A Trucking Crisis Has the U.S. Looking for More Drivers Abroad

Truck driver. Anecdata:

Ironically, even truck stops are short of some items, both food and supplies like styrofoam coffee cups. "Whaddya mean you don't have any large cups?"

They're also short of staff.

I was at a truck stop in South Carolina during the colonial pipeline ransomware mess, had no gas or diesel. All I stopped for was coffee. "Whaddya mean there's no large cups?"

I changed companies a month ago, for a $10k/year raise and a $2500 signing bonus. Lunch money for SV, but significant to a truck driver.

My company pays for SiriusXM in the truck. I think it's a special trucking deal, because if I listen to a news channel I hear commercials to switch trucking companies all day long. And for diesel additives.

Billboards across the country to "Drive for us!" The bit about there being fewer trucks on the road is surprising to me. Depending on where and when, there can often be nowhere to legally park, and you end up overnighting on an offramp, or a Walmart if they haven't prohibited trucks and RVs. Walmart isn't the RV haven that they used to be. If you see a truck, or more than one, parked on an off ramp mid to late morning, there's a good chance they were there since when they legally had to shut down 10 hours before.

I'd like to see truck parking in any infrastructure bill. It's maddening to be chased off an on ramp by law enforcement. This is just some of the pressure that tends to cause truckers to flip the fuckit bit.