ACD Press Release

Arlington, VA – Today, the National Association of Chemical Distributors submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding solutions to the supply chain crisis facing chemical distributors and small businesses throughout America. In the comments, NACD made the following points:

The most common problem that has caused chokepoints along every part of the supply chain is labor shortages, particularly among truck drivers. Policy solutions such as lowering the commercial truck driving age to 18, with appropriate training and safety measures, can help address this shortage and create more avenues for young adults to pursue careers in trucking. DOT should also consider further exemptions to the Hours of Service rules in line with the measures that were taken to aid COVID-19 relief efforts.

Additionally, U.S. ports and the surrounding, related infrastructure and distribution centers require immediate investments to match the operational capacity of global trade. Expanding and modernizing this infrastructure will help ease the bottlenecks and chokepoints of the supply chain and make our nation more competitive in the global marketplace.

DOT should, in partnership with other federal agencies, support the U.S. as a manufacturing base for intermodal containers and chassis. The efforts to increase domestic manufacturing of intermodal shipping supplies, in tandem with infrastructure modernization and expansion, will make the American supply chain more resilient and increase its efficiency.

It is important for the U.S. to have a robust chemical supply chain, and alleviating the current chokepoints and bottlenecks is critical to its success. NACD supports the efforts of DOT to improve the movement of goods and is ready to serve as a resource as the agency works through this important problem.

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