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Friday, March 1, 2019 Volume 92, Number 9 CapitalPress.com $2.00 Trucker shortage gains traction as more retirements, growing demand and tighter regs put brakes on industry By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press T Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press Felisa Griffi th, a truck driver for Sunrise Express prepares to hit the road with her Corgi, Sam, at the company’s Twin Falls terminal on Feb. 19. WIN FALLS, Idaho — Loaded up and ready to roll, long-haul trucker Felisa Griffi th climbed into the cab of her rig on a cold and icy February morning. Beside her in the cab as she waved “so long” was the only traveling companion she cares to have — her 6-month old Corgi pup named Sam. “Most truck drivers are loners,” she said. It gets lonely sometimes, she said. But for the most part, the lifestyle suits her just fi ne. She averages 3,000 miles per week across the Pacifi c Northwest hauling household goods, commodities, raw man- ufacturing materials and other supplies and goods. Eight years ago, Griffi th traded in a career as a payroll clerk and bookkeeper for the open road, and she’s never looked back. Trucking has given her the opportunity to see the country, the main reason she loves the job. “And it’s kind of a power trip to be up there in the cab of a truck, and you don’t have to deal with offi ce drama,” she said. Griffi th is one of a limited number of long-haul truckers criss-crossing the nation hauling loads that range from cat- tle to cantaloupes and from yogurt to canned goods. And the tight labor pool for those truckers will only get worse. The trucking industry estimates it will be short more than 170,000 long-haul drivers within the next seven years because of a wave of retirements, growing freight demand, stricter drive- Oregon farm regulators explore ‘stacking’ canola authorities Existing rule system for controversial crop expires in July By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Oregon farm regulators are exploring their authority over canola to see if they can impose restrictions aimed at avoiding cross-pollination with related crops. While the Oregon Department of Agriculture likely doesn’t have direct jurisdiction over genetic contamination, offi cials will determine whether the agency can “stack” its existing powers over pests, weeds and diseases to effec- tively regulate pollen fl ow. The decision to research ODA’s regulatory reach arose from a Feb. 22 dis- cussion by a rules advisory committee, or RAC, that’s helping the agency craft new regulations for canola in the Willamette Valley. Canola is controversial in the region because spe- cialty seed growers fear it will cause problems with cross-pollination, pests and diseases, while the crop’s proponents say it’s no more dangerous than related species. An existing law that has limited canola produc- tion in the valley to 500 acres for the past six years will expire in July, which means the ODA must enact new rules for its produc- tion before reaching that sunset. Meanwhile, the Wil- lamette Valley Specialty Seed Association — whose members worry about cano- la’s negative effects — has convinced the House Com- mittee on Agriculture and Land Use to introduce a bill extending the 500-acre cap indefi nitely. If the ODA could set “isolation distances” between various Brassica crops under its existing powers in a manner that’s acceptable to specialty seed and canola producers, that could negate the incentive for new legislation govern- ing canola. “The bill is a placeholder and it won’t be removed until there is enough confi - dence in the RAC to want to remove it,” said Greg Loberg, WVSSA’s public relations chairman. See Canola, Page 11 200,000 drivers 150 174,325: Up 377.6% from 2016 Projected truck driver shortage *As of Oct. 2017 100 36,500 50 NOTE: Forecast excludes any potential future regulation and does not take into account the quality of applicants. 0 2016 ’18 ’20 ’22 Source: American Trucking Associations ’24 2026 Alan Kenaga/Capital Press time rules and recruitment challenges. No easy job In addition to bad weather and rude drivers, truckers also have to contend with congestion and road closures, and there’s an incredible amount of logistics involved, Kelly Bangerter, safety manager at Sunrise Express’ Twin Falls ter- minal, said. In addition to having to know their way around ports and terminals, they must plan a trip to meet delivery times and See Trucks, Page 11 Bill would require Washington farmers to report slaves By DON JENKINS Capital Press OLYMPIA — Wash- ington dairy farmers and fruit growers would have to report to retailers whether they use slaves under a bill endorsed Feb. 21 by Dem- ocrats on the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. Farm groups, for the record, say they oppose slavery, as well as human traffi cking and peonage — Don Jenkins/Capital Press two other forms of servi- tude producers would have The Washington State Capitol. to report. D e m o c r a t workers to pay off a debt At a hearing last week, R e b e c c a through their labor. farm lobbyists said the bill More to the point, the Saldana, was offensive and asked the Senate Bill bill would require reporting committee to kill it. 5693 would “any violation of employ- The committee excluded r e q u i r e ment-related laws.” some commodities, but A retailer would be obli- farmers to kept in dairy and fruit. By Washington report any gated to report on its web- a party line vote, the Dem- State Sen. i n c i d e n t s site the “specifi c actions” ocratic majority recom- Rebecca of slavery, it took in response to those mended the bill to the full Saldana p e o n a g e reports. The attorney gen- Senate. and human eral could sue farmers “It’s still an attack on farmers,” Washington Farm traffi cking to retailers with or retailers for failing to Bureau director of govern- more than $200 million in report, respond to or pub- licize any adverse citations ment relations Tom Davis global sales. Peonage is also called or court rulings. said. “It impugns the char- acter of an entire industry.” debt servitude and involves Introduced by Seattle an employer compelling See Slaves, Page 11
