Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry – 2021
At the start of 2021, the U.S. had two COVID vaccines approved for use and a third would soon follow, with hopes that the country, and its economy, could begin to turn the corner on the pandemic. However, the myriad challenges faced in 2020 as a result of the pandemic would linger into – and in many cases become exacerbated – in the new year.
Global supply chain disruptions initiated by the pandemic in 2020 continued into 2021 as shortages of everything from computer chips to construction materials led to higher prices and inflation, with no signs they are dissipating. Backlogs at the nation’s ports are at historic levels while economists predict that the combination of too few shipping containers – and the inability to move them off ships in a timely manner – likely points to a bleak holiday shopping season.1 Some economists even believe we are on the cusp of an international recession.2
This year has also seen a new administration and a new Congress, and with those changes, a new focus on social programs, climate change, and workforce issues. The post-pandemic economy has included a record infusion of stimulus, a push for zero emission vehicles, labor shortages and vaccine mandates for employers with over 100 employees.
Through it all, the trucking industry has continued as a foundational component of the nation’s economy, delivering essential goods to help businesses reopen, stocking stores and restaurants, keeping hospitals and schools supplied, and delivering fuel as the nation returned to travel for work and pleasure.
However, supporting the post-pandemic economic recovery has not been without its challenges for the trucking industry. Some in the industry believe the perennial labor shortages are worse now than ever before, new equipment cancellations further exacerbate the capacity issue, and our industry’s workplace – the nation’s highways – continues to fall into disrepair as political infighting has stymied progress on meaningful infrastructure investment.
Given all that the industry has experienced over the past 18 months, it is imperative that industry stakeholders understand the interplay of the various issues confronting the trucking industry. For the past 17 years, the trucking industry has relied on the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) top industry issues analysis to prioritize the trucking industry’s most critical issues as well as to identify preferred strategies for addressing each issue.
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ATRI Top Industry Issues 2021