Congress has recently passed the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) which has been signed into law by the President. Contained within this legislation are two provisions that are expected to go a long way in helping our national infrastructure and the nation’s supply chain. The bill has been celebrated by the American Trucking Association (ATA) as well as many within the logistics sector.
One of the key provisions in the IIJA is a considerable amount of funding for American infrastructure. $110 billion has been allocated for roads, bridges and major infrastructure projects, which promises to go a long way in restoring our national infrastructure. Reversing the years of damage and neglect to our nation’s highways will improve the supply chain by reducing the wear and tear on vehicles as well as a potential reduction in the amount of time spent repairing our highways, thus speeding up delivery times. This will also help with driver retention, since many drivers are paid on a mile basis and the longer a driver sits in traffic, the less they make. Many cumulative delays can cause drivers to conclude the effort of a shipment is not worth the pay and may leave the industry, possibly permanently.
Another key provision of the IIJA is the bill makes 18-21 year-olds eligible for interstate driving, putting the first step in place of training a new generation of drivers. This legislation will be a huge help in getting more drivers their CDL endorsement. This also allows for many young adults to begin their rewarding career as a truck driver at the age of 18, since many young adults can’t afford to wait until they’re 21 to get started. By the time a young adult reaches 21, they have started on their career and are rarely looking to reconsider their career choice by this point. Allowing carriers to train drivers at a younger age will go a long way in helping alleviate the industry’s shortage of drivers.
Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of investing in infrastructure. One of our key missions is to build a more sustainable supply chain, one that focuses on preserving our nation’s infrastructure by reducing wear and tear on our nation’s highways. The investment through the IIJA will help rebuild our highways and bridges, while freight optimization will go a long way in helping preserve our renewed infrastructure. To see how we can help make your supply chain more sustainable, start today with Zip Xpress!
