Jevic Trucking Company West Chester Facility to Close

Jevic Transportation, a New Jersey-based company, and SAIA Trucking are two operating subsidiaries of SCS Transportation, Inc. Jevic announced today that it will shut down trucking services in the West Chester area. This decision will force over 100 people out on the street to hunt for jobs in the already struggling market. Neil Relyea reported on WCPO, channel 9 out of Cincinnati that "he reason for the closure is not yet known." Not declared perhaps, but for those in the Midwest and Northeast, we can surely assume that the sky-rocketing oil costs and concomitant gas prices have to be a major factor.

While big business can always be held responsible for plant closings, there are some extenuating factors. It has long been a source of comment and speculation about just how high gas prices have to go before people will really be forced to limit or forgo all but the most essential driving. In Michigan we have not hit $4.00 a gallon, but I expect we will very soon.

If there is a 10- to 20-cent per gallon drop around Memorial Day or other holidays, the week days in summer will just see the price per gallon jump back up even higher. It has cost us in Michigan about $150 per week to keep three cars in gas. All three are used almost exclusively for driving to work and school. None of the drivers in the family drive more than 25 miles to work each day.

When gas prices prevent or limit transportation so positive things occur. People walk more and the environment suffers from less air pollution. But this is simplistic view of the benefits does not cover the wide-angle lens view of all the problems we face with high gas costs.

Truckers lose jobs. In order to drive a truck, truckers must carry special expensive licenses, endorsements and insurance. Most require a CDL class A, Haz-Mat license and double axle and tandem trailer endorsements. Any government licensing is very costly to maintain. Trucker must also carry personal and vehicle insurance that is beyond the usual insurance. All those fees have been paid, and many people count on the work to pay off the fees. With truckers out of work, the job market is thrown out of balance too.

Goods become less readily available, which drives prices up.

Services which rely on transportation will go up on price.

Public transportation, like buses, taxis and commuter trains, go up in cost.

Rising gas costs prohibit tourism, via car, RV, airplane or boating, Tourism is an industry which many communities thrive upon.

The closing of Jevic Transportation was inevitable and will signal the closing of other companies with the rise in fuel costs.