Miami (CBSMiami) — The slowdown in the supply chain continues to affect daily life. The supply chain consists of many steps to bring products to customers, but now, the supply chain seems to be broken, or at least curled in many places, and there is no more obvious place than the service station that repairs cars and trucks.
“Before the pandemic, we were able to get parts in a few days or even the same day,” explains Enrique Finkelstein, owner of Red Bird Exxon at the corner of Bird Road and Red Road.
Red Bird Exxon Mobil (CBS4) at the corner of Bird Road and Red Road
Red Bird Exxon Mobil (CBS4) at the corner of Bird Road and Red Road
The station is a popular gas station and repair location for people in South Miami and Coral Gables, where no one is immune from the slowing down of parts. So where are those hard-to-obtain parts?
They are trapped in Chinese ports. When the container ships arrived on the west coast of the United States, due to labor shortages, the ports were backed up and they were suspended again. Dock workers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, and clerks are out of work due to COVID concerns, low wages, and what many call "great resignations."
One of the biggest problems facing Finkelstein is finding a part delivery person.
"Delivery has become very complicated. The companies we are dealing with, they have problems with drivers," he said.
Local machinists strongly feel the impact of the global semiconductor shortage. The production of new cars and trucks has decreased, which has led customers to buy used cars or keep old cars for longer periods of time, requiring repairs. This puts a heavier burden on the parts supply chain.
Finkelstein said: "This makes our job difficult because our car sits here for a long time waiting for parts."
Auto parts is a $300 billion industry, and it is now suffering a major economic impact due to the kinks in the supply system.
Tires and spark plugs are not the real problem, but other than that, special parts such as special oil filters and gaskets are the real problems. Finkelstein said: “Regular parts are okay, but when you receive parts that they don’t have in stock and you have to order from the main warehouse, it will be very difficult,” Finkelstein said. “It frustrates customers, not always It’s so easy for them to wait patiently. They need their car; we understand the situation, but sometimes they don’t understand our situation.”
So, are there any bright spots in the supply chain issues affecting the automotive industry?
"Who knows?" Finkelstein said. "They don't know, they don't know. We asked when it will end, they don't know."