We have all seen the updates around supply chain issues and the various reasons that are compiling into making that issue. For those in the trucking industry, the number of available CDL drivers and the industry turnover rate has become a national headline. While all of those are very real issues, there could be additional ones that come up in 2022 based on early reports from semi-truck dealerships.

There are dealerships that are already reporting that they are completely sold out for the entirety of 2022 and won’t have any new trucks available until 2023! One news report coming from the Wichita Kenworth dealership has reported being completely sold out of any new trucks which can spell more issues for an already strained supply chain.

What will be the ripple effects that occur if nobody is able to purchase new trucks? We might be seeing one as people are reporting that the price of used semi-trucks have dramatically increased for the past year and even more so this past quarter. As trucking companies aim to try and retain drivers and hire new ones, the quality of the trucks they are driving can become a big factor in their employment decision.

In that same news report, the new truck industry being sold out of their new supply might be going all the way down to farmers that are looking to haul grain. They often rely on the used truck market but because the shortage of new trucks has driven the cost up of the used, they are struggling to find solutions.

Obviously, this will be a developing story throughout the year. Companies with newer fleets will be utilizing those in their driver hire/retention strategies which could make Waller Truck a desirable company to work for in 2022. They have trucks comprised of 2018-2022 T680s that many drivers will find appealing.