Experts Say A Truck Driver Shortage is Driving Up Prices at Stores

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud trucking company says a shortage of drivers is contributing to higher prices at the store and putting a strain on the supply chain.

Vice President of Driver Recruiting at Anderson Trucking Service in St. Cloud, Lars Offerdahl, says, there are enough people out there with licenses, but they’re not willing to drive for traditional companies.

“I believe it’s pay and quality of life. The demand of the job and the pay has not kept up with a current employees’ expectations. You’re out of the house for three or four weeks at a time. In some cases, you have to sleep at truck stops.”

He says the industry average for an over-the-road trucker is $45,000 to $100,000 a year. ATS pays on the higher end of the scale. As a result, Offerdahl says they’re nearly at full-staff.

While ATS has been able to maintain staffing levels, other companies haven’t been so lucky, and it’s affecting people’s pocketbooks.

“It certainly affects what consumers are paying. When you consider how much rates have gone up in the last year and a half to two years, it certainly gets passed on to the consumer. And then, you put high fuel prices on an already high freight price, and of course, that gets passed on to the consumer.”

He says there are many different things companies are trying to keep drivers and reduce costs.

“You’ll see certain companies do what they call relay fleets. That’s where they’ll have drivers meet at mid-points to exchange loads so that they can turn around and get home that night or maybe home every other night. [Companies are] investing in better technology for the trucks so that the drivers are more comfortable when they stay in them.”

He says it’s not just a lack of drivers and an increase in fuel causing prices to go up. Offerdahl says people’s spending habits are also an issue.

“Part of what’s going on, as well is, we have what I would call a consumption gap. Where industry-wide, we’ve raised driver pay and there have been more drivers entering the workforce, but customers are still consuming more, and there’s more buying of goods than there are drivers entering the workforce.”

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