Disaster struck the United States trucking industry in the form of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, affecting 10 percent of the American trucking industry. The effects on the industry are expected to last through January, a devastating blow not only to trucking companies, but also to their consumers, who rely on the supplies, food and other essentials regularly delivered by these trucks. According to local sources, 60 percent of transport activities are late. Destruction and flooding in areas affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are causing massive travel delays and rescheduling. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Many consumers may be wondering how this will affect them. Not only are the roads destroyed, but Harvey and Irma also wiped out some of the products that trucks should be delivering. This has caused food and transportation prices to skyrocket, leaving many consumers with limited resources during this recovery period. Thomas E. Oakley, owner of a local plantation and trucking company, has high hopes for the trucking industry despite the impact of hurricanes. “We are doing everything we can to save our products.” Thomas Oakley is the owner and CEO of Oakley Trucking, a commercial transportation company focused on transporting citrus fruits out of Florida. “Hurricane Irma affected our citrus plantation to a level we did not anticipate, and with more than half of our crops destroyed, our trucking business is starting to show losses in the financial statements. Located in Dade County, Florida since 1961, Oakley Transportation is Florida's largest citrus hauler, and they were forced to close all of their operations for a week due to Irma. Drivers are also suffering while waiting for producers to postpone their harvests and regain their calm during this difficult period. Since Irma destroyed more than half of Oakley's crops, it was initially difficult to operate its trucks because product was not available. Irma affected many other crops in Florida, causing shipping efforts to stagnate. According to The Packer, Florida lost $760 million on citrus fruits alone in 2017. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said, “Irma's path could not have been more poorly timed for destroy our agricultural crops more effectively,” Putnam said at a conference in Orlando. press conference. “…If the window [for the December harvest] closes, it could be filled by foreign competition – Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, and they will be out of luck all year” (Gillespie) . In Florida, it's unlikely even the crops will return in time for Thanksgiving. Rising costs of transportation and consumer goods as well as crop destruction are effects we will see for a decent period of time. FEMA has caused an increase in trucking demand in areas affected by both hurricanes as supplies are distributed to victims, but road closures are a problem. a huge delay factor. The trucking industry, however, benefits from increased delivery prices because they are in high demand, counteracting some of the complications caused by these natural disasters. “Due to the already restricted nature of the truck environment, this means that loads..