The Daily: April 11, 2022
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Good morning, all. How you doin’? 🤝
Predatory truck leases are rampant in the trucking industry - we’re sure you’ve heard some of the horror stories in your own circles. Turns out that the U.S. Department of Transportation has heard some of those stories too.
Today’s Featured Article from Trucking Info lays out exactly what the DOT & the DOL plan to do about it. ☕️
“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.”
– Babe Ruth
Today’s Featured Article:
DOT, DOL to Address Predatory Truck Leasing - Drivers - Trucking Info
“Among the topics to be explored by the Truck Leasing Task Force are leasing agreements among port owner-operators.”
The Latest On…
Electric Vehicles 🔋
Los Angeles to Electrify Its Entire 10,000-Vehicle Fleet | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“Los Angeles plans to electrify its fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles as part of an effort to become one of the first U.S. cities to rely on carbon-free energy by 2035.”
Mack EV Range Calculator Helps Plan Refuse Routes - Fuel Smarts - Trucking Info
“The calculator takes into account battery capacity, refuse body application type, ambient temperature, terrain, and the amount of stops on a specific route.”
Inflation 💸
Soaring Prices Are Changing the Way People Eat | 2022-04-08 | SupplyChainBrain
“In India, roadside restaurateurs are halving their palm oil use and moving into steamed snacks. Bakers in Ivory Coast want to cut the size of their standard baguette. Sandwiches from U.S. fast-food stalls are headed for fewer slices of bacon, pizzas for a more parsimonious sprinkle of pepperoni.”
Food prices soar to record levels on Ukraine war disruptions | AP News
“Prices for food commodities like grains and vegetable oils reached their highest levels ever last month largely because of Russia’s war in Ukraine and the “massive supply disruptions” it is causing, threatening millions of people in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere with hunger and malnourishment, the United Nations said Friday.”
Podcasting 🎙
Podcast | Solving the Warehouse Labor Shortage: Part 1 | 2022-04-06 | SupplyChainBrain
“Warehousing and transportation providers need solutions for coping with what looks to be a long-term shortage of labor.”
Compliance 📋
How to Follow the China Slave Labor Act | Material Handling and Logistics (mhlnews.com)
“Those who handle imports from China need to be thoroughly knowledgeable about newly imposed and likely to be expanded restrictions on certain imports of commodities thought to have been manufactured by slave labor as described in the recently enacted new law called the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).”
The wait's just begun for oral fluid drug testing | FleetOwner
“All fleets should have every drug-screening method—urine, oral, and hair—at their disposal as soon as possible.”
Leadership 🏆
10 Best Supply Chain Companies of 2021 - Inbound Logistics
“Amid severe and ongoing disruption, organizations that can juggle conflicting priorities to operate agile, robust, transparent, and ethical supply chains are impressive.”
Investors 🤑
SmartHop says $30 million VC round will help deliver better tech tools for small fleets | DC Velocity
“Digital freight matching startup connects independent carriers and owner-operators with better access to dispatching, payments, fuel, lease, and insurance.”
Ports 🚢
Grocery Giant Lidl Purchasing Container Ships Amid Supply Chain Issues - More Than Shipping
“In the midst of supply chain issues, grocery giant Lidl has indicated that it will be purchasing container ships.”
Containers Pile Up At China Ports As Lockdown Blocks Trucks (gcaptain.com)
“Containers full of frozen food and chemicals are piling up at China’s biggest port in Shanghai as a Covid lockdown in the city and compulsory virus testing means truckers can’t get to the docks to pick up boxes.”
Leases & Loans 💰
Oklahoma trucking company owner admits to $43.8 million PPP fraud scheme (cdllife.com)
“An Oklahoma woman has pleaded guilty to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $43.8 million in COVID-19 relief loans.”
Regulations ⚖️
Regulators Modify Some Drug Testing Requirements | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reaffirmed, and in some cases tweaked, the agency’s oral fluid and urine drug testing requirements for federal safety-sensitive government employees, including truck drivers.”
