Seaports increase operations ahead of holiday season as truck driver shortages continue

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - As supply chain disruptions cause delivery delays, President Biden announced one of America’s largest ports, the Port of Los Angeles, will be operating 24/7.

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis announced seaports are ready for the holiday season as many ports are already used to operating 24 hours. Since 2019, Florida has invested nearly $1 billion into its seaports to ensure there is capacity to serve as much cargo as possible.

Still, the President and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association, Alix Miller, is concerned for the upcoming month as a shortage of truck drivers threatens to disrupt holiday deliveries.

“Order early and plan ahead,” said Miller. “You have to remember that these drivers have been on the road nonstop, tirelessness during this pandemic while everyone was home ordering products, packages and emergency supplies to their homes so let’s continue to celebrate their work.”

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Miller said the pandemic has exacerbated truck driver shortages bringing an increase in orders combined with truck driver retiring early.

“Its called a chain for all these link connecting each other and there is a shortage of one items and there is a cascading effect because you don’t realize how much that one item impacts all of the other commodities we have,” Miller added.

She said 80 thousand truck drivers are needed today in order to keep up with demand, adding 1.1 million will be needed in the next 10 years.

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