A Facebook post from the owner of a Texas trucking company went viral last week after he warned that diesel prices could have long term consequences for the US supply chain.
Austin Smith said it has cost him over $20,000 a week to keep his trucks running.
Smith wrote in a post that if something drastic doesn't change in the next few weeks, you'll see empty shelves everywhere. People are fighting for the basics of everyday life.
Smith didn't reply to a request for comment before it was published.
The industry could be at a breaking point, according to five truck drivers. In recent months, the drivers have had to get creative as they try to turn a profit while spending thousands at the pump.
Richard Resek, a truck driver based out of ports in New York and New Jersey, told Insider that he's turning off his truck and rolling down his window instead of using air conditioning. The cheapest fuel prices are plotted out by him.
Diesel prices have gone up a lot. Insider reported last month that the diesel market is in a crisis. Resek is spending as much as $1,700 a day to refill his truck's fuel tank.
Nick, the owner of a small carrier in Maryland, told Insider that he has had to take loads at a loss.
Nick, who prefers to go by his first name due to a pending lawsuit, said that he has the option not to run his fleet at all, but that he cares more about keeping his drivers busy Sometimes I have to accept loads that aren't in my favor, because drivers are the most important asset.
Thieves stole over $1,000 worth of fuel from Nick's truck when he awoke in April.
A fuel surcharge is used by the trucking industry to offset diesel prices. Resek said that drivers don't see a breakdown of the costs from brokers or carriers, meaning that companies keep the fuel surcharge for themselves.
After a record number of trucking companies opened in 2021, it's likely that new business owners will leave the industry, according to the owner of Mid- Carolina Transportation.
Robinson said that new carriers don't know how to quote a rate. Their quotes are not realistic because they are focused on competing for a load. They will not be able to sustain that.
Two truck drivers are considering leaving the industry because of high fuel prices.
"We're all trying to stay afloat and at times I have to stop and ask myself if it's worth it," Resek said. We seem powerless to do anything about trucking because it's not what it used to be.
Chris Spear, CEO of the American Trucking Association, said earlier this year that the industry is facing a shortage of 81,000 drivers. According to Insider, experts say the notion of a trucker shortage is overstated.
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