PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — With 14 years and nearly 2 million miles under his belt, Delbert Crawford of Changing Lanes CDL School is on a mission to bring drivers back into the trucking industry.

A nationwide shortage of truck drivers is sweeping across the nation with more than 60 thousands jobs vacant. According to the American Trucking Association, that number is expected to triple within the next five years.

"There’s a shortage because a lot of people are retiring from trucking. A lot of young people don’t want to get into trucking because of college, or trucking hasn’t even crossed their minds,” said Crawford.

Crawford is organizing a Commercial Drivers License only job fair to target young drivers who want to get into trucking. He said that the industry is for anyone who wants to start their own business and provide services to others. He added that truckers are a necessity to essential living and without truckers, he doesn’t know where the world will be — a side of trucking industry that goes unnoticed until it’s too late, referencing the winter storm earlier this year.

“Stuff comes on ships, stuff comes on trains, but you don’t see a ship or a train docked up at H-E-B. Even these trees, even these power poles, the street came in on a truck,” said Crawford

With his CDL school, Crawford hopes to do his part to provide opportunities for truckers they didn’t know existed. 

“A lot of people overlook the trucking industry. You’ve heard of career fairs going to high schools, but have you heard of an all CDL job fair?” said Crawford.

The All About CDLS Career Fair is scheduled for June 30th, 2021 from 10am to 2pm at the Holiday Inn Town Lake location.