Truck driver shortages, port backlogs and empty shipping containers are affecting supply chain efficiency

A chronic shortage of truck drivers is not the only thing bedevilling US supply chains: empty containers have also become a problem for port operators as they take up space on chassis as they await their return to exporters.

Empty supermarket shelves. Ships backed up at ports. Plants waiting on new parts. The supply chain crisis isn’t getting better. It’s getting worse — and it threatens to take down the global economy with it.

Truck drivers in the U.S. are quitting over long hours and uncomfortable working conditions, exacerbating the supply chain crisis. “I had no personal life outside of driving a truck,” one driver said. “I finally had enough.”

What people are saying?

Ben Weiner I shopped at Kohl’s in New Jersey this morning for sweats, jeans, and socks. Well stocked shelves with multiple brands and sizes. Please start showing some real examples of these empty shelves. Btw, the port backups are a great example of need for infrastructure investment.

The Keeper I gotta tell ya, my biggest supply chain “shortage” has been my local Wendy’s only had medium size cups for a week. The supply chain has changed and some businesses are having difficulty adjusting. This will work itself out. Inflation is another story.