American Economy 🇺🇸
Biden bets strong job market will shield economy from slump | AP News
“The U.S. economy faces plenty of threats: War in Ukraine, high grocery bills, spiking gasoline prices, splintered supply chains, the lingering pandemic and rising interest rates that slow growth.”
Maintenance & Repairs 🧰
Road Ready: New Technology Solutions Link Tractor and Trailer - Equipment - Trucking Info
“Clarience Technologies announced two solutions to one of the challenges of smart trailers – digitally integrating the tractor and trailer.”
Business Strategy 💡
'Walmart is the Harvard of trucking,' says industry expert (cnbc.com)
“Craig Fuller, FreightWaves founder and CEO, on what the worldwide trucker shortage means for the economy.”
Mitigating Supply-Chain Risk With a Multi-Carrier Strategy | SupplyChainBrain
“Shippers need to diversify their supply chains if they are to avoid bottlenecks in the future, says Coby Nilsson, chief executive officer of Enveyo.”
Walmart to Pay Truck Drivers Up to $110,000 in First Year | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“Walmart Inc. is ramping up pay for its truckers as it seeks to shore up staffing amid a nationwide rush to hire drivers.”
When the gauge is broken | Seth's Blog (seths.blog)
“When your watch stops, it’s unlikely that you believe that time is now standing still. It’s obviously the watch that’s broken, not time.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
Congress Makes Russia a Pariah on Trade, Adds Pressure on Putin | 2022-04-07 | SupplyChainBrain
“The U.S. Congress voted overwhelmingly Thursday to strip Russia’s normal trade status with the U.S. and ban imports of its gas, oil, and coal, adding to the economic squeeze by the U.S. and its allies to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government over the invasion of Ukraine.”
Shutting Shanghai Factories; Paying Walmart’s Drivers; Tankers Team Up | Wall Street Journal Logistics
“Manufacturers are struggling to keep some of their China operations going amid widening Covid-19 lockdowns.”
Footwear Nearshoring Is 'Unrealistic,' Trade Group Chief Says | 2022-04-07 | SupplyChainBrain
“Recent global events have put extreme pressures on Asia-heavy supply chains of top American footwear brands, but it’s unlikely the majority will follow the example of New Balance and pursue U.S. manufacturing, says Matt Priest, CEO and president of Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA).”
News Bag 📰
Supply Chain Graphic of the Week: Where is US Warehouse Construction Happening? | SC Digest
“US developers are building space at a rapid pace - but it's not enough to keep pace with e-commerce-driven demand.”
This Week in Logistics News (April 2 – 8) - Logistics Viewpoints
“Anyone that has seen the movie Forrest Gump remembers the music montage of Forrest running across the country.”
NRF Says Retail Sales will be Strong in 2022; Stuck Ship to Try Unloading Container; Price of Sunflower, Other Oils, Soaring with Ukraine War; Amazon Workers in New York says Yes to Makeshift Union | SC Digest
“6-8% - That is the predicted rise in US true retail sales for 2022, according to a forecast from the National Retail Federation (NRF) this week.”
Supply Chain Weekly Wrap-Up 04/01/2022-04/07/2022 (allthingssupplychain.com)
“The recent invasion of Ukraine has led to disruptions of almost half of the world’s sunflower oil exports, meaning companies are turning to alternatives for the production of food, ready meals and even wrapping paper.”
Unions 🪧
Amazon, the Union, and the Future of Distribution | SC Digest
“Unless you have been on the proverbial desert island for a few days, you have probably heard that a union has finally gained a foothold in a US Amazon fulfillment center.”
Fuel ⛽️
Lawmakers accuse Big Oil of 'rip off' as some states offer fuel tax relief - TheTrucker.com
“With diesel prices still averaging above $5 a gallon and gasoline above $4, some of the nation’s lawmakers are saying that oil companies may be to blame.”
Human Resources 🤝
Driver churn? ATA says it’s good for you Land Line Opinion
“Hey, driver, you’ve never had it so good! You’re living the American dream!”
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
Pony.ai being investigated for crash reporting noncompliance - Land Line
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating autonomous vehicle technology company Pony.ai regarding possible noncompliance of crash reporting requirements.”
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The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for July 31, 2025, from iLevel Logistics Inc.