National truck driver shortage could impact businesses in the area

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - A truck driver shortage is impacting states all over the country and that could have an effect on the goods available here in the Black Hills.

In many ways, truckers are the lifeblood of the country’s supply chain and when we don’t have enough of them to meet the demand, it can create delays on the goods we see on store shelves.

The shortage itself can be traced back to the beginning of the pandemic when we saw a large number of older drivers deciding to leave the workforce. Since then, the industry has had trouble replacing drivers who left, and over time that has created a strain on the nation’s supply chain.

”Remember 18 months ago maybe 24 months ago when post-pandemic hit and we were going to grocery stores and everything was empty right that’s the impact of truckers. You take truckers off the road, you’re gonna have empty shelves and people aren’t gonna get their medical supplies,” said Jim Grundy an expert in the Trucking Industry.

Grundy says he doesn’t see this shortage ending any time soon if something isn’t done to incentivize drivers to enter the workforce.

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