People planning vacations around the US this summer could be in for a nasty surprise. According to industry experts, gas shortages, especially in vacation hotspots, are looming because of a lack of tanker truck drivers to deliver fuel.
According to the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) – an industry group that advocates on behalf of tank truck companies and has over 200 companies on its books – nearly a quarter of the tanks on its fleet are sitting unused at the moment and waiting for drivers. CNN was first to report the news.
Experts from the NTTC told CNN that the pandemic is primarily to blame for this. As travel came to a standstill and demand for gas dwindled, drivers were left with no work. Many took this "as a cue to retire" rather than retraining to start delivering Amazon packages, for example, Holly McCormick – who heads up the workforce committee for NTTC – told CNN.
McCormick also said that the pandemic kept truck driving schools closed, halting the recruitment of younger drivers.
The lack of drivers is creating concern among experts about whether we could see higher prices and even a run on gas during the busy vacation season. Domestic travel in America is expected to boom this summer. According to recent data from Tripadvisor, 74% of Americans plan to vacation there.
"Imagine the hoarding with toilet paper and topping off of gas tanks that we see after hurricanes and you can see what might happen," Tom Kloza, head of energy analysis of the Oil Price Information Service, told CNN.
According to Kloza, certain parts of Florida, Arizona, and Northwest Missouri already saw gas outages during Spring Break.
