Author Archives: jpeters

MARIJUANA BAN SIDELINES THOUSAND OF TRUCKERS

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Though the government is promising to put more commercial truck drivers on the road to ease the supply chain woes that are blighting the country,  an obstacle of their own making is currently hamstringing their vow – a federal ban on marijuana use that has taken thousands of truckers off the road. According to experts and court documents, “Washington’s zero-tolerance approach to weed has swept up drivers who lit up only when off-duty, as well as those who consumed hemp derivatives such as CBD oil that are advertised as non-psychoactive.”  Read more…

TRUCKER DEMAND KEEPING CDL SCHOOLS BUSY

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Teresa Maki, owner of T Enterprises, a Pasco private trucking school certified in Commercial Driving License (CDL) training by the state Department of Licensing, exclaims that the trucking industry has exploded and enrollment in her school has nearly doubled since 2020. Maki goes on to claim that “employers hiring new drivers have increased significantly. Before, they could easily find someone with a little bit more experience, but now they just can’t find enough drivers.” Read more… 

ATTRACT TRUCKERS WITH SAFER JOBS AND BETTER WAGES

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Though many trucking companies lament the fact that they are low on truck drivers, this runs counterintuitive to the fact “that there are many times more commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued than there are jobs in the industry.” With unemployment levels below 4%, it appears that many truck drivers are leaving the industry to find one with a “safe, steady job that will enable them to provide a reasonably comfortable life for themselves and their families.”  Read more…

TEXAS IS LOSING TRUCK DRIVERS

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John Esparza, chief executive officer of the Texas Trucking Association, insists that “a shortage of commercial truck drivers is contributing to increasing supply chain issues” within the state. With nearly 200,000 commercial truck drivers, the most in the nation, Texas is continuing to lose a generation of truck drivers and not replacing them accordingly. The median wage in the state for truck drivers, $47,000, is certainly not helping the issue either.  Read more…

GEORGIA TO GIVE $1.5B IN AID FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE MAKER

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Rivian automotives will receive $1.5 billion in aid from the state of Georgia and local governments to “build a 7,500-job, $5 billion electric vehicle plant east of Atlanta.”  With the hopes that Rivian will anchor an entire electric vehicle industry, including electric trucks and commercial delivery fans, the aid package will become “the largest single industrial announcement in Georgia history, including a pledge that the company will reach the full investment and job targets by the end of 2028, with jobs paying an average of $56,000 a year, plus benefits.”  Read more… 

COCA-COLA PLEDGES $1M TO TRAIN TRUCK DRIVERS IN GEORGIA

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The Coca-Cola company has pledged to donate “$1 million to the Technical Colleges System of Georgia’s (TCSG) Commercial Truck Driving Program to support what its executives call critical training and job opportunities for Georgians.” The company goes on to say that “businesses and consumers rely on Georgia’s trucking industry, which is facing a driver shortage that has been particularly heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic,” and this donation will hopefully help address the issue. Read more…

SPRINGTIME BLIZZARD AFFECTING TRUCKERS IN NEBRASKA

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Truckers from Wyoming through parts of Nebraska are grappling with a springtime blizzard that’s unleashing havoc on the roadways as it moves east. Officials are saying that “conditions are changing rapidly and advise anyone traveling along Interstate 80 to find a safe, alternate route around the storm or park.” Even after the storm subsides, drivers should drive slowly and watch out for slick spots.  Read more…

NEW LOGISTICS CENTER COMING TO BALTIMORE

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The site of  the Bainbridge Naval Training Center in Port Deposit “is being reactivated as the Bainbridge Logistics Center with warehouses planned on more than 400 acres of the 1100-acre site with the potential to create as many as 2,000 jobs.”  The project had to clear many hurdles first, including asbestos contamination and other remedial requirements. Read more…

CARRIERS REMAIN OPTIMISTIC DESPITE OBSTACLES

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According to the latest Bloomberg Truckstop.com survey, “carriers are optimistic about growth in volume and rate this year, despite rising fuel and equipment costs that are squeezing profitability.” The survey shows that many owner-operators remain bullish about demand, as “about 72% of respondents expect load growth over the next six months vs 71% in $Q and 1Q a year ago.   Read more…