Keeping the US Transportation Industry Surging on Its Path of Post-Covid Recovery

As the United States looks forward to post-Covid recovery and a positive future, some industries are faring better than others. In employment terms, the transportation and warehouse industries are leading the way, employing significantly more workers than before the pandemic.  

Since February 2020 — just before Covid-19 made its presence felt in the USA — the combined transportation and warehousing sectors have added a total of half a million new jobs, becoming the only industries to increase their workforces by more than 10% in this period. 

Other industries, such as professional and business services, retail trade, information, and financial activities, are also performing well, but none has recorded employment growth of more than 4% since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. The construction industry has also posted marginal employment gains. Most other industries are struggling to reach pre-pandemic employment levels, and some are facing serious shortfalls — the leisure and hospitality (-8%) and the mining and logging industries (-12%) now employ significantly fewer workers than they did at the beginning of 2020.

Targeting Sustainable Growth 

While these levels of growth are encouraging, careful management is still required. A report published by Equitable Growth found that the rate of pay in the transportation and warehousing sectors continues to track below the national average. The report also highlighted that logistics firms' employees might be excluded from workplace benefits and other advantages made available to personnel in competing sectors. 

If the growth of the transportation industry is to adequately serve the population's needs — and support ongoing moves toward economic recovery — these concerns must be addressed. All personnel in these fields must receive the same high levels of support and protection while they work, ensuring that the industry provides viable career and development paths rather than simply providing a high volume of relatively low-paid employment opportunities. 

Supporting Transportation Industry Growth with Software 

In this digital age, it makes sense to turn to digital solutions to meet the mutual needs of businesses and society at large. But how can these software solutions help? In fact, there are several ways in which the right software can support the transportation industry as it surges forward in a sustainable manner. 

Platforms that provide universal support to personnel 

As businesses grow — for example, businesses in the transportation sector taking on more staff – supporting personnel becomes more complex. Software solutions provide an excellent vantage point from which to view and manage team members, ensuring that all staff receive the same high levels of support.  

Cloud-based payroll systems ensure that staff members are properly remunerated without mistakes, fostering better job satisfaction and feelings of genuine value within the workforce. This also reduces the burden on Human Resources departments, allowing businesses to make significant savings. 

Delivering upskilling and training opportunities where required 

If businesses are to develop meaningful and ongoing relationships with their employees, they must provide upskilling and training opportunities. Software with automated features can identify where further skills and qualifications are required. It can also be used in scheduling to ensure that only properly qualified and trained individuals are assigned key roles. 

Ensuring regulatory compliance 

Rapid growth can make it difficult for businesses to meet compliance requirements. Again, automated software features take this out of the hands of human operators, eliminating the risk of human error. The result is guaranteed compliance moving forward. 

Laying the Groundwork for Growth with Alloc8 

The Alloc8 platform makes complex scheduling tasks a breeze, giving businesses in the transportation sector the resources they need to target sustainable growth in the long term. Reach out to our team and schedule a demo of the platform today.