Delayed deliveries and shortages of raw materials and finished products are being blamed on not enough trucks and drivers.
USA Today reports the shortages are expected to increase as the economy continues to recover and tougher truck driver rules take effect later this year. The newspaper reports that about 70% of shippers are facing tight capacity for full truckload service during the second quarter, up from 27% in the first quarter, according to research firm Wolfe Trahan.
Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations, told the newspaper that delivery demand fell 27% during the economic downturn. This resulted in trucking companies reducing their fleets and workforces. Smaller firms closed and the remaining companies reduced their fleets by an average of 14%.
As manufacturing and retail have rebounded, Costello said delivery demand has increased 10%. Trucking companies that are turning away business are scrambling to find more drivers. Some have even offered bonuses of $10,000 to recruit new drivers. The pool of drivers is expected to become even tighter as new driver screening standards are implemented later this year.
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