National Trucker Shortage Delays Shipments

Your order could be ready to ship on time but the delivery is likely to be late. According to the American Trucking Association, there is a national shortage of long-haul drivers in the US. Of the 3.4 million truck drivers on the road, 1.3 million are long-haul drivers. Reasons for the shortage vary and a portion of this reduction is due to the new requirements for drivers of hazardous materials. It‘s all part of procedures mandated in the Patriot Act, enacted after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Effective last January 31, 2005, new drivers applying for haz-mat endorsements ("H" or "X") on their Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL’s) have to pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check before they can be authorized to haul hazardous materials. In late March 2005, existing CDL haz-mat certified drivers began receiving notices that they were required to renew their CDL by re-taking the written test and passing a fingerprint-based background check. In fact, all CDL holders—whether or not they held haz-mat endorsements—were required to renew their licenses. As this current scenario is expected to get worse, we suggest that you plan your purchasing with generous lead times.