A worsening shortage of truck drivers is raising concerns among local farmers that, unless a solution emerges soon, there might not be enough hauling capacity to bring this year's harvest to market.
The California Trucking Association says initial indications suggest the shortfall could be as high as 30 percent because of a confluence of factors including an aging workforce and some drivers possibly choosing to collect unemployment benefits rather than return to work during the pandemic.
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 5C:G6C D9@CE286 92D 27764E65 >2?J :?5FDEC:6D 7@C J62CD ?@H[ 72C>6CD 2=C625J HC6DE=:?8 H:E9 4@?86DE:@? 2E $@FE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 A@CED D2J E96 D:EF2E:@? E9C62E6?D E@ 5C:G6 FA 7@@5 AC:46D 2D AC@5F46 D:ED :? E96 7:6=5 7@C E@@ =@?8]k^Am
kAmQu@C FD :EVD 2 7@@5 :DDF6[Q D2:5 y@9? {2CC62[ 5:C64E@C @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2772:CD 7@C E96 r2=:7@C?:2 {628F6 @7 u@@5 !C@5F46CD[ H9:49 C6AC6D6?ED 8C@H6CD :? z6C? 2?5 6=D6H96C6] Q}@3@5J H2?ED H:=E65 =6EEF46]Qk^Am
k9bm(txvw% #&{t$k^9bm
kAmp AC:>2CJ 9@A6 ?@H :D E92E E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 42? 36 A6CDF2565 E@ E6>A@C2C:=J C6=2I ECF4<\H6:89E C68F=2E:@?D 2D E96 AC6G:@FD 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 5:5] %92E `a_\52J 6>6C86?4J >62DFC6[ 367@C6 6IA:C:?8 :? yF=J[ A6C>:EE65 EC24E@C\ECF4<D E@ 6I4665 E96:C g_[___\A@F?5 H6:89E =:>:E 3J `_ A6C46?E[ 6DD6?E:2==J C65F4:?8 E96 ?665 7@C 255:E:@?2= 5C:G6CD]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E AC6D6?ED ?6H AC@3=6>D[ :?4=F5:?8 D276EJ H@CC:6D[ 2?5 :E 5@6D ?@E9:?8 E@ 255C6DD E96 =@?8\E6C> 492==6?86 @7 7:?5:?8 >@C6 A6@A=6 E@ 5C:G6 ECF4<D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6?VE C67:==:?8 E96 C2?<D @7 E96 ECF4<6CD 2?J>@C6[Q D2:5 z6G:? p?5C6H[ D6?:@C G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 q2<6CD7:6=5\32D65 72C>:?8 4@>A2?J x==F>6] Q(:E9 ?6H 5C:G:?8\E:>6 C6DEC:4E:@?D 2?5 =6DD 56D:C6 E@ 36 8@?6 7C@> 9@>6 D@ >F49[ :EVD =6DD 2EEC24E:G6]Qk^Am
kAm!6@A=6 :? E96 =@42= ECF4<:?8 :?5FDECJ A@:?E E@ 2 G2C:6EJ @7 9FC5=6D 9@=5:?8 E96> 324<] |2?J D2J E96J 92G6 5C:G6C A@D:E:@?D E92E 92G6 8@?6 F?7:==65 7@C >@?E9D[ 2?5 E92E C6=2E:G6=J 86?6C@FD ;@3=6DD 36?67:ED 92G6 ?@E 96=A65]k^Am
k9bm$%p*x}v w~|tk^9bm
kAmy2J |2??[ @H?6C @7 |2?? %C2?DA@CE x?4] :? q2<6CD7:6=5[ D2:5 h_ A6C46?E @7 9:D 3FD:?6DD :D r2=:7@C?:2 @FE3@F?5 AC@5F46] (:E9 23@FE `d 5C:G6CD[ E96 4@>A2?J 4@F=5 FD6 2?@E96C `_ :>>65:2E6=J 3FE H@C<6CD H9@ =67E 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4 ?6G6C 42>6 324< 2?5 ;@3 2AA=:42E:@?D 4@>6 :? 72C E@@ D=@H=J]k^Am
