Last Updated: April 26, 2012

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Roemer Report – January 2012

DRIVER SHORTAGE? A recent story of National Public Radio mentioned that there are “thousands of unfilled trucking jobs.” Hard to believe that in the midst of record unemployment that this could be the case, but if you think about it, it should come as no surprise. First, older truckers are retiring and not as many young drivers are stepping in to fill their positions—there are a number of reasons for this, but the bottom line are that it is getting harder to make a decent living as a driver. What does this mean? It may lead to larger private fleets as common carriers continue to suffer and it may lead existing carriers to consider job quality issues intended to keep better drivers. If the shortage results in higher pay for drivers down the road, that could impact inflation as costs are passed down the chain. How acute the driver shortage is remains to be seen.

A REPORT on the top ten issues identified by trucking industry executives shows that the economy and proposed HOS regulations are the top two concerns. Driver shortages are number three in the survey. The economy continually dogs the industry as it has been the top concern since 2009. With the economy as the number one worry, strategies for a fix among company executives include economic policies that increase consumer confidence and hiring. This of course is easier said than done. Despite the economic uncertainties the nation faces, executives are still optimistic that there will be slightly positive economic growth over the next few quarters.

THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION missed its October 28 deadline for submitting the latest HOS revisions, while this may be a good thing it is at best a short term situation as the deadline has been extended until November 28. The only hope for a change or further delay for the new HOS rules will be if the White House feels that the new regulation, which pushes HOS from 11 to 10 hours, will stall any chance for an economic recovery—yet there is no reason to believe this will happen. Stay tuned.

REGARDLESS OF THE GLOOMINESS that may be settling in as one reads the industry news, Class 8 truck orders in North America have jumped over 17% in the last month according to Freight Transport Research Associates. This represents an increase of 46% over the same time last year, a strong indicator that fleets are rebuilding in anticipation of an uptick in traffic.

STILL NO BRIDGE. For those of you who work the Detroit area, or anyone who uses the Ambassador Bridge, which is the only structure linking Detroit to Windsor AND is the only structure linking the United States to Canada in the heart of industrial America—the long debated vote for construction of a new publicly owned bridge has once again been shot down despite strong support from Washington and Ottawa. It is hard to fathom that the Ambassador Bridge is privately owned AND that its owner, Matty Moroun, continually gets the ear of local politicians to prevent construction of a new structure.

DIESEL BACK ON THE RISE. A quick check of diesel prices shows a continual increase in price up to over $3.82 a gallon (national average) at the time of this writing. This represents a three-month high in fuel pricing.

THE BIG ETHEL BURGER. Okay, so we try to preach the importance of healthy foods, especially for truckers, but if you’re ever in Morris, Illinois stop in at the Morris Travel Center for an Ethel Burger. Four pounds of carnivorlicious beef, serve up however you’d like it. They do have a walking trail—you’ll have to walk for a few days to work this bad boy off however.

Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back. - Babe Ruth