A trucking company is appealing to video game simulator players in a new stunt to increase its number of drivers as an employee shortage continues to make things difficult in the industry. Schneider National recently released advertisements that appear on in-game billboards in American Truck Simulator, a popular game that encourages players to build business management skills while driving a truck through the Midwest.
American Truck Simulator players could be an answer to the truck driver shortage, which saw a decrease of more than 80,000 truck drivers as of May, NPR reported. SCS Software, the simulation game developer, said in a blog post that the new advertisements are part of a try-out phase which it believes will offer “something valuable to our games as well as the automotive industry,” SCS said in a blog post.
When Schneider approached SCS about a possible recruitment campaign, the software company agreed, saying it hoped it would create an environment where the simulator could be both “enjoyable and immersive.” The construct brings the recruitment signs to in-game billboards that will theoretically entice gamers to join the company as real-world truck drivers.
SCS Software and Schneider National did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.
Schneider’s approach to recruiting drivers comes as other trucking companies are finding alternative options to bring in employees and entice would-be drivers to return to the roads. The Covid-19 pandemic heavily affected the number of drivers, according to the Ottawa Cooperative Association (OCA), which estimates that the driver shortage will double by 2031.
“COVID really kind of kicked the baby boomers out, which they drove trucks, a lot of ‘em did,” Judd Perry, the fuel manager for OCA told NPR, adding, “and now that we had such a huge exodus of them, there’s just nobody to replace ‘em.”
The trucking industry will need to attract 1.2 million drivers to account for retirees but it faces obstacles such as training costs which can amount to upwards of $US7,000. In some cases, Perry told the outlet that they spend the money to train employees only for them to be poached by larger companies a few months later, rendering the money and time spent training them irrelevant. “We put our time in there and then they’re gone,” Perry said. “… It is what it is.”
However, the allure of larger trucking companies may appeal to drivers who are underpaid and are provided limited benefits, making them likely to retire from the field or avoid it altogether. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics reported that in May 2021, the median wage for tractor-trailer truck drivers was $US48,310, while 10% earned only $US30,710, hardly enough to live off in an increasingly expensive economy where food prices soared by 10.6% and mortgage interest rates jumped by nearly 3%. On top of everything, truckers spend a lot of time on the road without direct compensation.
Now Schneider’s attempt to appeal to a younger demographic may combat the problems encountered by the Baby Boomer generation. Truck drivers previously had to be 21 years or older, but an infrastructure bill signed into law in November 2022 lowered the age limit for truck drivers with a commercial licence to 18 years old, making Schneider’s recruiting endeavour to American Truck Simulator players a potentially lucrative one.
“The positive feedback we have received from those who have noticed this change has inspired us to continue exploring opportunities and provide meaningful visual assets that go beyond traditional advertising,” SCS said in its blog post. “Together, we can create a more immersive and purposeful in-game world, and we’re immensely excited to see where this partnership will take us in the future.”