Critics of autonomous trucks have concerns that developers should consider
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Good morning. Stay hydrated today, especially if it’s a hot one!
Commercialization of autonomous vehicles is the obvious goal, but critics have brought pressing matters to the table. Will technical issues hinder the very progress that autonomous vehicles are supposed to enhance?
Check out today’s featured article from TT News for key concerns being tackled by the most promising AI-focused truck manufacturers. ☕️
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Featured Article:
Autonomous Developers Must Address Tech Concerns | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“Autonomous truck developers are making steady progress toward commercialization, but these companies and their future fleet customers will need to address a variety of technical issues and other operational concerns to integrate this technology into the freight transportation industry.”
Water Cooler Topics
🔋 Raw materials required to build electric vehicles have doubled in cost over the past few years. AlixPartners released a report last Wednesday placing blame on the coronavirus pandemic increasing the price tag on precious minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium. These items are needed to build the batteries required in electric vehicles. Most car manufacturers are passing these costs onto the consumer, increasing the prices of their electric vehicles while the industry makes a push to increase electric-operated vehicles in American households.
🤫 Job openings have been quietly closing, despite the position not being filled. Fears of a looming recession have business owners worried, and rightfully so. Interest rates are soaring, the stock market is tanking, and America’s two biggest private employers (Walmart and Amazon) have announced they are scaling back on hiring. Unemployment claims are still low but have risen slightly and executives are slowing the breakneck recruitment process.
🇪🇺 Another cog in the EV machine is screeching to a halt: the EU is considering labeling lithium as toxic. Lithium is one of the key components for building the electric batteries required for the operation of electric vehicles. This new regulation could put a massive dent in lofty energy transition goals in Europe. The European Commission is weighing this decision, and although it would not ban lithium usage, it would highly affect the current supply chain needed to create electric vehicles. Added administrative issues would also increase the already rising costs for the consumers.
The Department of Labor wants your feedback on worker classification
Defining “employee” and “independent contractor” has been a hot-button issue that the U.S. Department of Labor has been attempting to tackle. The government department is planning two public forums for employers and for workers to voice their opinions on the matter.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is encouraging its members to participate in the forums, especially because the Fair Labor Standards Act has a heavy effect on the trucking industry.
Chassis rentals are taking 3x as long to return, causing dwell time
Truckers are taking 3 times as long to return chassis than they did before March 2020 - the backlog will require more chassis for use, otherwise the dwell time will continue to increase.
TRAC Intermodal currently has about 180,000 chassis across the country. They have been investing in domestic manufacturing over the past few months due to the chassis rental issue and making exclusive deals with steel manufacturers for increasing their inventory.
Network Association 🤝
FedEx buys share of FourKites, launches joint visibility service | DC Velocity
“Parcel giant FedEx Corp. is extending its effort to find valuable patterns in its huge stores of transportation and delivery data, announcing today that it has bought an ownership share of FourKites, and will team with the logistics tech firm to create a supply chain visibility product.”
State of Logistics: Supply Chains Seek to Get in Sync - Fleet Management - Trucking Info
“U.S.-based supply chains remain “out of sync” in 2022, according to the latest annual State of Logistics Report.”
Industry Forecast 📊
“For April, the TCI came in at 3.21, well above March’s -7.38, which was the first negative TCI reading since May 2020.”
Truck Tonnage Rebounds in May - Fleet Management - Trucking Info
“After falling 1.4% in April, American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 0.5% in May.”
“The truckload market is as usual full of “gotchas” for US shippers, many of which may be rethinking strategies for the second half of 2022.”
“Resetting inventories is taking a bigger bite out of shipper budgets.”
Daimler Trucks says it's facing enormous supply chain pressure (cnbc.com)
“Daimler Truck’s CEO told CNBC on Wednesday that shortages of parts are slowing the production of thousands of its vehicles.”
Customer Relations 🤝
Connections matter. What consumers want from brands - SmartBrief
“The pandemic, inflation and a just need for some fun have each changed the way people connect to brands.”
Compliance 📋
Due to the Pandemic Compliance Reporting Drops 30% | Material Handling and Logistics (mhlnews.com)
“‘A culture where employees don’t think others are reporting misconduct has negative implications for the business,’ says a new Gartner survey.”
