If you’ve noticed it’s harder to lock down a truck, or that your domestic shipping timelines have stretched—you’re not imagining it. The U.S. is facing a persistent and growing truck driver shortage that is affecting freight management across the board, from port pickups to final-mile delivery.
At Jade International, we work closely with importers, exporters, and domestic shippers every day. We see the impact of this shortage firsthand, and we want to help you understand what’s driving it—and more importantly, what you can do to protect your supply chain.
How Bad Is the Shortage?
The numbers tell a clear story. According to the American Trucking Associations, the U.S. faces a driver shortfall of over 80,000 in 2025—a gap that is projected to exceed 100,000 within the next few years if current trends continue. Trucks move approximately 71% of all freight in the United States by weight, making the industry absolutely critical to the flow of goods.
The financial toll is significant too. Industry estimates suggest the freight industry is losing roughly $95 million per week due to idle trucks and unmet capacity. For shippers, that translates into higher spot rates, tighter capacity, and longer lead times.
What’s Causing the Shortage?
Several overlapping factors are driving the crunch:
An aging workforce. The average age of a U.S. truck driver is now over 46—nearly five years older than workers in other industries. Retirements are accelerating faster than new drivers can be recruited and trained.
High turnover. Annual turnover rates for long-haul truckers can exceed 90% at large carriers. The demanding lifestyle—long hours, time away from home, and variable pay—pushes experienced drivers out of the industry and discourages new entrants.
Electronic Logging Device (ELD) regulations. Since the federal ELD mandate took effect in December 2017, drivers are capped at 11 hours of driving per day with strict enforcement. While designed to improve safety, ELDs have reduced overall productivity by an estimated 10–15%, tightening available capacity across the network.
Infrastructure and congestion. Aging highway infrastructure, port congestion, and limited truck parking compound daily inefficiencies. Drivers spending hours waiting at ports or stuck in traffic aren’t moving freight—and that time counts against their hours-of-service limits.
Chassis availability and dwell time. Chassis shortages at U.S. ports continue to create bottlenecks for intermodal freight. Increased street dwell of chassis tightens what’s already a constrained inventory and causes cascading delays.
Specialty cargo demand. Capacity for hazardous materials (hazmat) and refrigerated (reefer) shipments is especially tight. These loads require additional certifications and equipment, and qualified drivers for these categories are in particularly short supply.
Policy changes. Recent regulatory shifts—including new English language proficiency requirements and a pause on employment visas for foreign-born commercial drivers—are further reducing the available driver pool at a time when the industry can least afford it.
How This Affects Your Shipments
For importers and exporters, the practical impact shows up in a few key ways:
Tighter delivery windows. Confirmed delivery dates are harder to guarantee when driver availability is inconsistent.
Port drayage delays. Scheduling container pickups and drop-offs at U.S. ports has become increasingly unpredictable. Limited availability of drivers and chassis can mean your cargo sits longer than expected.
Higher freight costs. When capacity is tight, carriers have leverage. Spot rates for domestic shipping can spike 15–25% during periods of high demand or disruption.
What You Can Do
The good news is that working with an experienced freight forwarding partner makes a significant difference. Here’s how to stay ahead:
Book as early as possible. We strongly recommend scheduling domestic shipments—especially port pickups and deliveries—as far in advance as you can. Last-minute bookings are increasingly difficult to secure and significantly more expensive.
Build flexibility into your timelines. Add buffer time to your supply chain wherever possible. Assuming best-case transit times is a recipe for missed deadlines right now.
Consider intermodal options. For longer domestic lanes, rail intermodal can offer cost savings of 20–30% compared to over-the-road trucking, while reducing your exposure to driver shortage volatility.
Work with a freight management partner who has carrier relationships. When capacity is tight, carriers prioritize long-standing partners. Jade International’s relationships with a network of trusted carriers means we can secure capacity for our clients that isn’t always available on the spot market.
We’re Here to Help
Navigating today’s domestic freight environment requires more than just booking a truck—it requires planning, relationships, and real-time awareness of market conditions. Whether you need domestic freight solutions, help coordinating port pickups as part of an ocean import or air export shipment, or guidance on your overall freight forwarding strategy, Jade International is here to help.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as conditions in the market evolve. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team with any questions about your upcoming shipments.
