Truck drivers are the backbone of our country—successfully keeping our businesses, lives, and economy moving forward. Over 70% of goods in the United States are placed on a commercial truck. From life-saving medical supplies and vaccines to daily essentials such as food, clothing, and fuel. Now more than ever, we need to rally behind our essential workers and extend our genuine support and admiration for all they do to enhance the quality of our lives.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented considerable transportation and logistics challenges, ultimately uncovering acute deficiencies that continue to cripple today's supply chain. As lockdown restrictions eased globally and consumer demand increased, the already fragile system buckled under pressure. For example, the circulation of shipping containers decreased, leading to record-high rates. At the same time, congestion at our ports and railroads contributed to cargo sitting 2.5 times longer than before the pandemic. Additionally, the shortage of skilled labor coupled with warehouses reaching max capacity has enhanced the bottleneck further resulting in an even greater dependency on truck drivers to transport freight from coast to coast.
Despite an overwhelming demand for their services, truck drivers remain resilient. They never wavered through regulatory changes, unfavorable weather conditions, long working hours, and thousands of miles logged.
At TransForce, we recognize the sacrifices made by these dedicated drivers. We remain committed to improving working conditions, prioritizing safety, providing comprehensive benefits packages for our drivers and their families, and advocating for competitive pay. But more needs to be done to attract the next generation of drivers to the profession. The viability of the trucking industry depends on our ability to fill the 100,000+ driver positions required by 2023 to keep pace with demand.
We are forever grateful for the men and women truck drivers who safely move over $700 billion of freight annually. This week, we encourage you to show your appreciation by simply saying thank you to a truck driver. Be sure to also follow us on social media as we spotlight some of TransForce's exceptional drivers and share their experiences.