Tag Archives: driver shortage

Felixstowe congestion could lead to $2bn of stranded imports

Posted on October 13, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Container shipping is all messed up in the UK. A recent report claims that shippers cannot get their container cargo delivered on time. And the reason is not the driver shortage, or is it?

Apparently there is also a shortage of space for empty containers, and the empties have to be taken to a different place from where they are delivered. Some ports are refusing empty containers.

When you put that with the ‘blanked’ sailings, where ocean shipping lines simply omit a port from their rotation for a given voyage, it’s impossible to predict when your cargo will arrive. The nightmare has arrived.

By Charlie Bartlett, European Correspondent 13/10/2021

Felixstowe congestion could lead to $2bn of stranded imports, says report – The Loadstar

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Posted in Logistics, Shipping, Supply Chains

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Shippers face tough choices in the US trucking market as costs escalate

Posted on September 23, 2021 by | Leave a comment

It’s a good time for larger shippers to consider a dedicated fleet, according to this consultant. The driver shortage and inability for carriers and 3PLs to offer good schedules are making it hard to book a good service. It certainly throws cold water on trying to forge a long term (say, annual) contract with a carrier.

There are roadblocks in forming a dedicated fleet, too. Trucks are in short supply, due to the chip shortage among other things. and if you don’t have trucking logistics specialists now, you have to set up a whole logistics department, with knowledgeable dispatchers and logistics managers. Not all firms will be able to pull that off. So there are pluses and minuses for a dedicated fleet.

I think firms need to think strategically and decide where they need to be with their customers five or more years in the future. Then once a strategy is chosen, they need to commit the resources and money they need to get the new strategy up and running in a measurable way, so they can be sure service to customers is really improved, and economically for the firm.

By Ian Putzger, Americas correspondent 23/09/2021

Shippers face tough choices in the US trucking market as costs escalate – The Loadstar

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Posted in Logistics, Trucking

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‘Firms undervaluing their drivers caused this shortage crisis across Europe’

Posted on September 8, 2021 by | 2 comments

Europe has much the same problem as the US when it comes to a driver shortage for logistics.

And the problem made it into consciousness for a similar reason– a new regulation that required drivers to take 45 hours of rest outside their truck, and other work rules. The rules were made for safety reasons, and they make a lot of sense.

But the effect was to prevent drivers from using extra hours to earn money from firms that pay too little. ‘Make it up on volume’ is possible only if you have enough hours to do it.

So drivers increasingly are simply walking away from driving jobs, or quitting and looking for jobs from those few companies that pay more fairly.

The speakers in the article make it plain that trucking firms themselves brought this shortage on, by not paying drivers fairly and not providing fair working conditions.

It’s much the same story in the US.

By Alex Whiteman 08/09/2021

‘Firms undervaluing their drivers caused this shortage crisis across Europe’ – The Loadstar

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Posted in entrepreneurship, Labor Economics, Logistics, Supply Chains, Trucking

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