The truck driver shortage is more a problem for large trucking operators, as the total number of drivers and small fleets grows, said Jeff Tucker, chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association and head of Tucker Company Worldwide.

A bill introduced in the House of Representatives this week would establish national hiring standards for shippers, brokers and other parties contracting or using trucking companies.

Shippers that were complacent about reports of tightening truck capacity in 2013 could be in for a shock this year, especially if weaknesses in transportation networks exposed by this winter’s severe storms are taken as a warning sign.