The Daily: March 23, 2022
Good morning. Happy Wednesday!
You may remember in May of 2021 when the U.S. Department of Labor walked back on the Trump-era definition of independent contractors. It caused quite the ruckus - from Uber drivers to owner-operators.
Fast-forward to today, a Texas judge ruled that the original definition must be reinstated.
So what’s next for independent contractors? 🚛💨
Check out today’s featured article from Trucking Info and find out. ☕️
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell
Today’s Featured Article:
Court Reinstates Trump-Era Independent Contractor Definition - Drivers - Trucking Info
“A Texas judge has ruled that a new, more business-friendly definition of independent contractor published in the final days of the Trump administration must be reinstated, because the Biden administration failed to give enough time to comment on its rulemaking that walked back the Trump definition.”
The Latest On…
Cab Tech 🚛
Can Smart Trailers Improve Driver Retention? - Equipment - Trucking Info
“If there’s a silver lining to the black cloud of the driver shortage, it’s how the focus on retention is exposing weaknesses in fleet operations that can now be addressed.”
Platform Science, Navistar add Virtual Vehicle solution to International trucks | FleetOwner
“Native OEM platform for telematics will work with Navistar’s OnCommand Connection, which the OEM is expanding to all its Classes 6-8 vehicles.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
Covid-driven shutdowns in China need careful monitoring by U.S. ports and supply chains - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“Recent developments in China related to the uptick in Omicron variant infections appear to be shaping up to have a significant downstream impact on United States-bound import patterns, at a time when the ongoing supply chain congestion issues appeared to be showing signs of improvement.”
Ukraine Could Lose $6 Billion in Grain Exports with Ports Blocked (gcaptain.com)
“Ukraine faces a possible grain revenue loss of $6 billion as the blockade of its ports by Russian forces prevents it from selling millions of tonnes of wheat and corn that had been earmarked for export by June, a senior industry official said.”
What are the Advantages of Free Trade Agreements? (morethanshipping.com)
“Although the distance between countries remains the same with the development of technology, transfer capacity and speed continue to increase in all logistics operations.”
Fuel Tech ♻️
Energy Agency: 10 Steps to Save 2.7 Million Barrels of Oil a Day | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“The International Energy Agency says the world could quickly reduce global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day by cutting down on car and plane travel, helping easing the supply crunch caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Ukraine Crisis Reveals New Bipartisan Energy Opportunities | RealClearPolicy
“In just the last three weeks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has significantly altered our national energy policy landscape and dramatically shifted the political dynamics around legislative priorities and political possibilities in Congress.”
TMS 🖥
TMS Keeps the Presses Running - Inbound Logistics
“OVOL USA is one of the world's largest suppliers of paper, pulp, and specialty substrates. Eric Krizay, the company's vice president of corporate logistics, had been searching for a transportation management system (TMS) that would meet the unique needs of all the company's divisions.”
Covid-19 😷
How COVID-19 will Change the Supply Chain in Health Care (allthingssupplychain.com)
“COVID-19 has placed a tremendous strain on the world’s supply chains.”
Health & Safety ⛑
New alternative vision standard for drivers with monocular vision (landline.media)
“The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration is amending its regulations regarding licensing exemptions for drivers with monocular vision.”
Maintenance & Repair 🧰
Steering retention with well-maintained suspensions | Fleet Maintenance
“To keep drivers in your fleet’s seats, make sure your trucks don’t provide a bumpy ride.”
Regulations ⚖️
Five Key Takeaways From SEC’s Proposal for Climate Disclosures | 2022-03-22 | SupplyChainBrain
“The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a 500-plus-page proposed rule Monday that would mandate corporate disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions. It builds on years of voluntary efforts.”
POLA, POLB again push back consideration of container dwell fee to March 25 - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“Going back to when the fee was initially rolled out on October 25, POLA and POLB said that the ports have seen a cumulative 62% decline in the amount of aging cargo on their docks, a tally which has trended up going back to the initial announcement of this fee.”
Senate to Pursue Semiconductor Production Bill | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“For those tracking the $52 billion proposal to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, the focus this week will be on the U.S. Senate.”
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
Supply Chain News: Research from University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University Finds more than 90% of Long Haul Truck Driver Jobs at Risk from Automation | SC Digest
“New research from the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University finds more than 90% of long haul truck driver jobs (trips greater than 150 miles) could be replaced with automous trucks, but notes there are still major barriers to widespread deployment of robot fright haulers.”
RIT Researchers Design System to Smarten Up Warehouse Robots | Material Handling and Logistics (mhlnews.com)
“LiDAR sensors and AI can help improve robot proficiency in the warehouse.”
