Ruan’s Senior Vice President of Operations Bob Elkins recently discussed the state of the metals industry with Metal Center News magazine. Elkins and other industry leaders cover the driver shortage and current state of the metals industry.
“In the U.S. trucking world, worker shortages are growing at alarming rates. The shortfall of professional truck drivers is approximately more than 60,000, and the American Trucking Associations estimates that by 2028, the industry could be down as many as 160,000 drivers,” Elkins said.
Further complicating the situation is the increased demand for steel products as the industry works overtime to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have specifically seen the high volumes in the metals sector with our customers as they address the pent-up demand coming out of the pandemic, coupled with higher metals pricing, especially as the auto manufacturers are ramping back up,” Elkins said. “That sector is addressing the need to replenish dealership inventories as well as fill the increased consumer order volume. The increased demand is positive, but with the capacity shortage as a backdrop, it has put pressure on the end-to-end supply chain.”
Learn more about these issues and more including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, price forecasting, nuclear verdicts, and more in the full article.