The Daily: April 15, 2022
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Good morning, & howdy there. 🤠
The U.S.-Mexico border is experiencing bottleneck jams due to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s crackdown on safety inspections. The snarl has slowed crucial food and equipment shipments, causing the governor to toll back on some of the inspections. But will the threat of long delays keep them at bay?
Today’s featured article from Supply Chain Brain dishes out the details. ☕️
“Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.”
– Coco Chanel
Today’s Featured Article:
Texas Governor Halts Some Truck Inspections on Border Snarl | 2022-04-13 | SupplyChainBrain
“Texas is halting some vehicle inspections at the U.S.-Mexico border after Governor Greg Abbott’s crackdown provoked protests that halted crucial food and equipment shipments.”
The Latest On…
Hours of Service ⏰
What works as 'personal conveyance' in a truck driver's logbook? | Overdrive (overdriveonline.com)
“For company drivers and leased owner-operators, a lot depends on the carrier you're driving for or leased to and its internal policies, as it's fairly common for carriers to set limits on "personal conveyance" -- off-duty driving of the truck for non-work/-business reasons -- that simply don't exist in current regulatory guidance.”
Covid-19 😷
Here’s How China’s Lockdowns Are Rippling Through Economy | 2022-04-14 | SupplyChainBrain
“China’s lockdowns to contain the country’s worst Covid outbreak since early 2020 have battered the economy, stalling production in major cities like Shanghai, and halting spending by millions of people shut in their homes.”
California port chief warns China lockdowns are ‘concerning’ for global supply chain (msn.com)
“China’s weeks-long COVID-19 lockdowns are posing a risk to the global supply chain, one West Coast port director warned on "Mornings with Maria" Thursday.”
Surface Transportation News: Pandemic and migration change transportation plans, supply chain crisis, and more - Reason Foundation
“It’s still something of a cliché to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed America, especially via the large increase in remote work.”
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
Watch: Robotics in the Warehouse: Will It Scale? | SupplyChainBrain
“Customers are turning to robotics in the warehouse because of the technology's modularity and scalability, says Romain Moulin, chief executive officer and co-founder of Exotec Inc.”
Werner launches autonomous truck pilot with AV startup Aurora | Transport Dive
“Werner will pilot the use of autonomous vehicle startup Aurora Innovation's autonomous trucks for weekly runs on a 600-mile route from Fort Worth to El Paso, Aurora announced last week.”
Business Strategy 💡
5 Supply Chain Collaboration Essentials to Mitigate Disruptions - Logistics Viewpoints
“Disruption has become a new normal. Misalignment and disconnections in business can cause amplified problems in a disruptive environment.”
7 Strategies to Reboot Global Supply Chains - Inbound Logistics
“These tips will help your company restart operating systems, processes, and strategies through the new normal.”
American Economy 🇺🇸
Freight industry drives hot demand for trailers as capacity stays tight | DC Velocity
“But manufacturers struggle to set prices and production levels thanks to supply chain kinks, ACT says.”
Trucking Starts Downshifting; Airfreight’s Heavy Blow; Crude Gets Backed Up | Wall Street Journal Logistics Report
“The trucking boom appears to be tapping the brakes.”
DHL Transport Chief sees “so much strength” in the U.S. economy | AJOT.COM
“The U.S. economy is strong enough to avoid a sharp downturn, even as concerns are growing about how long consumers can sustain healthy spending levels amid rising inflation, the head of transportation at Deutsche Post AG’s DHL supply-chain division said.”
Seasonal spot load volumes dip is here, but 'not typical' | Commercial Carrier Journal (ccjdigital.com)
“The spot market has become a major part of shippers’ portfolios in the last two years and more small carriers are relying on the spot market to get their loads.”
U.S. business inventories beat expectations in February (msn.com)
“U.S. business inventories increased more than expected in February amid a moderation in sales, data showed on Thursday.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
Catching up on the global supply chain with Dr. Walter Kemmsies - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with global trade economist Dr. Walter Kemmsies, president of The Kemmsies Group, a provider of industrial and logistics real estate brokerage and consulting services.”
Texas keeping most truck inspections despite border gridlock - TheTrucker.com
“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday defied intensifying pressure over his new border policy that has gridlocked trucks entering the U.S. and shut down some of the world’s busiest trade bridges as the Mexican government, businesses and even some allies urge him to relent.”
