According to the NY Times, America was facing a truck driver shortage at the end of 2021. If the NY times is right, this is one of a few issues the transportation haulage industry faces in 2022. This situation is also present around the world including the UK and Europe.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the challenges facing the industry.
Vehicles Get Better and Better
Although the thrust of this article presents the challenges faced by transportation and haulage, let’s start on a positive note. Vehicle technology continues to develop and now a wide variety of Scania tractor trucks are available together with other leading brands.
Fuel Costs
Fuel costs are on the up and up across the world. Global refinery capacity lowered during lockdowns due to fewer vehicles on the road. Now, much of America has reopened, the refinery capacity has struggled to get back to pre-lockdown levels. This, combined with global supply chain issues and rising crude oil prices have seen gas prices rise considerably.
This has been mirrored across the world. In the UK, supply shortages lasted for roughly a week with drivers being forced to go from gas station to station to fill up their tanks.
Driver Pressure
For years, your average American truck driver has been put under pressure which has been heightened due to worsening employment standards. Driving overnight is a lonely world and when you pull into stop and freshen up in poor washroom conditions, you would probably think of a different vocation in life.
This has been the situation for well over a decade and as such, many drivers have switched careers or at least taken on another form of truck driving rather than long-distance haulage. Throw in bad pay, unsociable hours, and well you don’t have a hell of a lot of incentive to stay behind the wheel.
Now that drivers have left the industry demand on the remaining drivers has increased considerably. They are under more pressure to get goods to their destination. Whether corners have been cut when it comes to driver rest breaks which is a legal requirement remains unclear.
The situation is again mirrored in Europe and other parts of the world.
Demand for Electric Vehicles
Electric anything is very popular right now especially if it travels on wheels. Fuelled by climate change and the word of ‘experts’, alternative forms of transportation are at least being explored rather than getting goods from A to B by truck.
Electric trucks and the perceived golden goose of driverless trucks are a long way off. It is something, however, leading truck manufacturers must have at least in the back of their minds. If you can get a car to drive itself why not a tuck?
On Another Positive Note
Despite the challenges, many haulage companies are actively recruiting drivers. This is good news both in economic terms and for the drivers themselves who at last may see decent pay and better working conditions.
This is good news as to get back to a normal world we need a robust and resilient haulage industry.
