The U.S. trucking industry faces a shortage of over 80,000 drivers in 2025, making it the most critical link in supply chains. This shortage drives up shipping costs, delays exports, and disrupts global trade. Partnering with a 4PL logistics service provider is the most effective solution to maintain flexibility and ensure timely deliveries.
Why the U.S. Truck Driver Shortage Matters in 2025
Truck driver shortage is global
The trucking sector is the backbone of the U.S. economy, moving 71% of all goods. With over 64,000 milesof highways, the U.S. relies heavily on trucks for agricultural products, retail goods, and industrial materials. Unlike Europe or Asia, America lacks high-speed rail alternatives, making road transport indispensable.
That’s a lot of ground to cover, and it has historically taken an impressive workforce to do so. In 2019, trucking accounted for nearly six percent of total jobs in the US, translating to a total of 7.4 million people.
When the trucking system stalls, there’s no easy fallback to air or sea. That’s why the current shortage has a global impact on supply chains.
So how did we get here and, most importantly, what are the ripple effects across the globe?
The truck driver shortage has been building for years but worsened after the pandemic. Key factors include:
Labor challenges: Long hours, time away from home, and aging workforce. Trucking is a job with long hours, extended stretches away from home, and technological inefficiencies. This has prevented the industry from growing at a more sustainable rate over time. Although pay rates have increased to attract new workers, the job’s difficult nature was compounded by the pandemic. COVID also prevented many would-be truckers from getting their necessary certifications due to closures in training centers.
COVID disruptions: Training centers closed, delaying new driver certifications.
Regulations: U.S. drivers can only operate 11 hours per day, limiting supply during peak demand. These same drivers are responsible for carrying 71% of the US economy’s goods. Pair this with peak demand during the holidays, and it becomes a conundrum not just for companies who need to ship their goods, but also for their consumers.
High turnover: Despite higher wages, working conditions deter many new entrants.
That’s why managers and owners of trucking fleets are doing everything they can to find new drivers — including seeking drivers in foreign countries. From Canada to South Africa, companies are seeking out employees anywhere possible, and they’re even willing to brave the difficult visa processes to make it work.
Insight for 2025: Even as the economy stabilizes post-pandemic, driver shortages remain critical due to booming e-commerce and same-day delivery demands.
Global Supply Chains Feel the Ripple Effect
The shortage of U.S. truck drivers has far-reaching global consequences. Why?
Agricultural exports stall: U.S. soybeans and other commodities struggle to reach ports. Soybeans are the US’s biggest export to Asia. They’re most often grown in middle America and then trucked in to major ports before entering a container ship bound for numerous hotspots across Asia. Iowa and places like Guangzhou are a long way apart. Inevitably, it takes a lot of moving parts to make trade between such disparate regions happen.
Port congestion worsens: Empty containers pile up at major ports like Los Angeles. Now, both a shortage of truck drivers to move cargo and a backlog of containers needing to be unloaded are multiplying the issues at hand for the global supply chain. As detailed in an article by Wayfindr’s Nick Bartlett, COVID’s impact on the demand for ocean freight caused ship owners to reconfigure pricing and fleet size. This, in turn, put mass pressure on ports due to shifts in demand that threw off the balance of containers coming to and from North America.
Double impact: Lack of drivers delays both product transport and container repositioning inland.
Combined with COVID-driven changes in ocean freight pricing and fleet sizes, these disruptions amplify global supply chain instability.
Key takeaway: Without a reliable trucking workforce, even advanced logistics networks break down. Businesses now need a holistic strategy and partners like a 4PL logistics service provider to maintain resilience.
Partner with a logistics company that has comprehensive ground coverage
Global shipping is often unpredictable, especially today. With so much uncertainty in the market, it’s key that you have options for your logistics in case your provider gets held back. That’s why a growing number of businesses are switching to fourth-party logistics (4PL) firms.
Wayfindr (formerly CBIP Logistics) is a full-service 4PL firm dedicated to crafting adaptable programs custom-made for your business. With a foothold in all major markets and on-the-ground partners ready to help, you can take on challenges with confidence — especially in times of uncertainty.
Our full-service logistics also gives you updates at every step of the process, so you can be sure where your cargo is as well as be able to schedule and digitally confirm pickups or drop-offs.
Nick co-founded Wayfindr to help brands design and build market-leading carbon-neutral D2C logistics. As Director, he brings 15+ years of experience across logistics, marketing, supply chain and retail from Asia Pacific to the world.
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