trade schools / technical
colleges
 Online Training
 On the job training

17. FINAL THOUGHTS
 There is a significant labor shortage and we have to
train tomorrow‘s workforce!
 Find something that interests you, work hard & ask
questions and stick with it!
 Do your best to live a positive lifestyle so that you
can obtain and keep a positive employment history!
 Educate yourself!
 Talk to school counselors, recruiters, etc. to find
what’s right for you!
 Construction & Transportation industries have lots
of job opportunities in many different areas all over
the globe and good careers can be made from any
of them!