2025 Benchmark: U.S. Transportation Industry Spotlight
Discover key findings and insights from the 2025 HireRight Benchmark report for the transportation industry.
HireRight’s 2025 Benchmark Survey uncovered 53% of respondents working in the U.S. transportation industry are seeing a higher-than-normal retention rate for their employees. Huge wins like this suggest the investment in employee-centric activities—like employee appreciation events, performance rewards, and milestone celebrations—can bring invaluable benefits to transportation employers.
While individual reasons might vary, most employers are projecting their DOT-regulated workforce to increase by the end of 2025. Because of this, and the challenges faced by HR and recruitment teams, employers are looking to make confident, quick, and quality hiring decisions.
Transportation Talent Acquisition Challenges and Wins
Our 2025 Benchmark Survey found that the most significant transportation talent acquisition challenges included finding qualified candidates, making the recruitment process more efficient, meeting candidate pay/benefit expectations, and dealing with candidate “ghosting” (sudden or unexpected stop in communication). Another notable recruitment challenge faced by DOT-regulated employers was their understaffed HR and recruitment teams and protracted time-to-hire timelines.
Still, there were some recruitment wins. Our Benchmark Report identifies employee referrals as the most effective channel for recruiting and attracting new employees, with 60% of transportation respondents crediting their internal employee referral program. Following closely behind were online job boards and social media platforms. This tells us satisfied employees can be a valuable recruitment tool with the help of enticing referral programs.
Download HireRight’s 18th Annual Global Benchmark Report Here
Trending Employment Screening Services: What’s Important and Why
Like previous years, the main risks transportation HR professionals aim to mitigate with their employment screening program are non-compliance with regulations, public safety, and workplace safety and security. Additionally, more than half (56%) of respondents reported the cost of a bad hire as a specific risk they look towards background screening to help mitigate. The time, money, and resources poured into sourcing and onboarding an employee is crucial for the transportation industry, like many others, with existing contracts, deadlines, and schedules to consider.
Beyond the screenings required by FMCSA, our respondents are also utilizing background check services like, PSP (Pre-employment screening program), criminal background, Form I-9 verification, and identity information checks. More extensive identity verification is a trend we’re seeing across verticals, especially in response to the increasing threat of identity and credential fraud.
Looking Forward: Transportation Talent Acquisition Trends
So, what is to be expected for the transportation industry for the rest of the year and beyond?
Since most of our respondents expect the size of their DOT-regulated employee workforce to increase by the end of 2025, plans to enhance their current background screening program beyond additional regulatory requirements, adding more automated services, and streamlining processes with ongoing monitoring are all common.
But apart from anticipated workforce growth, there is an emphasis on employee development. This comes from retention being a top talent management challenge year over year. So, to face this challenge, there are employee-centric activities like improving employee experience, milestone celebrations, and appreciation that employers are investing in.
Download HireRight’s 18th Annual Global Benchmark Report Here
Curious how these insights compare to previous years? Download our 2024 Transportation Spotlight Report and 2023 Transportation Spotlight Report.
Release Date: July 24, 2025
HireRight
HireRight is a leading provider of on-demand employment background checks, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage and control background screening and related programs.