Washington, DC — Following the Labor Department’s monthly report on the state of the consumer price index, Accountable.US released a new analysis revealing how the trucking industry is blaming a self-inflicted driver shortage for supply chain woes while simultaneously profiteering off the inflation crisis and lobbying against pro-worker legislation.

While trucking companies play the blame game, the report highlights that drivers’ pay has been more than halved from an adjusted median of $110,000 in 1980 to just $47,130 in 2020. In addition, drivers have reported that the shortage is also due to appalling working conditions, including 70-hour workweeks with no overtime pay, homelessness, and reliance on food stamps, all while taking on massive debt.

Big trucking companies’ historically high freight costs are being passed onto consumers in a big way, but the excuses the industry makes for it don’t hold water. Long before the pandemic and current supply chain challenges, the trucking industry made conscious decisions to gut wages, cut corners on safety, and do nothing as thousands of workers inevitably had enough. Somehow with a straight face, the industry now blames its rate hikes on labor shortages even as they lobby to keep their remaining workers from collectively bargaining for better pay, benefits and treatment. The big trucking companies boasting of massive recent profits and rewarding their shareholders millions have even less cause for driving up costs on everyday families. Like so many other industries during the health crisis, big trucking companies are rigging the game in their favor – choosing to profiteer rather than keep consumer costs low and treat their workers fairly.” 

Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT:

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