Dearth of Drivers May Increase Car Transport Prices
There’s a real problem with a lack of truck drivers in the United States, apparently.
Right now, about 70% of all goods shipped across the U.S. are shipped via overland trucks. Part of that number includes vehicles shipped on auto transport trucks. And right now, in 2016, there’s a driver deficit of about 48,000 drivers – that means that there are 48,000 trucking jobs that are currently unfulfilled. That’s including within the auto transport industry. And that number is expected to grow to 175,000 by 2024.
That’s a huge increase.
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But how does this increase car transport prices?
Well, if there are fewer drivers who can actually transport vehicles, it means fewer auto shipping trucks on the road. And if there are fewer car shippers on the road, there’s less of them to meet demand. This means that demand far outstrips supply, and thus prices go up.
This is problematic, of course, and something that many companies want to avoid. But how are they going to avoid this dearth of drivers and keep car transport prices low for their customers?
That’s the question right now, isn’t it?
Enter self-driving trucks
Really, the answer lies in self-driving car transportation trucks. Right now, a lack of drivers is putting pressure on the industry to recruit or change the way things work. Amazon is already looking at this, as are major automobile companies such as Ford and BMW. Tesla, too, is looking at self-driving cars as the way of the future. And it seems to be the way we’re headed; Google already has self-driving cars out there and they’re reportedly able to tell speed limits now. That’s progress right there.
The first self-driving truck was something we talked about a bit ago, and while the technology is still in its infancy it’s growing by leaps and bounds. Chances are self-driving trucks are going to revolutionize the industry. It will lead to faster transit times and likely lower car transport prices for you. But there’s still a ways to go.
And really that’s the crux of the issue. Are self-driving trucks going to be available by 2020? Or 2024? If the driver crunch continues, how will car transport prices be affected? We have only guesses right now, sadly. Car transport prices will likely increase if there are more and more trucks without drivers. Self-driving trucks may also increase prices to start as the technology is still in its infancy. But things will change – just make sure to stick with American Auto Shipping to keep up to date.
Get free car transport prices from top companies via American Auto Shipping
If you’re interested in shipping a car, let us here at American Auto Shipping help you. If you fill out and submit our free quote form you’ll get quotes emailed to you from top-rated car transporters. We make sure they’re among the best by clearing them ahead of time. We make sure they’re dependable, reliable, and work only with top auto transport carriers on the road. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact us any time, toll-free, at 800-930-7417.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
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