The trucking industry is being impacted like many other industries across the country, but this one in particular has an impact everyone.
Stores are short on merchandise due to trucking companies not having enough workers to get the deliveries where they need to be.
Leonard’s Express CEO, Ken Johnson, said it’s something he never thought his company would face.
Johnson said there are 20 new trucks waiting for license plates and his shortage is with drivers and garage technicians.
He runs a fleet of 650 vehicles and needs around 35 drivers and 6 technicians to be at full staff.
The lack of drivers across the industry has places like Costco limiting the number of items their customers can purchase.
Johnson said a part of his company’s job is to deliver fresh and frozen food for Wegmans, and he’s forced to turn down freight and business opportunities due to the low employment.
Leonard’s customers are also feeling the expenses of the trucking company needing to pay higher prices for fuel as well as the costs that come with hiring new drivers, and paying higher wages to keep the drivers they do have.
The cost of products everywhere from food to home goods continues to increase as trucking companies struggle to deliver.
Johnson realized how bad the shortage is when he received a letter from the state asking if he would like to be a bus driver. He doesn’t drive truck right now, but still holds a CDL.
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