Service First Express, Inc. has moved around a bit since it got started in the 1970s. It now sits toward the end of Overdale Road in Winston-Salem, far from off the beaten path. The owners said visibility is one of the many issues they're facing when it comes to hiring.The 50-fleet trucking company is a smaller version of a national issue. There are a lot of moving parts in the shipping process, but a major piece is truck drivers. And there aren't as many people jumping at the chance to apply and train for the job as there were even a few years ago, according to Phil Pedro, the VP of safety and regulatory affairs for Service First Express. "We're in this phase where we're trying to get people to come back to work," Pedro said. "Truck drivers have never failed America. I think America, however, is failing the truck drivers"Pedro said it's a chain reaction that's causing disruptions for customers shipping and receiving products. For example, understaffing at companies leads to longer loading times at pickup. That makes the hauler less efficient and keeps them on the road longer for one job. The tougher working conditions then make for a less attractive job position-- and so on. "Some drivers feel they get no respect and that's true," Pedro said. "The only time you care about them is when you don't have toilet paper on the shelves and then they're heroes if you're waiting on toilet paper. But they're heroes every day."Service First Express is hoping to hire 25 more drivers in the next month, as it tries to grow to keep up with demand. Company leaders said they feel they have a hiring advantage, being a smaller company that can promise drivers weekends off or being home more. They also offer competitive pay, starting most at $23 an hour and earning more per mile driven. Pedro said the industry is both exciting and dangerous right now. He said he'd like to see some government officials get more involved in the nitty-gritty issues trucking companies are facing, similar to President Joe Biden's recent announcement that the Port of Long Beach had to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We should suspend the limit on hours of service," Pedro suggested. "You have to decide - you want to get the economy going? Or do you want to just sit back and watch what happens when drivers continue to walk away?"If you're interested in working for Service First Express, Inc., visit its website at sfews.com.