Public supply chain companies are leading in employing people of color
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Good morning. Happy Tuesday.
According to a recent survey by Gartner and the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), publicly-held organizations staff more people of color. This survey was taken in December 2021 among 384 supply chain professionals located in the U.S., Canada, and Europe - defining the survey as “The Supply Chain Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Survey.” Approximately 35% of the overall supply chain workforce is made up of people of color.
Check out today’s featured article from Supply Chain Management Review for the Gartner Survey results and what it may mean for smaller organizations in the supply chain industry. ☕️
Good Morning Love GIF By Travis Foster via GIPHY
Featured Article:
“Joint survey with Association for Supply Chain Management found that at every level, representation of people or color is much higher when the company is publicly held, representing 35% of the overall supply chain workforce in publicly held companies and 13% of vice presidents.”
Water Cooler Topics
🍺 Beer is the latest casualty of the supply chain crisis - sriracha and popcorn are not far behind. Your local grocery shelves were lacking toilet paper back in 2020, but with the baby formula shortage of 2022 causing panic among the U.S. parents, the comfort food supply chains seem to wear thin now as well. Manufacturers are struggling to make enough glass bottles and aluminum cans, which affects the number of products that can be pushed to the store and later, the consumer. Additionally, items like onions, peppers, and tomatoes are in short supply.
🇨🇦 Canada’s National Railway Co. workers have had enough: it’s time to strike. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers lead negotiator announced the strike this week after negotiations failed. An operational contingency plan is being put into effect by the Railway, however, discussions for de-escalation are still in progress.
🌦 Climate change is taking a toll on the transportation industry. While many businesses are reevaluating their business model to take advantage of the current supply chain disruption, one issue that is at the top of regulators’ minds is the effect of transportation on the environment. With electric vehicles rushing to the forefront of the industry, it is a key consideration for companies to consider carefully the companies they partner with and if their environmental goals align.
West Coast port labor talks remain unresolved
Supply chain disruptions are nothing new as of late, but the looming deadline on port workers’ contracts and the lack of progress in union negotiations with West coast ports have industry experts biting their nails.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers are responsible for loading and unloading the ships that come into port. Approximately 16,000 members of the union have contracts due to expire on July 1st.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced motor carriers to embrace change
The trucking industry had a reputation for sticking around in the “dark ages” - until the pandemic forced them to step into the light.
Major changes started with drivers, exacerbating a shortage challenge that existed long before the supply chain snarls created by shutdowns, vaccine requirements, and early retirements. Driver pay rose significantly as private fleets fought to keep their workforce intact, and increased freight demand for economic recovery leaves companies scrambling to find footing in their new age.
Tech 📟
High-tech revolution | DC Velocity
“The past two years have changed the supply chain landscape in a way that some say only technology can address.”
Business Strategy 💡
“Anytime you have a chance to talk to an executive vice president in charge of the global supply chain of a nearly $12 billion corporation, you know you will learn some things. Cameron Bailey, EVP of Global Supply Chain at VF Corporation, did not disappoint. Mr. Bailey has worked most of his career at VF – as an industrial engineer in facilities, in strategic sourcing, running offshore operations, and now as the person in charge of the company’s entire supply chain.”
Watch: How Can You Put Suppliers at the Core of Your Business? | SupplyChainBrain
“Christian Schuh, senior partner and managing director of Boston Consulting Group, emphasizes the importance of knowing, and working closely with, one’s major suppliers in a multi-tier manufacturing supply chain.”
Rider is taking a nimble approach to e-commerce logistics in Pakistan | TechCrunch
“Rider is on a mission to provide online shoppers in Pakistan with “Amazon-like” next-day deliveries.”
CBD looking at ‘an integrated regional logistics system - CNW Network (caribbeannationalweekly.com)
“The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it is looking at “an integrated logistics system, transportation system” for the region developing various aspects of infrastructure such as the ports, the roads, farms, storage, warehousing, and standards.”
Put people at heart of supply chain transformation - Loseby | Supply Chain Digital
“In April 2022, Procurement Magazine, Supply Chain Digital, and Bizclik Media Group returned to London's Tobacco Dock to host our second Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE.”
Brex drops small business customers as Silicon Valley adjusts to new reality (cnbc.com)
“Brex, the Silicon Valley lender to start-ups, is dropping tens of thousands of small business customers to focus on bigger venture-backed clients, according to co-founder Henrique Dubugras.”
