Presidential Emergency Board proposes 24% pay increase for rail workers
Good morning! It’s National Photography Day 📸
If you have any submissions of photos of trucks, trains, and other automobiles… send ‘em in! We’d love to take a look.
But in other news - the Presidential Emergency Board, a labor dispute board established by the Biden Administration to mediate between rail worker unions and the railroads, has proposed a deal. A 24% increase in pay over a 5-year contract deal is a major leap of progress in what was otherwise considered a negotiation stalemate between the two organizations.
Check out today’s featured article from Supply Chain Dive to read about the White House Labor Board’s proposal to raise railroad workers’ wages and what this negotiated amount might mean for the railroads. ☕️
Featured Article:
Railroads should raise pay 24%, White House labor board proposes - Supply Chain Dive
“A labor dispute board appointed by the Biden administration proposed railroads raise wages by 24% over the course of a five-year contract, a major step toward resolving a negotiation stalemate that carriers say has made it harder to retain workers and address service declines.”
Collections💰
Peak season charges are being rolled out by Amazon
Peak season is right around the corner - and Amazon knows it. The company unveiled its new “peak season fee” to its third-party sellers due to fulfillment constraints - set to be charged from October 15th through January 14th. A peak season surcharge has never before been introduced by the company to these sellers and has some concerns.
The average cost of translation in North America will be $0.35 per item sold through the FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). Amazon argues that the fee is being instituted in order to provide for the increased demand and growing transportation costs during the holiday season.
While these costs were previously absorbed by the company without fuss, it seems that nickel-and-diming is becoming more important in the age of inflation.
Sustainability ♻️
Airline catering serves 1 billion people per year
Airlines are searching for new ways to manage food waste while also being one of the world’s largest contributors. Approximately 1 billion people per year are served by airlines while flying high in the sky. And as of 2011, the Food and Agriculture Organization that one-third of the world’s food was wasted every year - leaving airlines as a major culprit.
Most companies are aiming for a data-driven scaling approach when scaling back.
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
DHL Supply Chain’s Digital Transformation in the Warehouse - Logistics Viewpoints
“In 2018, DHL Supply Chain announced its plans to deploy emerging technologies in 350 of its North American facilities.”
NTSB Preliminary Report Sheds Light on Copilot Mid-Air Departure | Flying Mag
“Copilot ‘got up from his seat, removed his headset, apologized, and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door.’”
Leases & Loans 💰
Trucking finance platform vendor AtoB gains $155 million backing - DC Velocity
“Two-year-old startup says its products modernize trucking industry financial transactions like fuel purchase, payroll, and maintenance funding.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
Supply Chain by the Numbers for Aug.18, 2022 - SC Digest
“$606.03 - That was the level of Chinese investment in Mexico in 2021, up 76% from the year before".”
“President Biden signed into law Aug. 9 the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, as part of an industrial strategy to revitalize domestic manufacturing, create good-paying American jobs, strengthen American supply chains, and accelerate the industries of the future.”
Ports 🚢
Ports Giant DP World Says Outlook Uncertain after Record First-half Profit - Marine Link
“Dubai-owned ports giant DP World reported on Thursday a record $721 million first-half profit boosted by elevated shipping rates but said it expected its profit, revenue, and container growth rates to moderate in the rest of the year.”
Another Month of High Volume at Port of L.A., While Exports Continue to Fall - SupplyChainBrain
“July saw another “outstanding” month for cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles and wait times were down, said port executive director Gene Seroka, while noting that exports had continued to decline for three years.”
GT USA enabling a turnaround of the Port of Wilmington - AJOT.com
“October 3rd, 2022, will mark GT USA Wilmington’s (GTW) fourth year into a 50-year concession agreement managing and operating the Port of Wilmington in Delaware.”
Driver Issues 🚛
“Challenger Motor Freight (CCJ Top 250, No. 77) is working to onboard a new member to its driver roster: a young woman of South Asian descent.”
NTDC Drivers Take On ‘Tough’ Course | TT News
“The intricate course at the National Truck Driving & Step Van Driving Championships is pushing competitors to perform at a high level.”
Yellow opens 4 new driving academies in push to train 1,000 drivers | Transport Dive
“Yellow Corp. recently opened four more company-sponsored driving academies as it seeks to train new drivers in a challenging labor environment, President and COO Darrel Harris said during a Q2 earnings call.”
Electric Vehicles 🔋
Kenworth's electric future | Fleet Owner
“Speaking at Paccar headquarters, Kenworth executives outlined the company's expectations of the electric vehicle market for the coming decades, and how Kenworth's investments in battery-electric and hydrogen trucks are preparing for it.”
Gas-powered muscle cars drive into the sunset, turn electric | AP News
“Thundering gas-powered muscle cars, for decades a fixture of American culture, will be closing in on their final Saturday-night cruises in the coming years as automakers begin replacing them with super-fast cars that run on batteries.”
Silicon Valley is wrong about the future of transportation | VOX
“How the car took over America and how we can take it back.”
Warehousing 📦
Report: Industrial real estate market remains ‘strong and stable’ | DC Velocity
“Warehousing and industrial space remain at a premium; leasing volume increased 6% year-over-year in Q2, led by logistics, distribution and 3PLs, JLL report shows.”
Business Strategy 💡
The Unintended Consequences Of Inconsistent Freight Procurement | Talking Logistics
“When you think of supply chain management, capabilities such as agility, responsiveness, and flexibility often come to mind.”
Sustainability ♻️
Supply Chain Graphic of the Week: Interesting Chart on CO2 Emissions - SC Digest
“An article this week in the Wall Street Journal detailed actions a group of state attorney generals are taking against giant investment firm BlackRock, accusing the firm of forgoing shareholder returns in persuit of climate change goals, more specifically "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050.”
Supreme Court EPA Decision Could Affect More Than Power Plants | TT News
“This summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling limiting how the Environmental Protection Agency regulates power plants could have far-reaching implications for other regulations, not only from the EPA but also from other agencies.”
Rail 🚂
Legislators Try to Wrangle Railroads Into Line - MHL News
“New bill targets service deterioration and unfair demurrage practices.”
California GO-Biz official describes Newsom’s supply chain strategy - AJOT.com
“California is developing a supply chain strategy to help ports, trucking and the railroads, according to Trelynd Bradley, a Deputy Director with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).”
President Biden’s Oil and Gas Leasing Freeze Reinstated by Court - G Captain
“President Joe Biden won temporary permission to once again pause energy leasing on federal lands and waters, after a US appeals court found a trial judge’s order against the moratorium too vague to review.”
Leadership 🏆
Q&A with Ivalua’s Global Head of Manufacturing Sundar Kamak | Supply Chain Digital
“We chat to Ivalua’s Sundar Kamak about how manufacturers can tackle ongoing supply chain disruptions through risk management and digital transformation.”
Fuel ⛽️
Gasoline and range anxiety | CCJ Digital
“There are a few locations in the U.S. where you can experience gasoline range anxiety firsthand.”
Maintenance & Repair 🧰
Best practices to avoid ADAS maintenance mishaps | Fleet Maintenance
“As ADAS technologies are further adopted, fleets and shops must ensure their maintenance best practices take into account how connected these systems are to the rest of the commercial vehicle.”
Covid-19 😷
The Pandemic Home-Building Boom Is Over | Reason
“Builders are starting fewer new housing projects but housing construction rates remain steady.”
Health & Safety 🦺
Extreme heat is slamming the world's three biggest economies all at once | CNN
“Estimating just how catastrophic climate change will be for the global economy has historically proven challenging. But this summer, it's increasingly evident how quickly costs can pile up.”
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.