Russia-Ukraine War Could Worsen Chip Shortage in the US - Small Business Trends (smallbiztrends.com)
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is threatening to have a detrimental impact on chip manufacturing, exacerbating already concerning shortages in semiconductor chips.”
Electric Vehicles 🔋
Private fleets charge ahead with electrification | FleetOwner
“Before your freight-hauling operation makes this leap, learn how some private carriers are showing the way. ”
Electrification Can Strengthen America’s Energy Security, But Requires New Focus on U.S. Rare Earth and Critical Mineral Supply Chains | RealClearEnergy
“Funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to electrify our nation’s transportation systems, ports, schools, and manufacturing base is beginning to roll out and will propel our economy forward into a new age of connectivity, automation, efficiency, and digitalization.”
Trucker’s Lounge 🧢
A trucking tribute to Kenny Jones, invaluable driving mentor | Overdrive (overdriveonline.com)
“Chip Waterfield, the author of the tribute to Kenny Jones, professional driver mentor from Waterfield's early days trucking, works in safety and operations with Upstaging, Inc., a leader in production/transportation for music/entertainment business clients.”
Supply Chain Graphic of the Week: The Top 10 North American 3PLs | SC Digest
“What are the largest 3PL companies in terms of revenue from US operations?”
Inflation 💸
Retail sales rose 0.5% in March amid inflation jump; import prices hit 11-year high (cnbc.com)
“Retail sales increased 0.5% in March, boosted by a big jump in gasoline prices.”
Producer prices surge 11.2% in March on higher energy costs | AP News
“The surging cost of energy pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier — another sign that inflationary pressure is widespread in the U.S. economy.”
Human Resources 📝
3 innovative ways employers can combat The Great Resignation - SmartBrief
“Employers who are knee-deep in The Great Resignation need innovative ideas, but it’s easy to get distracted by all the moving parts.”
What Is Your Post-Pandemic Workforce Strategy? | SupplyChainBrain
“The last two years have been tough for supply chain and logistics operations in terms of workforce availability.”
Health & Safety ⛑
Tethering device puts end to wheel-off accidents, inventor says | Fleet Maintenance
“Former NASCAR driver Billy Turner, inventor of the TetherTech Hub System, knew wheel-offs were far too common and sometimes deadly. So he decided to do something about it.”
Tech 📟
Report: Supply chain tech investments on the rise | DC Velocity
“77% of organizations plan to invest $100,000 or more in supply chain technology this year, with information-sharing solutions leading the way.”
Ports 🚢
POLA’s Seroka addresses volumes and the need to move containers out of the port - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“Total POLA March volume came in at 958,674 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), for a 0.1% annual increase, setting its third consecutive monthly volume record in the process, trailing May 2021’s 1,012,048 and October 2020’s 980,729 TEU. total first quarter volume—at 2,682,034 TEU—posted a 3.5% annual gain, for its best first quarter on record.”
Inflation 💸
Impact of inflation on logistics remains problematic and requires planning and patience - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“The March inflation figure issued yesterday in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed yet another new high, rising 8.5% annually, and marking its biggest percentage gain going back to 1981.”
Unions 🪧
ILWU’S Adams: “We will get an agreement” | AJOT.COM
“Willie Adams, president of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), said he expected a contract agreement between the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) will be reached but will take time: “We will get an agreement. It takes both sides. Right now, we’re getting ready. Sometime in May, we’re going to sit down, we’re going to get an agreement.”
Compliance 📋
Transportation Leader Peter DeFazio Reflects on IIJA Implementation | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“Over his years in office, Rep. Peter DeFazio has become one of the staunchest proponents for increasing federal dollars to repair and modernize the nation’s infrastructure.”
Regulations ⚖️
Bill would create tax credit for commercial truck drivers - Land Line
“A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would create a tax credit for commercial truck drivers who meet certain requirements.”
Secure Act 2.0 Would Change Retirement Savings and Impact Small Business Owners - Small Business Trends (smallbiztrends.com)
“The Secure Act 2.0 (HR 2954 Securing a Strong Retirement) has passed in the House and is currently up for discussion in the Senate’s Committee on Finance.”
Customer Relations 🤝
Supply Chain News: Many Unhappy Returns Continue for eTailers | Sc Digest
“Customer returns from ecommerce are a huge operational and financial drain on any company selling to consumers on-line.”
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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.