Page 36 - ATR 3 2022 digital

and then she took off with it.” down began in March 2020, business transportation supply chain. Worldwide,
Barr said Maddie has made great significantly dropped off for JMB. trucking companies have especially
relationships throughout the company “We had three horrible months for felt this in the shortage of truck parts.
and has learned a lot of difficult jobs. revenue and miles,” Barr said. According to trucking industry news
“And she still likes it,” he said. Then business picked up again, and source Transport Dive, some carriers
“She’s been committed 100% the whole the company came back strong. are resorting to scouring eBay, Craig’s
time. She’s got her sights set on doing “About the only thing out there List or remote supply shops for parts
more in the future as far as getting into trucking for a while was food and neces- that are currently unavailable through
administration.” sities,” Barr said. “When that consumer their regular suppliers. The USDOT has
Son Jack is carving out his own demand hit and people started ordering enacted a number of initiatives to speed
path as a filmmaker and recently gradu- everything, it got busy in a hurry.” up the movement of goods, but for the
ated from the University of Central Barr said he and Bozeman felt for- trucking industry, improvement cannot
Arkansas. While still a student, he tunate that not many of the company’s happen quickly enough.
began establishing himself as a Central drivers got sick, but because many of “It hasn’t gotten any better, and it
Arkansas filmmaker and served as an the office employees preferred to stay doesn’t seem like it has an end,” Barr
intern for the Arkansas Cinema Society. in the office rather than work at home, said. “Every time you turn around,
The Barrs are proud of all three of their the company experienced a number of there’s something else you can’t get.”
children for finding careers they are COVID cases in the office. This is especially bad for drivers
passionate about. More than two years later, sup- when it comes to breakdowns, he said.
ply chain shortages remain an issue Because there are not enough techni-
SADDLING UP THROUGH for JMB and the trucking industry cians and road response crews, drivers
HARD TIMES as a whole. In April 2022, the U.S. can be stuck on the dangerous side of
Throughout the trucking industry, Department of Transportation reported the road for extended periods of time.
companies continue to feel the effects signs of progress in the supply chain, When they do get to a shop, parts for
of the COVID-19 pandemic, and JMB is but it also pinpointed one continued repair are often in short supply with
no exception. About a month after lock- problem area: trucking capacity in the long wait times. As a result, drivers

36 Issue 3 2022 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT