The Yard Labor Shortage Isn’t Cyclical — It’s Permanent

The Yard Labor Shortage Isn’t Cyclical — It’s Permanent

Many logistics leaders are still waiting for yard labor to “normalize.” That assumption is costly.

Yard Jockeys Are Hard to Hire — and Harder to Keep

Yard jockey roles combine:

• Night shifts

• Outdoor exposure

• Tight maneuvering

• High accident risk

Turnover is high. Training is constant. Experience walks out the door.

Wage Increases Don’t Solve the Problem

Raising wages helps temporarily, but it doesn’t:

• Improve safety

• Reduce accidents

• Increase predictability

• Eliminate overtime dependency

It simply raises the baseline cost of moving trailers.

The Hidden Labor Cost

Beyond wages, yards absorb:

• Insurance premium increases

• Injury claims

• Equipment damage

• Downtime caused by labor gaps

These costs rarely appear on a single line item — but they compound.

Planning for Reality

Leading operators are shifting from:

“How do we staff the yard?”
to
“How do we reduce dependency on staffing the yard?”

Autonomy isn’t about replacing people — it’s about removing the most fragile dependency in yard operations.