Jeson Clarke

What Caused the Lumber Shortage of 2021?

In 2021, the country experienced an unexpected side-effect of the global pandemic. The costs of lumber skyrocketed, leading to a period that many refer to as "The Great Lumber Crisis" of 2021. While prices are starting to level out, they're still far higher than they were pre-pandemic.

Even as things return to normal, there's a lot to learn from this event. What caused it in the first place? In this blog, we're going to investigate the factors that lead to this unexpected crisis.

Production Issues

Ultimately, the lumber shortage was a case of supply and demand issues. The biggest problem to plague the lumber industry was production shutdowns. In March of 2020, much of North America went into lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Production stopped, and bulk lumber delivery to construction sites took a long pause. At first, that didn't seem like a significant issue. Most economic activities paused. That included lumber-heavy projects like new construction and remodeling. However, the industry didn't anticipate how lockdowns would spur demand. Visit this website if you need bulk lumber delivery service.

Growing Demand

When the world was on lockdown, millions of workers stayed at home. That extra time led to a significant rise in DIY projects.

People invested in everything from brand-new decks for more outdoor living space to remodels for creating a productive home office. Thanks to stimulus checks, homeowners had more money to pay for these projects.

On top of that, the housing market experienced a boom. While new construction projects are at a historic low, new homeowners drove the demand for remodeling and renovation even more.

Worker Shortages

The massive spike in demand was something that the lumber industry wasn't expecting. Thanks to the sudden stop in production, mills struggled to fill the gap.

Even as operations started up again, mills encountered new issues. Worker shortages plagued many industries, and lumber production was no exception. The post-pandemic job market is still recovering, making the effects of the lumber shortage linger today.

A Spark of Hope

Lumber prices are still above pre-pandemic levels. However, there are signs that things are leveling out. Production is booming, and bulk lumber delivery is going strong. It may take longer to recover, but the industry is actively working to make the unexpected lumber crisis a thing of the past.

Author Resource:-

Jeson Clarke is providing info about single platform for your hotshot, scheduled, daily route, and freight deliveries. You can find his thoughts at last mile freight solutions blog.