Is There a Trucker Shortage?

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After obtaining raw materials and shipping them worldwide, we send our products to a fulfillment center. However, the process of getting goods to people involves trucking and delivery steps, which often go unnoticed. Truckers and delivery personnel lead difficult lives, with long working hours and little representation in Congress. The trucking industry faces a retention crisis rather than a shortage of interested drivers. Truckers spend most of their time on the road, away from their families, working for 14 hours a day due to federal regulations. They get paid by the mile and often face challenges like not being compensated for waiting times at warehouses or finding a place to sleep at night. This leads to illegally parked trucks on highway ramps.

As the holidays approach, we are being reminded of the fragility of the global supply chain. But at the same time, the supply chain itself is a truly impressive and fascinating structure, made as it is from multiple components that must work together in synchrony. From building an item in a factory and shipping it worldwide to transporting it locally, processing it in a distribution center, and finally delivering it to an address, the system is simultaneously awe-inspiring and deeply dehumanizing. I talk with Christopher Mims about how things are made, how they get to us, and what it all means for the present and future of our work and our lives.

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Christopher Mims received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University. He is currently a technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal. He has previously written for publications such as Wired, Scientific American, The Atlantic, and Smithsonian. His new book is Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door — Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy.

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