Where Are You Finding Drivers This Year?

Sound the alarm. Break the glass. Use whatever cliché you want.

You’re about to face a “people problem” in just a few months.

Two stories hit my desk this week that fuel this thesis.

First, California Farm Bureau’s Ag Alert said Southern California is seeing a 30% drop in drivers than last year’s harvests. Farms are struggling to move onions and carrots.

Now, this is a trend that was building long before COVID. Insurance standards, the costs of operating a truck, interest in the work, and other factors have built over the last decade.

But now toss on the added gasoline known as extended pandemic payments and a large amount of federal unemployment. Across the country, we’re witnessing the onset of supply chain shocks in everything from ketchup to lumber.

Some pundits want to blame high prices, the reopening of the economy, and even the weather.

The real problem is around people. And it’s not just agriculture and freight.

Story Two: CNN reports that factories across the country are desperate for employees. U.S. manufacturing activity hit a 37-year high in March.

But there are more than 500,000 job openings in the sector, and these positions all pay quite well. There’s significant demand for welders and machinists. Some of these professions can net six figures. Even the low-skilled entry jobs are paying well above minimum wage.

Yet, manufacturing expects this glut to accelerate. Through 2030, roughly 2.1 million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled.

If major companies are struggling to find workers, are you certain that you’re going to be able to find drivers to move grain later this year?

I’m already hearing about the challenges. I’m receiving phone calls from people left and right because they’re starting to get nervous.

At FOB, we are working to connect drivers to employers heading into this harvest.

We believe that not only can we address this driver shortage, but we can also provide opportunities for drivers and farm professionals to grow and expand their potential.

This worker shortage is nothing that public policy or actions by a central bank can fix.

In fact, one can argue that both have only accelerated these challenges.

However, we can’t spend any time harping about this. We are employing technology for agricultural professionals to help them get out in front of this human capital challenge before it creates hazards across the supply chain.

If you’re ready to learn how FOB can help you locate drivers, book loads, and set you up for success in the months ahead, we want to talk to you.

And if you’re a driver who is looking at an unprecedented opportunity in 2021, let us show you how we can bring work to you.