Supply chain woes worsen working conditions for truck drivers
By Nathan Vickers
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GRAIN VALLEY, Missouri (KCTV) — A backlog of cargo and worsening supply chain issues have added to an already difficult job for truckers.
Earlier this week the Biden Administration announced a deal to keep the Port of Los Angeles running 24/7 in an attempt to unload stalled cargo ships that have been waiting for weeks. Some experts blamed a lack of truck drivers available to pick up cargo.
But the trucking industry was quick to counter that notion. The Grain Valley-based Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association said in a statement:
“Because the real bottlenecks in the supply chain occur at pickup and delivery points, adding more trucks and drivers will simply makes the lines longer, NOT faster. Every region of our country and segment of our economy relies upon long-haul truck drivers and it’s time that both the government and the trucking industry begin treating them as essential workers.”
It was something many drivers had seen firsthand. At a rest stop near Odessa, Mo., Richard Simmers recalled a recent trip to Long Beach Harbor.
“It’s full of ships,” he said. “They’re blaming it on drivers. But there’s drivers in the streets waiting to unload. They’re not getting the containers.”
Simmers said the pandemic has made trips more difficult for drivers. He and others are finding fewer rest stops, parking spaces, and open restaurants to stop for breaks.
On top of that, fuel and equipment costs have spiked in 2021.
“Prices are just killing us,” Simmers said. “Like fuel. A tire that cost $500 now costs $650. An oil change that cost $450 now costs $600.
He said he has driven more in the last year than he has in a long time, but his margins have seemed thin.
“Everyone’s blaming truck drivers but it’s not our fault,” he said. “We’re working our hearts out. We’re a victim of circumstance.”
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