Blog

Truckers are in the midst of a dire driver shortage are wreaking destruction on the U.S. economy. Plus it is really getting worse. Plus, it is being fueled partly by the tough federal drug-tested restrictions. Nationwide, they were imposing last year, according to industry officials.

Truck Drivers Are Side Lining from Driving

Since January 2020, more than 72,000 truck drivers have been taking off U.S. roads. That is because they have failed drug tests. Those are now requiring by the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. The 22-month-old registry was establishing to thereby increase safety on U.S. highways, this is according to government data.

Truckers: Pandemic and Lack of Younger Drivers are the Culprits

The American Trucking Association is also blaming the pandemic plus a lack of younger drivers. These are among the other factors that currently put the industry’s overall driver shortfall at 80,000. This is up from 60,800 in 2018. Then in 2017, it was 50,700.

“Because of the new drug-testing rules, it is an unbelievable amount of drivers we have lost,” Jeremy Reymer, chief executive of industry recruiter DriverReach said.

Avoidance of Putting Dangerous Drivers on the Highway

Enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, employers do see it as a clearinghouse. Also as a positive and necessary which is also a source of concern. Moreover, it is a list that the employers are, in fact, required to consult before hiring a driver. Thus put dangerous drivers on the highway. Therefore, they are also requiring to contribute data to the list that is when their employers do fail a random drug test.

Steve Keppler, co-director of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, said before the clearinghouse: “there were situations when drivers did test positive and we job-hopping.” “A carrier wouldn’t pick up on the positive test, as a result, they didn’t report their previous employer. Moreover, the clearinghouse has not stopped that from happening.”

The nation’s supply chains have been ripping as a result of driver shortages. There are tough new rules by the registry that went into effect. This occurred just three months before COVID-19 began to strike logistics companies across the U.S. In fact, they have helped to fuel the higher prices from everything out that includes toys to lumber to groceries.