I-40 bridge has been closed since May 11th and it has been causing a major disruption in the trucking industry. Drivers who typically take 1-40 have been forced to reroute. This has caused enough congestion on Interstate 55 to impact transit times. Drivers are having tighter timeframes to make it back on time to the terminals.
Some drivers have switched their hours to the night shifts to be able to avoid the busy hours. Many drivers have been trying to avoid this route in general because of the delays, so many shippers are having issues finding carriers to move their shipments. This bridge closure is also costing the industry a great amount of money each day.
Shippers are having issues finding carriers to move their shipments while also having to pay more due to longer transit times. According to Freight Waves, it could take weeks before 1-40 is open.