Sounding the Alarm

 A few months ago, a customer ordered some siding. 

It was a specialty color. And production of this color has and had basically halted. Other colors in the line had and have not. At the time the order was placed, this sidings was 8-10 weeks out - and we made the customer aware of this - even padding ourselves saying to expect 10-12 weeks. 

8 weeks came and the customer called asking where her siding was. We didn’t have it in yet. I called the supplier and they were out another 3-6 weeks. (2 or so weeks over what we said.) 

So what was the hold up:

1.) Resin availability - they cannot get all the components/parts to make the product.

2.) Shipping - they do not have trucks and/or drivers.

3.) Workers - many are either not working/are not coming to work or the plants are understaffed (no one fulfilling the jobs).

Okay.

I called the customer to relay the message. 

And our customer lost her mind throwing a royal temper tantrum. 

I let her do her thing. 

I’m sure it’s frustrating. 

But what am I going to do? (I’ll tell you: I’m going to write a “sound the alarm” blog post about how the America we knew is marching out.)

She said that she would be calling each week for an update. And she did. And we were sweet as candy as she hissed from the other end of the line.

Around week 3 or 4 (so week 12/13 in total), the siding was shipped to us and then we got it to her the next day.

So here’s the question: Does siding really matter?

My initial hardware store owner side says yes.

My “look at the big picture” side says no.

Covering over your house-wrapped sheeting is important. Having a weather tight home is important. You can go a year or so with a good house wrap, but it’s not ideal (nor is it anything much to look at). A cheap house wrap or poorly installed house wrap means you have just a handful of months to get it covered - brick, siding, or whatever else you may want.

Siding is still easy to come by in America if you don’t care much about what it looks like. A basic white or tan double 4 is pretty easy to get in. 

And even you are picky, I can still have it in (like the scenario) 3ish months.

So in terms of protecting your home and having a water tight residence, America is fine right now.

Moving on...

Next question: Are appliances important?

When I think dishwasher, I lean towards no, not really.

When I think refrigerator, I think yes, absolutely.

Have you tried getting appliances lately?

Is the safe storage of food in America dependent on another country?

Next BIG question: Are vehicles important? 

All my being says yes.

They get you to the store to get necessary food and medicine.

They get your kids to school.

They get you to your job at the siding factory which gives customers goods and you money to buy food and send your children to school.

They literally keep America moving.

Yes. Yes one hundred times, vehicles are crucial to the American economy and society.

We need to be able to produce vehicles relatively quickly… at least as quickly as specialty siding, right?

Final question: Have you tried getting a vehicle recently?

My last story and rant (for today)...

You know the sweet spot in used vehicles?

Like the 40-ish thousand mile or less and a couple years old ones? 

Well, let me tell you, we are about to not have those in a couple years. And I think that will hit working class Americans very very hard only separating the already ever-dividing gap. Either drive something much older and much less reliable than you really want or are used to driving or go broke buying something new and TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUSLY priced.

Do not (DO NOT!) believe that “in a year or two” “when it’s time to start looking” for the “new to you car” with less than 50,000 miles… 2020 or 2021 model year because it’s 2024 and your 2011 car is showing too much age and wear will be an easy find.

You  will  NOT  find  one.

Here’s how I know:

I ordered a van on April 2, 2021.

I paid for it.

I was told I would have it by Mother’s Day (about 6 weeks.. about like siding).

Awesome.

Mother's Day came and then it went.

I was told shipping was running behind by a month - so before June was over.

No big deal.

June came and went.

And then I was told it wasn’t going to be built until July 19 and then shipping in August.

Okay.

And then I was told it wouldn’t be the model year I ordered, but rather a 2022.

Okay, that’s fine I guess.

I recently called because it is now October.

My van still does not have a build date.

My van does not yet exist.

I likely will not have it before Thanksgiving.

Mostly because it won't probably be built before then.

So what are the factors?

It's the same as the siding, and in this order:

Parts, shipping, and workers.

No chips, no way to ship by van from the factory it is being built in, and not enough employees to fill the line.

I’m fine.

My current car is fine.

I’m not upset with the dealership. 

Just like I cannot pull siding out of my ass, the dealership isn't going to pull my van out of theirs. I understand.

But I am sounding an alarm.

1.) If you need a new car in the next year, order it now.

2.)(More important) We are ABSOLUTELY relying on other countries for FAR FAR too much.

So much so that I feel like I’m going off the slippery slope of seeing a Cuban car culture here in 2030. (I know that’s not the case, but it crosses my mind a lot.) 

It is now more than ever a complete KNOWN FACT that keeping houses water tight and milk cold and getting humans from point A to B is not a luxury provided by America. We already rely on other countries to seriously take care of basic needs like water tight homes and cold milk and getting to work.

And that, my friends, scares me the most.

I hope I'm so wrong about all of this. I really do. I sounded the alarm ever so slightly early this summer about a potential paint shortage come this fall. *FINGERS CROSSED* We have not witnessed a paint shortage. So, I have been wrong before. And I do pray that all my thinking is wrong here too.

But the writing is already on the walls heavily...

October 1 marks the start of Q4 for 2021. Here's to us ending well - getting in products we need to make America more than great. 

Much love,

Samantha