kAmQ(6 766= =:<6 A6@A=6 2C6 DE2J:?8 9@>6 3642FD6 E96JVC6 36:?8 A2:5 E@ DE2J 9@>6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|2?? H2D D<6AE:42= @7 2? :?5FDECJ AC@A@D2= E@ :?4C62D6 E96 >2I:>F> ECF4< H6:89E 3J `_ A6C46?E 3642FD6[ 96 D2:5[ :E 3FC?D 7F6= 2?5 H62CD @FE E:C6D 72DE6C E92? ?@C>2=[ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? E96 D276EJ :>A=:42E:@?D]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96D6 962GJ G69:4=6D[ :EVD ?@E 62DJ E@ DE@A E96>[Q 96 D2:5] Qp55 >@C6 H6:89E @? E96>[ :EVD 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 :E 5:77:4F=E]Q w6 DF886DE65 2==@H:?8 ECF4<D E@ 42CCJ ;FDE 2 76H 9F?5C65 6IEC2 A@F?5D E@ 2G@:5 E:>6\H2DE:?8 EC:AD 324< E@ E96 A24<:?8 9@FD6 H96? 2 =@25 :D 7@F?5 E@ 36 ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 E@@ 962GJ]k^Am
k9bm%#&rzt#$ (t{r~|tk^9bm
kAmu@C D@>6 D9:AA6CD[ 2E =62DE A2CE @7 E96 D@=FE:@? >2J =:6 :? >2<:?8 E96:C @A6C2E:@?D 2D 677:4:6?E 2?5 2EEC24E:G6 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm%96 (@?56C7F= r@][ @?6 @7 E96 C68:@?VD =625:?8 8C@H6CD[ D2:5 :E G:6HD 5C:G6CD 2D 6DD6?E:2= 3FD:?6DD A2CE?6CD] xE DEC:G6D E@ @776C 2 4@?G6?:6?E[ 4@>7@CE23=6 6IA6C:6?46 7@C ECF4<6CD :? H9:49 E:>6=J =@25:?8 @7 ECF4<D :D 2 AC:@C:EJ]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 2==@HD 5C:G6CD E@ E2<6 @? 255:E:@?2= DE@AD 2?5 >2I:>:K6 E96:C 62C?:?8D[Q E96 {@D p?86=6D\32D65 8C@H6C @7 2=>@?5D[ A:DE249:@D[ A@>68C2?2E6D 2?5 4:ECFD D2:5 3J 6>2:= uC:52J]k^Am
kAm%96 ECF4<:?8 2DD@4:2E:@?VD D6?:@C G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2772:CD[ tC:4 $2F6C[ C6A@CE65 E92E C646?E 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:E9 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= @77:4:2=D 92G6 366? AC@5F4E:G6 2?5 E92E E96C6 >2J 36 2 492?46 3@E9 =6G6=D @7 8@G6C?>6?E H:== AFE :? A=246 2 ?6H H6:89E\=:>:E 6I6>AE:@?] qFE :7 @?=J DE2E6 @77:4:2=D 28C66[ :E >2J 36 E92E =@25D E@AA:?8 g_[___ A@F?5D H:== 92G6 E@ DE:4< E@ r2=:7@C?:2 C@25D 2?5 2G@:5 :?E6CDE2E6 9:89H2JD[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9bm#t%x#t|t}%$ pwtpsk^9bm
kAmpE E96 D2>6 E:>6[ E96C6 2C6 @E96C @3DE24=6D E@ @G6C4@>6[ 96 D2:5] %96 2G6C286 286 @7 2 ECF4< 5C:G6C :D >:5\d_D[ DF886DE:?8 E96 3F=< @7 E96 H@C<7@C46 H:== C6E:C6 H:E9:? 2 4@FA=6 @7 564256D] qFE 2=D@[ 5C:G6C\E6DE:?8 724:=:E:6D 7246 2 324<=@8 E92E 56G6=@A65 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4[ 2?5 E92E ?665D E@ 36 C6D@=G65 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 724E@C E96 r%p A@:?E65 @FE :D 4@>A6E:E:@? H:E9 6\4@>>6C46i |@C6 5C:G6CD 92G6 366? 9:C65 =2E6=J E@ >2<6 =@42= 56=:G6C:6D :? 2 G2?[ H9:49 86?6C2==J 86ED 6>A=@J66D 9@>6 :? E:>6 7@C 5:??6C]k^Am
kAm$2F6C D2:5 E96 :?5FDECJ D66D E96 D9@CE286 2D 2 =@?8\E6C> :DDF6 E92E H@?VE 36 62DJ E@ D@=G6]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2 8@@5\A2J:?8 ;@3[Q 96 D2:5 @7 5C:G:?8 2 ECF4<] QxEVD @?6 @7 E96 9:896DE\A2:5 3=F6 4@==2C ;@3D @FE E96C6]Qk^Am
kAmy65 z6C?[ 4@\@H?6C @7 z6C? qC@E96CD %CF4<:?8 x?4] :? q2<6CD7:6=5[ D66D E96 AC@3=6> 2 =:EE=6 5:776C6?E=J] pA2CE 7C@> 2 =24< @7 5C:G6CD[ 96 D66D AC@3=6>D E92E 92G6 >@C6 E@ 5@ H:E9 8@G6C?>6?E :?E6CG6?E:@?[ DF49 2D 2:C\BF2=:EJ =2HD E2<:?8 @=56C ECF4<D @77 E96 C@25D 2?5 4@?7FD:@? 23@FE 5CF8\E6DE:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 92G6?VE >256 :E 62DJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am