Gas Shortage: Summer 2021

Gas Shortage: Summer 2021

Gr Trucking | Concrete Recycling | Material Trucking | Sacramento

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So far this year has been better than the last. We have seen vaccines role out quicker, the economy has opened up, and families and friends are finally able to visit safely once again. However, one thing that we are not going to enjoy is the fact that gas is going to be a scarce resource across the country this summer. Why? Because there are not enough tanker truck drivers to deliver the gas to stations that are in short supply. 

As a trucking company, we saw this coming. There has been a shortage in truck drivers for years. Now we are finally seeing the consequences of that shortage. According to the National Tank Truck Carriers, somewhere between 20% to 25% of tank trucks in the fleet are parked heading into this summer due to paucity of qualified drivers. 

This shortage is due to the pandemic where drivers got laid off, an aging work force with no replacements once they retired, and the simple fact that the job is not all that attractive. In normal times, a driver turnover can run around 50% on an annual basis, but that spiked to a roughly 70% annual rate in April of last year, according to Brad Fulton, director of research and analytics at Stay Metrics, a trucking recruiting and retention firm. 

With people ready to travel and get out coupled with a shortage in truckers to deliver gas to fuel stations is something that none of us are going to enjoy. According to CNN the national average price of regular gas currently stands at an average of $2.89/gallon. Experts are predicting that the national average will flirt with $3.00/gallon when summer arrives. 

Long story short…get ready as prices are changing quickly. Budget, find a more efficient way to get around, and do your best to stay away from those high gas prices because it is happening!

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