Empty store shelves, Worker shortages, lack of truck drivers and mountainous unemployment rates are all symptoms and causes of a supply chain crisis.
We’ve all seen some things become scarce in the past few weeks. Being prepared for a supply chain crisis doesn’t have to be the end of the world.
I know that a food storage will be a good start and help many people come out on the other side of the situation in decent shape. However, there are other things to take into consideration for you and your family as well .
We will be covering areas of concern so to best prepare for a supply chain crisis.
Causes of a supply chain crisis
At the present time the covid-19 pandemic caused disruptive shut downs of businesses and stores as well as the trucking and transport industries but coupled with a boom in demand and overregulation as we reopen, it is causing a huge bottleneck in the supply chain. Low labor participation and clogged ports are also to blame.
An article from Nationalreview.com gives, in depth, some facts about the crunch we may all be experiencing soon.
An extremely high unemployment rate mean less workers, in other words a worker shortage. If you don’t have enough workers to stock shelves or fill orders then you will wind up with bare shelves at the grocery store.
Factories will have a hard time producing their product. Even the medical field will be shorthanded which means they will end up over-capacity or lacking proper PPE.
It is said that if the trucking industry were to come to a complete stop for just 24 hours, It would take two months to get back on track. Essentials like bottled water and canned as well as fresh goods disappear fast. ATM’s run out of cash. Banks unable to process transactions.
Service stations will completely run out of fuel and garbage will pile up in urban and suburban areas.
Ports of entry on the coast are being over regulated due to quarantine requirements and so it is causing a major slow down of distribution.
Thinking ahead of a supply chain crisis
Be up to date on current events and economics. You should be able to make your own educated assumptions. By doing so you are being well prepared for a crunch on the economy. Government policies and banking policies will play a part in economic performance.
Figure out what essentials might disappear from the shelves first. Buy a few extra items when you shop and store them away with your food storage.
If you have the skills and are already fairly self sufficient it will be a huge determining factor on how bad a financial or supply crisis will hurt you.
Adapting to an ever changing world may mean that we need to return in part to old world skills like gardening and canning. These skills will not only save you money but generate the peace of mind and comfort of knowing you have a backup plan.
Our dependency on the system and how to minimize it
The world as a whole is evolving into a society that depends almost wholly on technology. It seems that a major part of the world doesn’t know how to do or make a lot of things for themselves and so a majority of us are vastly dependent on just in time delivery and social media.
Old world skills like making clothing as well as other skills that provide independence are being forgotten. They are known as The Lost Ways because we are forgetting these skills and also not teaching them to our children.
Simple solutions call for us to Learn some of these skills. Produce some of your own goods or skills and learn to trade with our neighbors for example. Do it yourselfers not only have but also teach some of these skills and also are learning new skills everyday. YouTube has some really good channels that have do it yourself videos.’
Resulting economic damage
The result has created shortages of key manufacturing components, order backlogs, delivery delays and a spike in transportation costs and consumer prices. Unless the situation is resolved soon, the consequences for the global
economy may be dire.
Inflation of a different sorts is taking place where too many dollars are chasing too few goods. The US GDP is down to scary levels of 2.0 in the second and third quarter of 2021 and is also dropping rapidly.
This supply chain crisis is effecting not just the US but also the rest of the world. Many will either adapt to the changes or find alternatives in their lifestyles, for example, changing the way they budget or conserving energy at a higher rate. Many will possibly just go without certain items or learn to ration as we fight against our country descending into the third world.
Our government needs to relax restrictions and regulations. It’s killing the trucking and transport industries which is ultimately leading to this dire situation. Our government is treating American businesses and the American worker like an enemy of the state. It is suppressing the ability of small businesses and independent contractors.
Hope for any relief only comes from the people and the drive to keep going! Here in America is the pride of hard work and the joy of success so we should not settle for anything less.
I hope this article is helpful and informative. If you have any questions, comments or input please feel free to do so in the box below.
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