. That raises the risk of a strike, which could start as soon as Dec. 9 under a deadline that was pushed back Tuesday.
And although some businesses would try to shift shipments over to trucks, there aren't nearly enough of them available. The Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that 467,000 additional trucks a day would be needed to handle everything railroads deliver.
Back in September, Amtrak canceled all of its long-distance trains days ahead of the strike deadline to ensure passengers wouldn't be left stranded in remote parts of the country while still en route to their destination. Those companies typically keep only two to four days' worth of raw ingredients on hand because it's expensive to store them, Madrecki said, and grocers also keep a limited supply of products on hand.