Ports are overwhelmed across the nation and entire international sphere. This is not an entirely new problem, but it has been exacerbated as time progressed. There are many factors that have contributed to the current supply chain crisis and these have built up over the past 40 years. In the media, there is an ample amount of news about broken infrastructure, inefficient shipping situations, and various crises around the world involving transportation like the Suez Canal incident earlier this year. The entire canal was blocked by a grounded container ship having long lasting consequences on the transportation network.   

Port Problems

Transportation faces challenges in all sectors, ground, sea, and sky.The most notable challenge facing transportation right now is highly congested ports. There are an incredible number of ports across the globe, but only a handful are high volume ports.These are backing up more and more. This has led to many shipping companies calling smaller ports for assistance and, while they are glad to see the business, they are also unable to accommodate most shipments as there is a chronic shortage of chassis facing the port shipping industry. Chassis are load-bearing trailer frames designed to attach to a truck and carry shipping containers. 

Many ports do not own their own chassis and rely on the receiving agency to supply their own, which poses an issue since the port cannot accept containers with no way to be transported once they are on land. Even ports that have huge yards filled with chassis are unable to use them most of the time because large companies tend to hold onto them even when not in use. In addition to this, there is a shortage of drivers available to transport the shipping containers even if there are enough chassis present.

Supply Chain Difficulty

The greatest difficulty facing ports is not one related to the ships carrying goods across the ocean, but rather the reception of the goods on land. The larger ports are experiencing a piling up of shipping containers and many have plans for expansion, but expanding can only do so much for the ports in question as space is limited. The problem can only be solved by an increase in ground transport from the ports. This ground transport can be in the form of trains and trucks. Trains are seeing a rise in popularity, but an increase of chassis and drivers willing to take on transport jobs from the ports are likely the only ways for ports to see a decrease in congestion.

A lack of drivers is something facing not just ports, but the entire domestic transport system. Presently the driver shortage is due to many factors including, but not limited to, drivers retiring, COVID-19, low pay, and difficult working conditions. Some of these factors can be remediated by boosting the popularity of driving and showing future drivers that it can be a great career option. In addition to this, increasing driver pay and ensuring that working conditions are fair and safe will ensure that more drivers are willing and able to participate in transporting goods across America. 

What About the Future?

The supply chain crisis poses a real and present danger to the infrastructure of many global economies and businesses as they rely on timely and efficient deliveries. There are steps that can and should be taken in order to fix this issue. Expanding ports, increasing driver employment, and sharing chassis more effectively could help to slowly heal the infrastructure. In effect, the transportation process would be expedited and the movement of goods would continue to flow unhindered.

The cold and harsh weather conditions begin to arrive before winter officially starts on December 21st. Icy roads, snowstorms, and powerful blasts of wind are conditions that drivers across the country may face when the colder months roll around. Sometimes these conditions are incredibly harsh which leads to the question, can a driver refuse to make a trip if they believe the conditions are too hazardous? This is a dilemma that has faced drivers for a long time. Not only will it mean that this trip will be delayed, but in the past drivers have had the real fear of losing their jobs by refusing to drive.

Dangerous Drives

Winter roads are brutal, especially in the Midwest and Northern parts of the United States. 17% of all auto accidents occur in the winter (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). This doesn’t seem like a huge percentage but considering that less people are out driving during the winter, this is a rather high rate. Ice, slush, and snow can cause very dangerous accidents especially at high speeds because friction between the tires and road surface is greatly reduced which results in braking becoming somewhat ineffective. Drivers know this better than anyone else, when winter comes around the roads become far less friendly. 

For a long time, winter weather and subsequent road conditions were unpredictable. However, in recent years meteorologists and weather forecasting technology have improved greatly, and are always learning more and getting better at what they do. This means that now weather forecasts are more accurate, giving drivers empirical evidence to support their reasoning for refusing to drive. 

The Voice of the Driver

Drivers are the force that power the transportation industry, but traditionally they have not had enough representation in front of their employers. This can be especially obvious in situations where there have been commercial vehicle accidents on hazardous roads. For these situations to be avoided, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) was passed. The Act prevents employers from firing or disciplining drivers based on a reasonable refusal to drive on hazardous road surfaces. 

Most companies understand that drivers rely on transporting goods for their careers and that they would not refuse to drive for any unreasonable rationale, so hopefully companies are understanding when a driver refuses to drive based on evidence from the news, radio, or even their own eyes. If a company does take action to fire a driver, the driver can stand up for themselves in court and if they have sufficient evidence to support their reasoning for not driving (freezing rain, snowstorms, black ice) they will likely win their case.

Final Thoughts

The STAA was put into place to protect the rights of the driver and ensure that they stay safe in dangerous conditions. As a driver, you reserve the right to decline to drive if you have sufficient reason to believe that it would be hazardous to you or others on the road. This is crucial to keep in mind as we begin our journey through winter and colder days. As you drive through the winter, stay safe, stay warm, and know your rights.