Shortage of truckers adds to supply chain problems Biden’s $1T infrastructure package could help ease bottlenecks in long term
WASHINGTON — Truck drivers have been in short supply for years, but a wave of retirements combined with those simply quitting for less stressful jobs is exacerbating the supply chain crisis in the country, leading to empty store shelves, panicked holiday shoppers and congestion at ports.
Warehouses around the country are overflowing with products, and delivery times have stretched to months from days or weeks for many goods.
A report released last month by the American Trucking Associations estimated that the industry is short 80,000 drivers, a record number, and one the association said could double by 2030 as more retire.
Supply chain problems stem from a number of factors, including a surge in demand for goods and factory shutdowns abroad. But the situation has been compounded by a shortage of truckers and deteriorating conditions across the transportation sector, which have made it even harder for consumers to get the things they want when they want them.
The phenomenon is rippling across the economy, weighing on growth, pushing up prices for consumers and depressing President Joe Biden’s approval rating.
Biden announced last month that major ports and private companies would begin moving toward 24-hour operation in an effort to ease the gridlock. But early results suggest that trucking remains a major bottleneck in that effort, compounding backlogs at the ports.
The directors of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach said that, at least initially, few additional truckers were showing up to take advantage of the extended hours.
Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said his port had told the White House in July that about 30% of the port’s appointments for truckers went unused every day, largely because of shortages of drivers, the chassis they use to pull the loads and warehouse workers to unload items from trucks.
The $1 trillion infrastructure bill that the House passed last week could help mitigate the shortage. The legislation includes a three-year pilot apprenticeship program that would allow commercial truck drivers as young as 18 to drive across state lines. In most states, people under 21 can receive a commercial driver’s license, but federal regulations restrict them from driving interstate routes.
But industry experts said the program was unlikely to fix the immediate problem, given that it could take months to get underway and the fact that many people simply do not want to drive trucks.
The isolating lifestyle and younger generations’ focus on pursuing college degrees have made it difficult to entice drivers. Trucking companies have also struggled to retain workers: Turnover rates have reached as high as 90% for large carriers.
In response, companies have raised wages. The average weekly earnings for long-distance drivers have increased 21% since 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, commercial truck drivers had a median wage of $47,130.