Article Assignment #1 In his article “Escalating Transportation Rates Could Trouble Farmers, Increase Consumer Food Prices,” Logan Hawkes discusses the current rise in shipping costs for agricultural goods, as well as the financial “burden” this may place on producers and consumers throughout the US. In the last month, growers from different regions in the West Coast have seen a significant increase in the price of truck shipments to the East Coast. Hawkes notes that the price for a truckload of perishable items traveling from Washington to New York rose by nearly fourteen percent in a period of two weeks during January (from $8,450 to $10,000). Individuals in the trucking industry also warn that these prices may continue to grow in the months
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With this new technology, truck drivers will no longer have to log the hours they spend on the road themselves (Hawkes). Instead, enforcement agencies such as DOT will be able to access this kind of information through the electronic logging devices installed in these trucks. According to Hawkes, the purpose of ELDs is to prevent commercial truck drivers from “falsifying” their logbooks to “get more driving time than allowed by law.” The overall goal of Map-21 is to establish safer roadways for motorists who share the road with these truck drivers (Hawkes). With these devices, commercial truck drivers will have no choice but to stop and take appropriate rest breaks in between their loads; which should greatly reduce the number of car accidents resulting from strained eyes, sleepiness, etc. Although this initiative will certainly enhance road safety, it is not necessarily a positive thing for individuals working in the …show more content…
Hawkes also states that this could have a serious impact on the incomes of truck drivers because their hours of operation will be more strictly enforced by this “new system.” This could eventually lead drivers to search for employment elsewhere, further adding to the current shortage of drivers (Hawkes). Harsh weather conditions have also been cited to be a possible cause for the recent increase in transportation costs, as it has resulted in, “delays and backlogs of shipments” this month (Hawkes). Additionally, retailers have been reluctant to take on this higher cost, which has become a major concern among agricultural producers, as they could end up being the ones who have to pay for it (Hawkes). In conclusion, Hawkes writes, “Regardless the cause, increased costs for trucking will need to be absorbed at some level…most agree the higher cost of doing business will eventually result in higher prices at the retail level, resulting in increased consumer costs, which may eventually affect every one up and down the supply chain.” Overall, it is safe to say that we may see a substantial increase in the price of agricultural goods if transportation rates continue to grow. Ultimately, this could become a major problem for producers and consumers if we do not find a way to minimize
With this new technology, truck drivers will no longer have to log the hours they spend on the road themselves (Hawkes). Instead, enforcement agencies such as DOT will be able to access this kind of information through the electronic logging devices installed in these trucks. According to Hawkes, the purpose of ELDs is to prevent commercial truck drivers from “falsifying” their logbooks to “get more driving time than allowed by law.” The overall goal of Map-21 is to establish safer roadways for motorists who share the road with these truck drivers (Hawkes). With these devices, commercial truck drivers will have no choice but to stop and take appropriate rest breaks in between their loads; which should greatly reduce the number of car accidents resulting from strained eyes, sleepiness, etc. Although this initiative will certainly enhance road safety, it is not necessarily a positive thing for individuals working in the …show more content…
Hawkes also states that this could have a serious impact on the incomes of truck drivers because their hours of operation will be more strictly enforced by this “new system.” This could eventually lead drivers to search for employment elsewhere, further adding to the current shortage of drivers (Hawkes). Harsh weather conditions have also been cited to be a possible cause for the recent increase in transportation costs, as it has resulted in, “delays and backlogs of shipments” this month (Hawkes). Additionally, retailers have been reluctant to take on this higher cost, which has become a major concern among agricultural producers, as they could end up being the ones who have to pay for it (Hawkes). In conclusion, Hawkes writes, “Regardless the cause, increased costs for trucking will need to be absorbed at some level…most agree the higher cost of doing business will eventually result in higher prices at the retail level, resulting in increased consumer costs, which may eventually affect every one up and down the supply chain.” Overall, it is safe to say that we may see a substantial increase in the price of agricultural goods if transportation rates continue to grow. Ultimately, this could become a major problem for producers and consumers if we do not find a way to minimize