Anyone affected by the transportation industry has been following with interest the current moves that the United States Congress has been making. It is no secret that important funding is on the line and that lack of funding generally has impacted the transportation and trucking industry, in particular. The effects of current events, if they don’t play out in transportation’s favor, could seriously alter the transportation and shipping choices many business owners make.
Recently, Congress was warned before the House Ways and Means Committee that if a sustainable funding source for the Highway Trust Fund was not secured soon, there would be serious long term effects that stretched far beyond temporary insolvency. It is no stretch to say that transportation issues could be affected for even decades to come. Of note from this recent testimony was the astounding figure that Interstate congestion alone costs the trucking industry a whopping $9.2 billion in a year. Put another way, in an industry that is already 200,000 drivers short, it is the equivalent of idling 51,000 drivers for an entire working year.
Many solutions have been proposed, such as royalties from oil and gas leases, a barrel tax on imported petroleum and domestic crude oil production, or even a new highway access fee, and, of course, accessing the fuel taxes in a different way. Whatever Congress decides to do, they need to decide soon. The results of insolvency will have an immediate impact on one’s everyday life when it comes to shipping. How?
If making a serious move down the coast, for example, is going to be far too expensive, home owners who need to move house might find shipping by sea actually cheaper and more effective. Certainly businesses that have to ship heavy equipment via trucking or other methods might choose, when possible, to use a different route. Work closely with a logistics coordinator if you are planning to move serious cargo in the next few months. We can help you figure out the best way to get there for your budget and your deadline, despite what Congress might do.
