Have you passed a 53 foot trailer on the roads of late? If you have, this is just part of the proof that the trucking industry is making a comeback. With many forces at play, different states are seeing more activity in the trucking industry, and the following are two good reasons why.

Online Shopping Growth

Although there was a costly slump in 2020 thanks to the pandemic, retail sales are growing a lot faster than could have been predicted. This growth in consumer spending has been pushed considerably by the purchase of durable, big-ticket items like refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, and others, which are often transported by truck. The pandemic may have had a role to play in this because as people were forced to make purchases online, most of them have come to appreciate the convenience and overall great service of having goods delivered to them.

Increased Rates For Truck Drivers

Now, the driver of a 53 foot trailer, for instance, earns more than they did in the past thanks to wage growth. This is the result of a long and rather silent campaign that started even before the pandemic hit. In an evolving industry, trucking has seen drivers calling for shorter working hours, shorter distances, and higher pay, and all of this was compounded by the pandemic which saw many borders shut and minimal trucks stay running. With attractive new terms, the shortage of truck drivers may be alleviated soon enough, making the industry even bigger than it was before. There is also the fact that borders are getting opened up, with the light at the end of the tunnel being the availability of a vaccine.

Despite there being nearly 3.5 million truck drivers in America, the collection of events has seen freight transportation shaken around quite a bit. The delicate balance of fewer truck drivers and increased demand in freight delivery thanks to an eCommerce boom may see resolution when favorable laws, working conditions, and wages are fully implemented. While many people may not have noticed it because of having been indoors in the first place, there was a considerable slow-down in truck activity on the highways. Interestingly, the same reason that this happened will be the one to bring the industry back in full force, so brace yourself to see more than one 53 foot trailer on the road again.