Although Container ship backlog Caused in U.S. ports Problems causing headaches for retailers, The shortage of truck drivers delivering goods to stores is causing more damage, and the reason for the shortage of drivers may be surprising.
According to government data, since January 2020, more than 72,000 truck drivers have failed to pass drug tests required by the Drug and Alcohol Clearing House and enforced by the Federal Motor Transportation Safety Administration. New York Post.
this American Freight Association It is said that there is a shortage of about 80,000 drivers due to the high number of retirees, the small number of female drivers, and the failure of drug tests. According to the New York Post, the association stated that compared with 2018, there were 60,800 fewer drivers in 2018 and a shortage of 50,700 drivers in 2017.
Jeremy Reymer, chief executive of DriverReach, an industry recruitment company, told the news media that “we have lost an alarming number of drivers” due to the new drug testing rules.
If drivers complete the “return to work” program, they can be removed from the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Registry, but many people choose not to. According to the New York Post, according to records, as many as 54,494 violators have not yet started the program, and experts said they may not do so.
The majority of violations (56%) are for marijuana, which is legal in 18 states for recreational purposes and 36 states for medical purposes, but it is still considered a federal violation. The news media stated that another 18% of cases involved amphetamine and methamphetamine violations, and cocaine and opioids accounted for 15% and 4% of drug test failures, respectively.
The American Trucking Association estimates that nearly 1 million new drivers will be needed in the next ten years, so the demand for drivers is becoming an important issue. Based on the turnover rate and new freight demand, this is equivalent to 110,000 new drivers each year for the next 10 years.
“This is for the whole supply chain If nothing changes, one day consumers can go to the grocery store instead of seeing seven kinds of apples, only three, because The goods did not arrive,” Bob Costello, chief economist of the American Trucking Association, told the New York Post.
The average annual salary of a truck driver is US$70,000 to six figures, and the signing bonus is up to US$15,000.
Photo: Reuters/Aaron Josefczyk
