The Umpqua Valley Transportation Sector Partnership (UVTSP) was established in 2018 to address the specific workforce and other needs of the transportation industry. SHORT STORY OF UMPQUA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION SECTOR PARTNERSHIP
The Umpqua Valley Transportation Sector Partnership (UVTSP) was established in 2018 to address the specific workforce and other competitiveness needs of the transportatio
n industry. In 2019, UVTSP expanded to include more transportation partners and community partners using the Next Generation Sector Partnerships model. This status will allow the UVTSP to apply for Federal, State, County, and Private funding. The goal is to recruit new and existing workers to the transportation industry. It will also allow recruiting of new students and funding of CDL tuition costs to attend the local truck driving schools. UVTSP is continuing to work closely with our public and private partners to provide education about the industry and enhance existing programs to ensure that the current curriculum matches the current needs of the industry. Current active Business Champions include A&M Transport, LLC., Gene Whitaker, Inc., Ireland Trucking, Inc., Roseburg Forest Products, Sprinter Trucking, Inc., and Terrain Tamers, Inc. Current active community, and public partners include Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Douglas County Industrial Development Board, (DCIDB) Oregon Employment Department (OED), South Coast Business (SBC), Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board (SOWIB) and Umpqua Community College (UCC). UVTSP is committed to finding long-term sustainable solutions to the driver shortage and other critical issues facing the transportation industry. The transportation sector in Douglas County, Oregon, and nationwide still has an overwhelming need for qualified Class A CDL drivers. UVTSP will continue to identify training gaps not being sufficiently addressed by the current workforce system. UVTSP’s future goal is to solicit and manage targeted funds to reduce worker shortages in the transportation sector and to support truck driver training programs long-term.
“Aside from the transportation of goods, the trucking industry employs millions of workers, making up about six percent of the nation’s workforce. Without the trucking industry, our nation would not be the same, as it is an essential industry that helps keep us afloat. Since the trucking and freight industry is such a lucrative source of income for the nation’s economy, a lot of businesses rely on it for their everyday operations. The industry represents more than half of the nation’s freight bill, and without it, our economy would suffer. For-hire carriers and private carriers make up most of the nation’s trucking companies.” (Weisbrot, “40+ Must-Know Trucking Industry Statistics in 2021”)
