Isolated Gas Shortages In U.S. Thanks to Truck Driver Shortages
The U.S. has plenty of gas to go around to meet demand, but a lack of tanker-truck drivers right now is fueling a shortage of supply with some stations.
In areas around Florida and Arkansas, isolated fuel shortages have been reported.
With travel starting to pick up now with warmer weather and things opening, there are some who are expecting the gas shortage to possibly get worse this summer.
Those areas that might get it the worst are popular tourist destinations like those near beaches or mountain resorts, and other heavy tourist regions in the U.S.
However, not to worry because they suspect the shortages won't last long and that we won't see lines grow like you might have seen several years ago when gas shortages reached the nation.
Logistics issue not a supply issue
They warn that the issue is one of logistics and not of supply. It's just a matter of trying to get the gas where it needs to be.
There has been a reported truck driver shortage for some time now and companies have been aggressively seeking to hire, offering very lucrative incentives to those who might be interested. Many drivers also retired early during COVID that weren't supposed to retire yet for several years and that added to the need for more drivers in this industry now as well.
Numerous truck driving schools also shut down during the pandemic as well, this meant it would take longer for people to become qualified to do the job.
Between 20-50% of tank trucks right now are parked because they cannot find qualified drivers.
That is according to the National Tank Truck Carriers, a significant portion of the fleet heading into summer is going to be off the road because they cannot get drivers.
This means that you can also expect to see some rising gas prices too. And some are already seeing it at the pump.
A fuel pipeline also recently halted their operations in the U.S. after an attack and if they experience a prolonged shutdown that could also negatively impact prices and supply.
"With that spike in demand, our capacity hasn't necessarily caught up in terms of fuel truck drivers, and so that's where the worry is around this potential shortage that some people think may occur this summer," T Kraft, a supply chain expert at NC State University
If prices go up that is going to impact millions and mean that people will have less extra money to go toward other things, because their transportation costs will be going up.
Delivery drivers will also see a decline in their income with the more they have to spend on gas too.
There is a significant driver shortage right now and until this is addressed there will be a problem with distribution and meeting demand around the country.
Facing a delay in deliveries
That delay in deliveries is what is contributing to the shortage for some stations, but experts insist that there is no need to panic because there is a lot of supply to go around. Gas shortages in the U.S. they say might become "scattered' in the coming months but that you should still be able to find some and fill up.
Sources: https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/drivers-hit-the-road-amid-talk-of-gas-shortages/article_7dfc8726-ad06-11eb-9f0d-fb43da6e6bc6.html https://www.azfamily.com/news/ap_cnn/coming-this-summer-gas-stations-running-out-of-gas/article_72639b4a-af98-11eb-b8b3-3326ae8994cf.html?block_id=997199 https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/05/08/gasoline-pipeline-shutdown-colonial-pipeline-alpharetta-georgia-cyberattack/5003760001/ https://abc11.com/gas-prices-shortage-fuel-trucks-tanker-truck-drivers/10590067/ https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/05/05/gas-trucker-shortages-covid/
