Your take on shortages/supply chain disruptions?

[Tradd]

Here’s some boots on the ground type info.

This is what I’m dealing with this week. Given my extensive transportation experience, besides being a customs broker, I’ve been asked to handle one customer we do clearances AND coordinate delivery for. Can do this in my sleep. One of the KC, MO rail yards is a massive cluster. One of the two container lifts is down. Trucker sent these photos. Trucker delivered one container in the local KC area this morning. Driver had been sitting in line since 10am to get the empty lifted off the chassis so they can get another loaded one. Took 3 hours. We have 10 containers for that particular customer. They’re handling deliveries for 4 containers for another customer of mine. Severe chassis shortage. Rail now only gives 24 hours free time. Used to give 48. Storage is $100/day per container.

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[JaneV2.0]

And to add to that, I understand there is a shortage of truck drivers because training was suspended at the height of the pandemic.

[Tradd]

And to add to that, I understand there is a shortage of truck drivers because training was suspended at the height of the pandemic.

There has been a shortage of truck drivers in the US for upwards of 10 years. The plague exacerbated the shortage.

[jp1]

Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.

[happystuff]

Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.

I think this delves back into the "no employees" thread. Yes, there are a lot of jobs available right now - truck drivers, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, food service, etc - but would YOU want to do any of these back-breaking jobs? Especially with a starting salary of $15/hour, if you're lucky?

[LDAHL]

A couple of weeks ago, a guy I know in manufacturing told me he had trouble getting CDL drivers with no overnights at $70K. He’s having an even harder time getting assemblers and warehouse people who will show up and pass urine tests for $18/hour.

[Yppej]

I have heard CDL drivers for some company (Walmart?) are starting at $80K now.

There are things that could be done:

1. Temporarily lift, as has been done in the past, part of the hours cap on drivers.
2. Have shipper and recipient unload the truck - this is the part of the job I could not do but I could drive if trained.
3. Change drug testing regulations so a positive for marijuana is not disqualifying.
4. Reduce or eliminate fees for CDL licenses.
5. Some companies will already pay for a person's truck school tuition if they agree to work for them for a number of years. If a living stipend were added for when the person is at trucking school, since the schools are often far from home, that would definitely entice more people to sign up.

[Tradd]

Maybe if truck driving was still a decent union job like it used to be instead of often the scam of owner/operator where they have to work nonstop to barely break even that it has become then we wouldn’t have a shortage of truck drivers.

There are still plenty of companies with company owned trucks. The Chicago area being the logistics hub of the Midwest, I’m constantly seeing billboards on the highways for driver jobs. Start at $75K with a $25K signing bonus. Company owned trucks. Some local routes, some OTR.

[iris lilies]

Mexicans with green cards come in droves to work in the “green” industry seasonally.

But the problem with these guys DH worked with is that they don’t speak English. So, they cannot pass a CDL license test. Otherwise I can see those guys taking those $70,000 jobs, tag teaming it in some way and driving overnights straight through to get the product there in half of the time.

One of the green card Mexicans DH worked with learned English and he was afforded upper level jobs because of that.He could get a US drivers license and become a crew boss for the tree company. Driving and talking to customers was key, and that is language based.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I think this delves back into the "no employees" thread. Yes, there are a lot of jobs available right now - truck drivers, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, food service, etc - but would YOU want to do any of these back-breaking jobs? Especially with a starting salary of $15/hour, if you're lucky?

that would depend entirely on my situation. Being that I'm usually able to get much better jobs, probably not very readily at all. If I was my sibling who has never worked in 40 years and I suppose expects me to support them after mom dies, then yes I think they should take a food service job, even a part time one. We have talked about better options though that may pay enough to live on. No interest.