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NORTH EAST, Pa. (Erie News Now) – Business is booming at Barnhart Transportation in North East, as loaded big rigs roll in out and of the facility.
“Things have been crazy as far as we have way more freight per driver than we’ve ever seen in the past.” said CFO Tim Barnhart.
But it’s not all smiles at the local company.
Instead, it’s headaches, as a disjointed supply chain makes shipping a nightmare.
“It constantly just delay after delay after delay as you’re moving through the process,” Barnhart said.
Barnhart says part of the snarl in the supply chain is a lack of trucks to move goods all over the country. He says you could get more up and running, but the parts needed to fix those trucks are sitting out on the container ships, just off shore, with no way to bring them in.
“You can find yourself waiting longer for parts to get your fleet back up and running for stuff that you used to be able to just go to the store pick it up, and get it done the same day,” he said.
Those delays mean you’ll want to start any major shopping now.
Barnhart doesn’t expect shortages of day-to-day items, but for big-ticket goods, he says plan ahead and be patient.
“If you want something for Christmas, you might want to order it now, because if you wait till December to do your Christmas shopping, the stuff that you’re waiting for may not be there,” he said.
And even after Christmas, the problem isn’t going anywhere.
Barnhart says we’ll likely see shortages, delays and logistical backlogs for at least another year.
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