The trucking industry was dealt a big blow when the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) shut down the Hernando de Soto Bridge on May 11. Inspectors found a major fracture in a deck beam, compromising the stability of the Interstate 40 bridge between Memphis, Tennessee, and eastern Arkansas.
The closure has put the most pressure on carriers of fuel, asphalt and other products that are sourced and delivered regionally in the mid-South. They typically have to load at one spot, then...