A 2019 report from the American Trucking Association indicates the industry could be short more than 160,000 drivers by 2028.
And, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, about 70 percent of all U.S. agricultural goods are transported by truck.
This means drivers are an important cog in the ag supply chain.
“The entire agriculture supply chain relies on timely and reliable delivery every step of the way from production to consumption,” Rep. Mann said in a statement. “If our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers can’t access the machinery they need to operate their farms or transport their products to storage, it would be impossible for them to fulfill their calling or deliver products to consumers.”
Dozens of farm organizations support this bill.
These include the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), U.S. Canola Association, American Feed Industry Association, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
“If we are unable to transport and deliver affordably and dependably, our international customers will buy from those other countries, and US farmers, ranchers, processors will lose those sales,” Peter Friedmann, executive director of the AgTC, said in a statement. “The international agriculture supply chain begins at the farms here in the United States.
“The need to enhance transport efficiency at the very beginning of the supply chain, namely the harvest at the field, has never been greater. The Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act, will advance this essential component of the domestic and international export supply chain, to keep our agriculture competitive in the global and domestic marketplace. The AgTC strongly supports this bill."