The Daily: April 4, 2022
Good morning, it’s another Monday. 🌞
We are regularly droning on and on about the shortages but today we have flipped the coin. The world rushed to stock the supply of Covid-19 vaccines and now seems to have too many of them for a waning market. Even with booster shots, the supply exceeds the demand. Imagine that.
Today’s Featured article from Supply Chain Brain explains the excess doses. 💉
“My definition of wisdom is knowing the long-term consequences of your actions.”
– Naval Ravikant
Today’s Featured Article:
World Moves From Shortages to Possible Glut of COVID-19 Vaccines | 2022-03-30 | SupplyChainBrain
“After racing to build capacity and meet once seemingly insatiable orders for COVID-19 shots, the global vaccine industry is facing waning demand as many late-to-market producers fight over a slowing market.”
The Latest On…
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
Supply Chain Graphic of the Week: Is it Time for Autonomous Supply Chain Planning? | SC Digest
“In a recent article, the consultants at McKinsey say that AI and machine learning in supply chain planning hold the potential to dramatically improve performance for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies.”
Watch: How are AI and Robotics Changing Logistics? | SupplyChainBrain
“Oliver Hedgepeth, professor of logistics with American Public University System online, offers guidance on what warehouse employers and workers must do to adjust to the new age of automation.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
Take Control of Your Imports – Save Time and Money - Inbound Logistics
“Importers can mitigate supply chain disruption and the resulting escalation of costs by taking control of their shipments at origin and moving their goods more strategically.”
Biden trade agenda criticized by senators for lack of ambition | AJOT.COM
“U.S. senators from both parties criticized President Joe Biden’s trade agenda on Thursday, faulting a shortage of ambition for negotiating new agreements and countering China in Asia.”
Tech 📟
FedEx Aims for Anti-Missile Lasers - Inbound Logistics
“In a new move for a carrier, FedEx has requested permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to equip a fleet of its Airbus A321-200 aircraft with an anti-missile laser system that disrupts heat-seeking missile tracking.”
Compliance 📋
DOT report examines efforts to alleviate nation’s supply chain woes - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“According to Bentz, comprehensive visibility to product and data flows and driving real-or-near-real-time network intelligence on what’s really going on.”
Ports 🚢
West Coast port labor talks set for May 12 ahead of July expiry | AJOT.COM
“Talks to hammer out a new labor contract for West Coast dockworkers will start May 12 ahead of the current contract’s expiration on July 1, Jim McKenna, the chief executive of the Pacific Maritime Association representing carriers and terminal companies, said Wednesday.”
General Average Declared for Ever Forward After Unsuccessful Attempts to Refloat the Ship (gcaptain.com)
“Evergreen Marine, the owner of the stuck Ever Forward, has declared General Average following two unsuccessful attempts to refloat the ship in the Chesapeake Bay.”
Diversity 🤜🏻🤛🏿
More Women Are Needed in Supply Chain | C.H. Robinson Blog (chrobinson.com)
“Today, only 10% of U.S. truck drivers are women. That means there is a significant opportunity to alleviate some of the pressure the chronic driver shortage continues to create by attracting and retaining more women across the supply chain.”
Women In Trucking Association Announces 2022 Top Women to Watch in Transportation
“The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announced today its fifth annual list of Top Women to Watch in Transportation.”
Podcasts 🎙
Supply Chain in the Fast Lane Podcast (cscmp.org)
“The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly (SCQ) bring you a new series-based podcast filled with more content, SCM exposure, and pinpointed, deep industry discussions with today’s top thought innovators spanning topics from the end-to-end supply chain.”
Trucker’s Lounge 🧢
VIDEO: Motorist would rather hit a semi-truck than be stuck behind one (cdllife.com)
“A motorist tries to bully in front of a semi-truck in a construction zone — and winds up paying the price for the ill-advised maneuver.”
Pete Buttigieg Is Living His Best Life (msn.com)
“These days, Pete Buttigieg is concerned about the future of democracy.”
Sales 🧾
February Used Class 8 Prices Set Records | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“February’s average retail sales price for a used Class 8 set another all-time record, besting January’s previous high by jumping beyond $94,000 — and sales may have hit their high point, according to ACT Research.”
Small Business 💼
Small businesses ‘disproportionately affected’ by China’s lockdowns (cnbc.com)
“CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng discusses how small businesses are a significant part of China’s economy and face a make-or-break it year as Covid takes its toll.”
Electric Vehicles 🔋
Spring Free EV startup offers 3-year EV leases that target ride-hailing, last-mile delivery drivers (cnbc.com)
“CNBC’s Phil LeBeau reports on a new startup in the electric vehicle space.”
