Punjabi Sikh Truck Drivers Help Solve an Important Problem

​Given today’s focus on technology, the art of truck driving has lost its allure. While drivers can earn a good income, the job does not attract new drivers the way it did in the past. Further exacerbating the problem is turnover, which often exceeds 90% in this industry. The American Trucking Association (ATA) recently noted that the industry needs more than 60,000 more drivers to meet demand. This is a 20% increase from the previous year. The ATA also indicated that due to growing demand, the industry must hire more than a million new drivers over the next decade.

However, a recent trend shows an unexpected group is helping to address the driver shortage problem. Punjabi Sikhs. Sikhs are a specific people group closely associated with a monotheistic religion known as Sikhism. Punjab is a region in Northern India. Sikhs from Punjab are a subset people group known as Punjabi Sikhs. Most estimates note 200,000 to 500,000 Sikhs are in the US. Many of the Sikhs currently in the US are either second or third generation Sikhs, so America is their home. Reports indicate that up to 150,000 Sikhs drive truck rigs in the US. The increase in truck drivers by this people group led to the “Punjabi Highway” nickname as referenced in a recent LA Times article (source). This nickname represents a stretch of highway across the US where truck stops cater to Sikhs by serving Indian food and even offering Sikh temples.

This career offers many Sikhs a glimpse into American prosperity, as they seem to earn a modest income, while at the same time meeting an important need that helps fuel the American economy.