By Rachel Damelio
photocredit: gettyimages
People are expecting to hit the road for a much-needed post pandemic vacation this summer, but you might come across a little issue. finding gas!
Tanker truck drivers needed to deliver gas to stations are in short supply. According to the National Tank Truck Carriers, the industry s trade group, somewhere between 20% to 25% of tank trucks in the fleet are being parked heading into this summer due to a paucity of qualified drivers. In order to drive a tanker truck, it requires special certification which includes a commercial driver s license and weeks of training after being hired.
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Updated 9:08 PM;
As summer travel starts to pick up after a year inside, CNN Business reports that gasoline may become scarce, and not for the reason you may think.
The industry’s trade group, National Tank Truck Carriers, told CNN Business that 20 to 25 percent of tankers won’t be on the roads this summer because of a lack of qualified drivers.
The group’s executive vice president Ryan Streblow told the outlet that there was already an ongoing driver shortage, but the pandemic made it significantly worse.
NEW YORK (CNN) Millions of people stuck at home for more than a year are expected to hit the road for much-needed post-pandemic vacations this summer. Good luck finding gas.
Not that there s a looming shortage of crude oil or gasoline. Rather, it s the tanker truck drivers needed to deliver the gas to stations who are in short supply.
According to the National Tank Truck Carriers, the industry s trade group, somewhere between 20% to 25% of tank trucks in the fleet are parked heading into this summer due to a paucity of qualified drivers. At this point in 2019, only 10% of trucks were sitting idle for that reason.
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Not only are their predictions that there could be shortages at the pumps this summer, but in several areas of the consumer industry. Across the country and here in Mississippi there is a great need for certified truckers.
Many area carriers have open positions. Some like KLLM in Richland say they’ve increased wages and that’s still not helping draw in applicants.
They’ve seen a fifty percent decrease in people applying for jobs and attendance at their driving school.