Election 2024: Trucking economic experts talk Trump vs. Harris Aug. 28, 2024, photo courtesy of Fleet Maintenance
After four years of Biden-Harris, US truckers are ecstatic about President Trump’s victory. They’re eager for the economy, and their businesses, to recover and thrive.
Seventy percent of all US freight moves by truck. Thanks to our great highways and efficient truckers, we can enjoy pineapples in winter and get fresh eggs and milk, no matter how far from a farm we live. Under Joe-Kamal, food prices hit record highs. But in normal conditions, food and consumer products stay affordable because stores depend on fast, reliable deliveries, reducing the need to hold excessive inventory. This cuts costs on real estate, rent, insurance, and labor—savings that are passed along to consumers.
But Joe-Kamal wrecked the trucking industry, causing shelves to empty, prices to rise, and truckers to go bankrupt.
Mike Kucharski, owner of JKC Trucking, which operates around 200 trucks, based out of Illinois, spoke about the struggles of the past four years. “I’m excited for the new administration, but I’m probably even more excited for the old one to leave. The last two to three years have been a real struggle for us.”
The first blow Joe-Kamaa dealt to truckers came when fuel prices doubled. “Diesel is killing us,” said Mike. Faced with skyrocketing costs, trucking companies had two options: raise rates or absorb the losses. Knowing that a sharp increase in shipping costs would drive away customers, Mike and many others chose to eat the extra expense. “Profit has not been something that has worked. We’re going through a dark time. We haven’t made a profit.”
Beyond higher fuel prices, the other problem with the Joe-Kamal administration was the push for stricter regulations and the shift to electric trucks. Mike points out that the batteries for electric trucks are heavy, reducing payload capacity by about 30%. Once again, that cost would be passed down to consumers.
“Electric trucks are gonna be impractical and impossible to trade them for diesel,” Mike lamented. He pointed out that the US lacks the infrastructure to support fleets of electric trucks. Charging stations are few and far between, and the range of an electric truck is only about 300 miles, while a diesel truck can cover 500 – 700 miles a day. This means more trucks will need to be running just to keep food on the shelves. With diesel, Mike noted, it only takes about 30-40 minutes to fill up. In contrast, it takes about 8 to 12 hours to charge an electric truck’s battery, leading to costly delays.
Extreme weather is another problem. In high and low temperatures, electric truck batteries drain faster and need to be charged more frequently. A fully loaded diesel truck is heavy, but as fuel is used, the truck gets lighter, and mileage improves. This is factored into cost, time, and range. With electric trucks, however, a fully charged battery weighs the same as an empty one, making no allowance for weight reduction as the truck runs.
Mike explained that shipping perishable foods in an electric truck would be nearly impossible. The refrigerator units required to keep food fresh drain the electric battery, further shortening the vehicle’s range. And the driver can’t let the battery hit zero, as the refrigerator needs to keep running during the long hours it takes to recharge. Additionally, the driver needs enough power to heat or cool the cabin while he sleeps. This further reduces the range and prolongs the trip, meaning that for some perishables, even with refrigeration, the food would spoil.
“We’re hauling meat, cheeses, all the good stuff—produce, fresh meat, frozen meat, seafood, eggs, etc., even consumer candy. Everything the consumer consumes. If the Coke doesn’t get to the store, it’s going to be a bad day,” Mike stated.
Next, Mike explained why truckers are excited about Trump: “Trump brought truckers to the White House during COVID. He thanked us for bringing food to the country.”
From working at a McDonald’s drive-thru to driving a garbage truck, President Trump has consistently shown that he understands and appreciates working Americans.
Trump also promised to bring back American manufacturing, which would benefit the shipping industry. Mike suggested the US should strengthen ties with Canada and Mexico rather than relying on imports from distant countries. This approach would boost national security and reduce supply chain disruptions during a war or crisis. He also voiced support for Trump’s plan to make America energy efficient and to start exporting gas to Europe.
“I mean, we need a leader to grab this bull by the horns and fix all the issues we’ve had. The energy sector is huge. Just fixing that alone would send a massive shockwave through the economy,” Mike said.
“We need strong leaders,” Mike added, wrapping up. “Truckers are family men, men of faith, and they want to make America great.” He added, “The president isn’t even in office yet. This is unbelievable. It’s almost like a miracle, and I’m really excited for when he gets there.”
The post After Joe and Kamala’s Quagmire, Truckers Expect a Boom Under Trump appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
