The Biggest Twist in America’s Supply Chain: Not Enough Truckers


Gene Seroka, chief executive of the Port of Los Angeles, said the port told the White House in July that about 30 percent of the port’s appointments for truckers are not used every day, largely due to driver shortages. Pull loads and warehouse workers to unload goods from trucks.

“We need more drivers here at the port complex with all this cargo,” said Mr. Seroka.

NS $1 trillion infrastructure bill The resolution passed by the House last week could help narrow the gap. The legislation includes a three-year pilot apprenticeship program that would allow commercial truck drivers under the age of 18 to cross state lines. In most states, people under the age of 21 can obtain a commercial driver’s license, but federal regulations restrict them from driving on interstate roads.

But industry experts said the program is unlikely to fix the immediate problem, given the fact that implementation can take months to kick off and many people don’t want to drive trucks.

Mr. Biden said he would do it last month. Consider deploying the National Guard To alleviate the truck driver shortage, a White House official said the administration was not actively monitoring the move.

Meera Joshi, deputy director of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said the agency is focused on easing the situation. commercial license process after states cut licensing operations during the coronavirus pandemic. The agency has also extended the hours that certain drivers can work.

“They are the absolute backbone of a large part of our supply chain,” transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a briefing at the White House on Monday about truckers. “We need to have respect and I think we need to make up for them better than we have.”

The famine has alarmed trucking companies, which say they don’t have enough young people to replace the aging workforce. Occupational stereotypes, an isolated lifestyle, and the younger generation’s focus on earning a four-year college degree have made it difficult to attract drivers. Truck companies also struggled to retain workers: turnover rates reached up to 90 percent for major carriers.



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