The number of drivers 50 and over has increased by 46 percent since 2005—they now make up one third of its driving staff of 15,000. At Watkins and Shepard Trucking of Helena, Mont., the number of drivers over 50 has steadily increased in the past few years. And hits on GetTrucking.com, a recruiting Web site that targets drivers older than 50 and minorities, have gone from 500 to about 4,000 per week over the past few months. “This is something we’re seeing across the board,” says Ray Kuntz, chairman of the American Trucking Association. These numbers are good news for trucking companies. A 2005 study showed the industry has a shortage of 20,000 drivers—many workers have been lost to better-paid construction jobs—that will likely increase to 111,000 by 2014, out of about 3 million drivers total. By tapping into the baby-boomer market—largely empty nesters, or second-career seniors who have experienced burnout or layoffs—carriers hope they will be able to keep their rigs running.