Several industries are currently reaping the affects of the driver shortage.
Toymaker Hasbro and chipmaker Nvidia have both reported that the shortage of truck drivers is affecting their business.
Companies are quick to blame Amazon for the shortage stating that aging workforce, poor compensation for long hours and increasing demand as e-commerce continues to grow has caused the drop. According to the American Trucking Association, trucks account for more than 70 percent of all tonnage moved in the U.S. The ELD mandate that went into effect in December has also been blamed.
Freight companies have been trying to appeal to workers by offering pay raises bonuses.However, the driver shortage is projected to triple within the next ten years if nothing changes.
In a report published by the American Trucking Association, the shortfall was supposed to reach 50,700 last year and had the potential to climb to 174,000 by 2026.
While freights are struggling, railroads are benefiting from the shortage. Vice president of intermodal sales and marketing at CSX Dean M. Piacente recounts that the rail business saw the best peak in demand in over a decade last fall.
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