Blockchain ⛓
Blockchain Tech is Vulnerable to Tampering, a DARPA Analysis Finds | SupplyChainBrain
“By design, the system governing the transactions involving cryptocurrency — called the blockchain — is meant to be free from interference by banks, companies and governments.”
Regulations ⚖️
Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act & US supply chains | Supply Chain Digital
“From today (June 22) US Customs will begin enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), banning all imports from Xinjiang Province in China.”
Fuel Tech ♻️
TealBook and Suppeco offer insight on Scope 3 emissions | Supply Chain Digital
“April 2022, Procurement Magazine, Supply Chain Digital and Bizclik Media Group returned to the Tobacco Dock (London) to host our second Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
US importing baby formula from Mexico to ease shortage | AP News
“The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing logistical support to import the equivalent of about 16 million 8-ounce baby formula bottles from Mexico starting this weekend, as part of its efforts to ease nationwide supply shortages caused by the closure of the largest U.S. manufacturing plant.”
Safety 🦺
The Impact of Small Verdicts on Trucking Companies - Safety & Compliance - Trucking Info
“If you pay attention to local radio and television ads, you may notice attorneys, big and small, seeking to represent those involved in accidents with a truck. Why? Because there’s big money in it for them.”
Business Strategy 💡
Packaging industry reprioritizes amid inflation, supply chain disruption | DC Velocity
“90% of companies surveyed say they have changed how their packaging is sourced due to market forces.”
Chipotle Zeroes in on Supply Chain Traceability and Visibility | SupplyChainBrain
“Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is understandably zeroed in on food safety.”
7 Advantages of 3PLs for Packaging Operations of Ecommerce Businesses (allthingssupplychain.com)
“As your business thrives and offers more products and services, you’ll eventually determine whether or not you’ll outsource shipping and fulfillment operations.”
There's No Supply Chain Visibility Silver Bullet (talkinglogistics.com)
“In my 23 years as an industry analyst, there is probably no topic that has been written about and talked about more than supply chain visibility.”
Rail 🚂
Future of Big Three pickup powertrains: ICE and electric | Fleet Maintenance
“As light-duty fleets debate between trusty internal combustion engine trucks and bold new electric models, Detroit’s Big Three are picking both sides—for now.”
Inflation 💸
“While U.S.-based supply chains are out of sync they are also facing rising costs, according to the 2022 State of Logistics Report.”
Elon Musk Says Recession Is 'Invetiable' and Would Likely Strike Soon (businessinsider.com)
“Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk said a recession is likely to occur sometime in the near future.”
Powell: Fed will decide on rate hikes 'meeting by meeting' | AP News
“Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sought Wednesday to reassure the public that the Fed will raise interest rates high and fast enough to quell inflation, without tightening credit so much as to throttle the economy and cause a recession.”
Fuel ⛽️
Biden to call for 3-month suspension of gas, diesel taxes - TheTrucker.com
“President Joe Biden on Wednesday will call on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months — a move meant to ease financial pressures at the pump that also reveals the political toxicity of high gas prices in an election year.”
Ports 🚢
Port of Rotterdam Container Issues Threaten More Supply Chain Disruptions - More Than Shipping
“Back in March, it was reported that sanctions against Russia due to its war in Ukraine were affecting ports across the entirety of Europe, with many backlogs, disruptions, and looming threats.”
Electric Ferry Claims New World Record (gcaptain.com)
“An electric ferry may have set a new world record after sailing 50 nautical miles on a single battery charge.”
Tech 📟
“New developments in fleet monitoring and telecommunications during the past few decades have significantly altered how fleets track and manage their drivers and mobile assets.”
Air ✈️
Boeing Says Supply Chain Issues To Persist Through Majority Of 2023 (msn.com)
“Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) expects supply chain problems to persist almost until the end of 2023, led by labor shortages at mid-tier and smaller suppliers, partly due to the faster-than-expected return of demand, reported Reuters, citing BA's chief executive on Wednesday.”
Quote of the Day:
“It’s more effective to do something valuable than to hope a logo or name will say it for you.”
— Jason Cohen, founder of Smartbear Software
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.