VIDEO: Thousands of new trucks sitting useless due to global parts shortage
There is a large-sized economic bind for top-selling trucks right now.
Even though they are in high demand from consumers, they are not selling at the moment due to forces out of their control.
Tens of thousands of trucks are parked indefinitely at various locations around the country.
As you pass by the Kentucky Speedway, you can't miss them.
It's a good thing there are no social distancing rules for trucks.
They're packed tighter than rows of tobacco on several of the speedway's lots.
It's a springtime stockpile of Super Duty Ford pickups, gleaming in the sunlight.
They are silent symbols of an industry dilemma.
A global microchip shortage is having a macro impact on Ford trucks like the ones there that were built in Louisville.
Multiple thousands are temporarily stored here until the microchips are available.
"I guess the speedway turned into a parking lot," quipped Rob Scott, who lives nearby.
When he first started noticing them last month, he didn't know what to think.
Usually, the process is to build them and ship them to dealers, who sell them. Now, it's build them, park them and wait.
Johnny Holt, a self-described truck guy, is a regular at the Speedway when it's roarin' with race car action.
Now it is not part of this year's NASCAR schedule and someone has taken his parking spot.
"Kind of shocking," he said, while looking over at the sea of Ford F-series pickups.
"It looks like there's more trucks there than on race day," he said in half-joking fashion.
The vehicles have been there for several weeks, waiting for parts.
"Everybody's been talkin' about it," Holt said.
Similar stockpiling scenes could be found in Detroit, Kansas City and Louisville.
There has been no definitive word on when the shortage will end.
"We're just worried about the economy with all this chip stuff," Holt said. "People are going to start losing their jobs."