Trucking is booming in Alaska compared to the Lower 48 where a massive freight recession has resulted in recent bankruptcies and layoffs.
With various North Slope oil production projects just ramping up, the years ahead look very promising for trucking in Alaska. For Miller, this juxtaposition between freight markets is not a rarity. Trucking in Alaska has often experienced the opposite of conditions in the Lower 48. But 2024, and likely beyond, is a super-charged different.
"It is a boom time for trucking companies here," said Joe Michel, president of the Alaska Trucking Association, citing the multiple projects on the North Slope creating plenty of work for freight companies and a chronic need for drivers.Miller says the annual pay for a driver who doesn't mind the stretches of isolation and Arctic challenges can be $180,000.