Network Association 🤝
Thermal packaging provider Cold Chain Technologies makes another acquisition | DC Velocity
“Private equity-backed firm buys Packaging Technology Group to expand its recyclable parcel portfolio for life sciences sector and covid vaccine shipments.”
Electric Vehicles 🔋
What BYD brings to the EV fleet table as a new OEM (fleetequipmentmag.com)
“You used to be able to say, ‘It’s not every day there’s a new truck OEM.’ Thanks to the rapid advancements of EV technology, it now definitely feels like there are new OEMs every day.”
Roth Capital's Craig Irwin discusses the state of the EV and charging markets (cnbc.com)
“Craig Irwin, Roth Capital senior research analyst, joins ‘Power Lunch’ to discuss the state of the electric vehicle market, details behind infrastructure and more.”
Driver Issues 🚚
TCA signs on as official sponsor of national apprenticeship program - TheTrucker.com
“The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) announced Saturday that it has registered as an apprenticeship sponsor with the U.S. Department of Labor.”
Fuel ⛽️
Diesel Ends 10-Week Surge, Dropping 11.6¢ to $5.134 a Gallon | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“The national average price of diesel reversed course and dropped in price, shedding 11.6 cents to $5.134 a gallon, according to Energy Information Administration data released March 21.”
Fuel tax relief efforts adopted, pursued at statehouses (landline.media)
“State officials from California to Maryland are taking steps to provide price breaks on fuel tax collections.”
Human Resources 🧐
What is Unconscious Bias? (womenintrucking.org)
“Has anyone ever told you that in order to succeed you need to lower your voice tone, speak up more often and brag about your accomplishments?”
The Benefits of Hiring Slow and Firing Fast for Businesses - Small Business Trends (smallbiztrends.com)
“The research shows that almost 3 in 4 employers say they have hired the wrong person for a position. This tendency to fill roles with unsuitable employees underscores the need for a slow and calculated hiring process.”
Where are you going? There’s more!
Fixing the Broken Supply Chain Requires a Paradigm Shift | SupplyChainBrain
“COVID-19 has taught manufacturers a bitter lesson. The global supply chain doesn’t adjust well to unexpected or unusual incidents — so-called black swan events.”
Report: Food industry seeks to mitigate supply risks | DC Velocity
“Industry execs say supply chain bottlenecks are top of mind in 2022, and list shipping and container costs, unexpected port fees as top concerns, study finds.”
'Cancel culture: First Amendment's rope-a-dope with U.S. culture | Overdrive (overdriveonline.com)
“So-called “cancel culture,” mob mentality and/or the almighty dollar have struck again.”
Ship Stuck Near D.C. Signals East Coast Ports’ Rush to Expand | 2022-03-22 | SupplyChainBrain
“The $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal doubled its capacity in 2016, allowing the world’s largest cargo ships to sail more easily to America’s East Coast from Asia.”
MODEX 2022 Preview: The Supply Chain Comes Back | Material Handling and Logistics (mhlnews.com)
“Numina has over 35 years of experience as an independent systems integrator in the material handling market and is a trusted resource for discovering cutting-edge warehouse automation solutions for order fulfillment and distribution operations.”
Canadian farmers seek end to rail dispute as shipments halt | AJOT.COM
“A work stoppage at one of Canada’s largest railways stretched into a second day, snarling shipments of grains and fertilizer and lifting fears of a broader economic impact if the labor dispute isn’t resolved quickly.”
Watch: Finding Truck Capacity When There Is None | SupplyChainBrain
“Actually, there is truck capacity available, says Bill Catania, chief executive officer of OneRail. It's just a question of making use of existing services through enabling interoperability — and ensuring visibility of orders in transit.”
Dredgers Get to Work Digging Out Ever Forward (gcaptain.com)
“Dredging around the stuck Ever Forward kicked off over the weekened with two dredges now working to clear mud from the around the ship’s hull.”
“Last week, on March 15th, a new initiative was announced from the Biden-Harris Administration aiming to speed up delivery times and reduce consumer costs. This comes at a time when the supply chain has became a household name for all the wrong reasons.”
“The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge Monday at Truckload 2022: Las Vegas – TCA's annual meeting – recognized eight fleets entering its newly-launched Best Fleets to Drive For Hall of Fame.”
“Oil prices continue to jump as European Union nations consider joining the United States in the ban on Russian energy.”
Ukraine war imperils wheat, but farmers in no rush to pivot | AP News
“Russia’s war in Ukraine could mean changes for Ed Kessel’s farm along a quiet stretch of western North Dakota.”
Repeating Old Oil Mistakes | City Journal (city-journal.org)
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving up already rising fuel prices and inflation.”
Biden warns US companies of potential Russian cyberattacks | AP News
“President Joe Biden on Monday urged U.S. companies to make sure their digital doors are locked tight because of “evolving intelligence” that Russia is considering”
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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.