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Trucker Shortage Causing Supply Chain Disruptions

Diesel fuel hit a national average of $5.53 per gallon, and the jump in prices could ultimately affect the cost of goods.
Posted at 9:41 PM, May 08, 2022

Supply-chain disruptions are not going away any time soon. Experts say the key factors behind this continue to be the labor shortages, equipment availability, and the ripple effect of global trade bottlenecks.

Once a product makes it to the U.S. the domestic shortage of truck drivers is an added problem, making it harder to fill those empty shelves. According to the American Trucking Association, the industry was short a record 80,000 drivers in 2021, and more than 70% of freight is transported via trucks.

Rising gas prices are another nuisance for truck drivers. Diesel fuel hit a national average of $5.53 per gallon, and the jump in prices could ultimately affect the cost of goods. Jim Grundy, Sisu Energy LLC CEO, has 15 years of experience in optimizing supply chain platforms for some of the world's biggest companies.

Grundy joins Newsy to explain why we are seeing this shortage of truck drivers.