By David Shepardson
New Delhi: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is looking for ways to fix supply chain disruptions – from congested ports to addressing the shortage of truck drivers
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on supply chain issues in February.
In June, the White House unveiled a Supply Chain Disruption Task Force, led by Buttigieg and Ministers of Commerce and Agriculture, “to provide a nationwide response to address short-term supply chain challenges … (and) diagnose problems.” and interface solutions – large and small, public or private – that could help alleviate bottlenecks and delivery bottlenecks. “
On Thursday, Buttigieg hosted a virtual round table on congestion in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, attended by Federal Maritime Commission Chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and other senior US officials to discuss opportunities Consider reducing congestion in ports.
“For our economy to fully recover, our vital supply chains must now function smoothly and without avoidable traffic jams,” said Buttigieg.
Approximately 40% of all container freight that flows through the United States comes or goes through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The California State Transportation Agency said Thursday it would hold a forum in September to consider options to improve freight transportation.
Last week, Buttigieg and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh held a separate meeting with the trucking industry and labor groups to discuss driver recruitment and retention.
The department said turnover rates for large long-haul carriers are over 90%. This driver fluctuation, coupled with the impact of COVID-19, has resulted in supply chain disruptions.
American Trucking Associations (ATA) predicts that the industry will need to hire about 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade, or nearly 110,000 a year on average, to keep pace with retirements and growing transportation needs.
ATA’s Bill Sullivan said the group is working with the federal government to “make our supply chain more resilient and grow our workforce.”
