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Prospect Of Another Polar Vortex Sends Chills Up Truckers' Spines

A row of semi-trucks, near Bedford Heights (pic: Brian Bull)
A row of semi-trucks, near Bedford Heights (pic: Brian Bull)

Tom Balzer is President of the Ohio Trucking Association. He says exact numbers are hard to nail down, but….

“….there was a loss of revenue. Anytime we have ice storms or we heavy snowfall that slows down or stops the flow of traffic, you’re going to have an economic impact without question. The trucking demand this summer and going into this fall has been so high, that if a polar vortex hits again this year like it did last year, the economic impact will be extremely high.”

A report by Allianz Global Corporate and Speciality says adverse weather can cost trucking companies between $2.2 billion to $3.5 billion annually.

Balzer says trucking companies are busy preparing their vehicles for cold weather, but are also working to find qualified drivers. Many are already shipping out goods for the holiday shopping season.