Regulations ⚖️
Ocean Shipping Law Embraces Sweeping Reform | Material Handling and Logistics (mhlnews.com)
“Jurisdiction of the Federal Maritime Commission is expanded.”
Ocean Shipping Reform Act Will Make Supply Chain Issues Worse (reason.com)
“The Ocean Shipping Reform Act fulfills the political need to do something but probably won’t help.”
Climate-related disclosures require more flexibility, OOIDA says - Land Line
“The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to give truckers some flexibility with proposed standards regarding climate-related disclosures.”
Senate Wayfair Hearings Signal Hope For Millions of Small Businesses | RealClearMarkets
“It took nearly four years, but the Senate finally held a hearing on the state sales tax landscape in the aftermath of the landmark Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
After Almost 5 Months, the Russia-Ukraine War Still Greatly Affects Logistics - More Than Shipping
“It is clearly seen that the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war spread rapidly to global supply chains.”
Regional supply chain problems add complexity, says Kinaxis | Supply Chain Digital
“I am an enterprise software entrepreneur with 25 years’ experience in building effective enterprise software sales operations in Asia-Pacific and Japan. Kinaxis combines human intelligence with AI and planning to help companies plan for, and monitor, risk.”
Nation's truck stops say there's no DEF shortage | Commercial Carrier Journal (ccjdigital.com)
“The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has put pricing and availability pressure on anything that flows from or through those countries, including urea – a critical chemical in diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) of which Russia is the world's leading exporter.”
Supply chain woes still hitting CV industry’s ability to meet demand - TheTrucker.com
“Russia/China supply-chain disruptions, raging inflation, higher interest rates and recession potential continue to dominate the world’s economic narrative.”
Russia Is Now China's Biggest Oil Supplier After West Cuts Imports (businessinsider.com)
“Russia beat Saudi Arabia to become China's biggest oil supplier in May, data from Beijing shows.’
Leadership 🏆
Man at WERC: interview with Michael Mikitka | DC Velocity
“As the pandemic recedes, Michael Mikitka, executive vice president of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), is more than ready to get back to the business of education. The group’s recent annual conference was just the start.”
“Despite lingering supply chain disruptions and an extremely tight labor market, most of the largest for-hire motor carriers in North America achieved significant revenue gains and higher profits last year, powered by surging freight demand as the economy rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Maintenance & Repair 🧰
Maintenance strategies for commercial vehicle lighting | Fleet Maintenance
“Industry experts illuminate which lighting specifications and maintenance practices will keep costs low and eliminate fines and violations.”
Block Chain ⛓
Can NFTs Be an Effective Tool for Supply Chain Visibility? | SupplyChainBrain
“To date, the stampede for non-fungible tokens has largely centered on the “ownership” of images, works of art and similar kinds of digital files.”
Safety 🦺
“Pinpointing risks can also help businesses save money as they become more resilient.”
Don’t settle for harmful trucking practices - Truck News
“‘No – I will not settle!’ This comment was delivered very forcefully to me during my Crazy Canuck Truckin Podcast by Adele Hills from Creston, B.C. At the time in her life that she was describing to me, she was bedridden by back injuries and related surgeries and life was extremely difficult.”
Ports 🚢
Half of LA port’s truck gates go unused ahead of peak season | AJOT.COM
“Two years into the crisis that disrupted global supply chains and as US ports prepare for an earlier peak season, more than half of the truck gates at the busiest hub of Los Angeles are still going unused, its chief said.”
Manufacturing 🛠
Vertical Construction Begins on Bronx Logistics Center | Industrial Distribution (inddist.com)
“Developers say the last-mile logistics hub sets a new standard for the New York City industrial market.”
Company Culture 🎉
Microsoft finds Gen Z is redefining the idea of work hustle (cnbc.com)
“Almost two-thirds of Gen Z Americans have started, or intend to start, their own business.”
Travel ✈️
Emirates: Travel demand unlikely to dissipate despite airport chaos (cnbc.com)
“Emirates has said it doesn’t see travel demand dissipating any time soon, even as the industry battles a string of challenges that have led to weeks of flight delays and cancellations.”
Electric Vehicles 🔋
All-Electric Transport Refrigeration Hits the Road [Video] - Equipment - Trucking Info
“Thermo King is investing more than $100 million over the next few years in its Evolve portfolio of all-electric transport refrigeration products.”
How GM, Ford, Tesla are tackling the national EV charging challenge (cnbc.com)
“There are over two million electric vehicles in the U.S., and roughly 55,000 EV charging stations.”
Quote of the Day:
“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And, when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”
— Daniel Pink, author
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.