Unions 🪧
Labor groups close in on Amazon in two tight union elections | AP News
“Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York, voted to unionize on Friday, marking the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giant’s history and handing an unexpected win to a nascent group that fueled the union drive.”
Human Resources 🙌
Building new supply-chain management skills for a digital age | McKinsey
“Despite progress over the past several years, companies are still struggling to build the capabilities that their emerging digital supply chains will need.”
News Bag 📰
This Week in Logistics News (March 26 – April 1) - Logistics Viewpoints
“For the last decade or so, my wife and I have had a running joke about how she loves the Foo Fighters but doesn’t know any of their songs.”
Supply Chain Weekly Wrap-Up 03/25/2022-03/31/2022 (allthingssupplychain.com)
“Two key suppliers of neon have shut down operations in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, sparking concerns for chip shortages. Ingas and Cryoin are responsible for 45-54% of the world’s semiconductor grade neon but have halted operations, according to company representatives.”
Above the Fold: Supply Chain Logistics News (April 1, 2022) (talkinglogistics.com)
“Welcome to April. The first of April. You know what that means, right?”
US added 431,000 jobs in March in sign of economic health | AP News
“America’s employers extended a streak of robust hiring in March, adding 431,000 jobs in a sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of a still-destructive pandemic, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the highest inflation in 40 years.”
Inflation 💸
Bullwhip or Just Bull? - Inbound Logistics
“Are shipping lines pricing themselves out of business? Blame the bullwhip effect, a distribution channel phenomenon in which demand forecasts yield increasing swings in inventory. Let's take that idea a bit further.”
The Fed doesn't know how to fight inflation and we're in for a bout of economic malpractice | Fox Business
“The worst inflation in 40 years has belatedly spurred the Federal Reserve to embark on a series of interest rate hikes. The only problem with that plan is that it won’t work.”
Regulations ⚖️
White House sets its sights on true energy independence - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“One could make the case that the plan President Biden announced today to put one million additional barrels, from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), on average—every day—for the next six months does not come as a huge surprise.”
Congressional Negotiations Ramp Up on Supply Chain, Semiconductor Package | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“Recent passage in the U.S. Senate of comprehensive legislation aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of semiconductors is helping to set in motion formal negotiations with House lawmakers.”
Project Cargo 📦
Misconceived Ideas of Project Freight - More Than Shipping
“Many of those employed in logistics understand that the industry has a certain level of complexity with day to day movement of freight.”
Covid-19 😷
China’s new COVID strategy has an uneven impact on supply chains (resilinc.com)
“After nearly two years of rigorous zero-COVID policies, President Xi Jinping told the country’s ruling Politburo Standing Committee in mid-March to make containment policies more flexible to reduce the impact on people and the economy.”
Leadership 🏆
AWESOME Advisor Amy White Explains the Keys to Nike’s Supply Chain Transformation – Awesome (awesomeleaders.org)
“We recently caught up with AWESOME Advisor and Nike Chief Operations Planning Officer Amy White to learn about the innovative ways the Nike team is driving supply chain transformation for the most iconic and beloved sport and lifestyle brand in the world.”
“Not a heavy lift” | Seth's Blog (seths.blog)
“If you work with your hands and your back, avoiding a heavy lift is totally understandable.”
Analysis: Here's *exactly* why Joe Biden's poll numbers aren't getting better | CNN Politics
“Usually when the United States is involved in an international crisis, the president of the United States experiences a bit of a poll bump -- a rally 'round the flag effect that politically benefits the commander-in-chief.”
Insurance 👨💼
Insurance companies proceeding with caution with under-21 pilot program | Commercial Carrier Journal (ccjdigital.com)
“The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot program that will allow under-21 truck drivers for participating trucking companies to cross state lines is currently in the development phase, but it's already drawn attention from both inside and outside of trucking.”
Driver Issues 🚚
Driver apprenticeships prove effective, but ... | FleetOwner
“Fleets need to make the job of the truck driver more attractive—or even the best-recruiting efforts will go to waste.”
Mississippi providing CDL training for homeless people - TheTrucker.com
“The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is working with community partners to eliminate homelessness and help alleviate a truck driver shortage that is facing transit agencies within the Magnolia State.”
Pennsylvania bill addresses restroom access for truckers - Land Line
“One Pennsylvania state legislator is leading the charge to help ensure that truck drivers throughout the state have access to restroom facilities.”
Owner-Operators 🚛
Up until last month, carriers were fairly positive about what 2022 had in store for them - DAT
“The Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association Foundation (OOFI) 2021 Annual Freight Rate Survey is out, and what a year it was.”
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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.