We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Carriers say tractor and trailer shortages will linger for another year
CSCMP EDGE 2021

Carriers say tractor and trailer shortages will linger for another year

Lack of freight equipment compounds challenges of pandemic and labor, CEOs say at CSCMP EDGE conference.

September 20, 2021
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

Both truckload and less than truckload (LTL) carriers are trying to add new capacity to meet soaring demand, but with equipment backlogs predicted to last at least through 2022 they’re looking to more creative solutions to wring more efficiency out of the market, according to a panel of trucking executives who spoke at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) EDGE conference today.

Fleets would prefer to focus on long-term, five-year plans, but a series of business hurdles keeps pulling their attention to more immediate challenges, said Derek Leathers, chairman, president and CEO of Werner Enterprises. “If it’s not Covid, it’s the driver shortage, equipment shortages, or parts shortages. You find yourself having to look a lot closer at your toes than at the horizon,” Leathers said in a session titled “ A Look Down the Road: Carrier CEOs Speak.”

Not only are automakers backed up on meeting orders to build new Class 8 trucks, but suppliers also can’t fulfill orders for the trailers towed behind them, agreed Darren Hawkins, president and CEO of Yellow Corp. “We can’t get enough trailers compared to what we need, so trailer detention is becoming an ongoing issue,” ” Hawkins said, in reference to the amount of time that truck drivers spend at distribution centers waiting to exchange inbound and outbound freight. “We charge detention fees and it’s good we’re getting paid, but as long as they’re not moving, those are revenue producing assets that are not being used.”

In search of solutions, carriers are funneling more business to warehouse facilities known for quick turnaround times, and avoiding those known as the places “where trailers go to die,” Leathers said. While he acknowledged that some shippers are faster than others at getting truckers back on the road, he declined to blame those warehouses for the tough conditions, saying they faced tough labor shortages that blocked them from hiring enough staff to handle the necessary work.

Trucking
KEYWORDS CSCMP EDGE Werner Enterprises Yellow Corp.
  • Related Articles

    On track for another strong year

    Outrider unveils automated tractor-trailer hitching system

    CSCOs say generation gap is leading cause of warehouse labor shortages

Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

Companies to grow investments in energy-transition solutions, emissions reduction

Cargo imports forecast to sink near three-year low in February

Air cargo demand slumped in 2022 after “extraordinary” levels in 2021

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Forecasts call for freight rate slumps in 2023

  • Projected U.S. recession in early 2023 will soften freight market

  • Inflation drops again as interest rate hikes hit home, NRF says

  • How to avoid the next crisis: A new approach to supply chain agility

  • New Jersey truck fleet says Freightliner tractors will deliver safety as well as freight

Featured Video

20221107korber large vs

Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

Viewer Contributed
With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • A shipper's guide to navigating post-pandemic holiday freight

  • THE NEW WAY TO WAREHOUSE: 4 Innovations in Automation & Robotics to Boost Warehouse Productivity

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing