The Daily: March 31, 2022
Good morning, happy Thursday. 😎
It’s the end of the month, and brighter days are ahead. But still, the Great Resignation persists!
In February of 2022, 4.4 million people quit their jobs. For every work-seeking person in America, 1.8 jobs were available. This problem is just seeming to stick, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Abandoned positions lay scattered across the American economic skyline.
So what to do about it? CNN Business throws their hat in the ring - read about it in today’s featured article. ☕️
“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.”
– Sigmund Freud, neurologist
Today’s Featured Article:
The great resignation continues: 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs last month | CNN Business
“The worker shortage has been a hallmark of the pandemic economy -- and it's far from getting resolved. In February, US businesses had 11.3 million job openings to fill, slightly more than economists had predicted.”
The Latest On…
Electric Vehicles 🔋
Lawmakers warn US could lose EV, AV race | TheHill
“As Congress prepares to consider a multibillion-dollar semiconductor investment package meant to develop American independence from China, Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) maintain that the domestic production of electric and autonomous vehicles should be treated as another essential element of global competition.”
Maersk orders 110 Volvo VNR Electric trucks for North America | AJOT.COM
“Maersk to double down on its Electric truck fleet expansion in North America.”
Inflation 💸
Government spending to blame for inflation spike, San Francisco Fed study says | Fox Business
“Ask Democrats and Republicans what is to blame for high U.S. inflation, and they would point their fingers at extremely different culprits.”
Trucking’s Inflation Worries Go Beyond Fuel - Fleet Management - Trucking Info
“Some economists are skeptical that the Fed’s moves to address inflation will work, because the inflationary pressures are not normal.”
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
Waymo self-driving experience: Mostly peaceful and productive (cnbc.com)
“Waymo, a division of Alphabet, became the first company to offer such a fleet to the public in late 2020.”
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
Poland to end Russian oil imports; Germany warns on gas | AP News
“Poland announced steps Wednesday to end all Russian oil imports by year’s end, while Germany issued a warning about natural gas levels and called on people to conserve, new signs of how Russia’s war in Ukraine has escalated tensions about securing energy supplies to power Europe.”
U.S. Importers Are Paying Anything to Avoid Shipping Woes | 2022-03-30 | SupplyChainBrain
“U.S. importers, straining under a tapped-out supply chain, are increasingly offering top dollar for long-term shipping contracts that may not even be honored as they try whatever it takes to guarantee the arrival of their products.”
Supply Chain News: The Four Dimensions of Global versus Domestic Sourcing Analysis | SC Digest
“After two years of global disruptions, and seemingly never-ending geopolitical risk, is it time for some f not many companies to rethink their approaches to global supply chain?”
Ukraine War, China Lockdowns Hit Global Supply Chains | 2022-03-29 | SupplyChainBrain
“Global supply strains that started to ease in early 2022 are worsening again as headwinds strengthen from the war in Ukraine and China’s Covid lockdowns, threatening slower growth and faster inflation across the global economy.”
TMS 🖥
Difficulty is Securing Trucks to Haul Freight is Changing the Face of Logistics - Logistics Viewpoints
“TuSimple Holdings (NASDAQ: TSP) – in its most recent call with financial analysts – reaffirmed that they expect to have fully autonomous trucks on the road in 2024.”
Trucking Companies Find Best Practices in Transportation Management Software | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“To optimize, automate. That’s the long-standing message from users and vendors when they talk about realizing a return on investment for transportation management systems (TMS).”
Covid-19 😷
Modex 2022 keynote: Is it possible to be “pandemic proof”? | DC Velocity
“A strong healthcare supply chain, a commitment to risk mitigation, and a “long memory” will all play crucial roles in fending off future pandemics says CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.”
Maersk Warns Shanghai Covid Lockdown Will Increase Shipping Costs Further (gcaptain.com)
“Danish shipper Maersk said the Shanghai lockdown will severely hurt trucking services and increase transport costs, as China’s intensifying efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 further rattles global supply chains.”
Ports 🚢
Not again! Largest ship ever grounded in Chesapeake Bay stuck in mud - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“Maritime experts and dredgers are working around the clock to free the Hong Kong-flagged Ever Forward, a 1,095-foot cargo ship that’s been stuck on the edge of Baltimore Harbor since March 13, when it ran aground en route from Baltimore to Norfolk, Va."
The Supply Chain Saga at One Port - The Journal. - WSJ Podcasts
“Last year, Covid led to enormous slowdowns along the supply chain, especially at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.”
Compliance 📋
FMCSA Drops Mandate That Drivers Report Traffic Violations to Their Employers | Transport Topics (ttnews.com)
“The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has amended its regulations to eliminate a requirement that interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers annually prepare and submit to their employers a list of their convictions for traffic violations and ordinances.”
Small Business 💼
How Zingerman's Built a Corner Deli into a Food Empire - Small Business Trends (smallbiztrends.com)
“Being from the Midwest, one of my favorite delis has always been Zingerman’s’ in Michigan. But how did it go from a corner deli to a $70M food empire?”
Fuel Tech ♻️
Energy Independence: Where does America go from here? | Fox Business
“Fox Business and Fox Nation teamed up Tuesday to host the Energy Independence Summit, a two-hour event held at Rucci Oil Company in Staten Island, NY, that featured a panel of celebrated hosts and experts in their fields fronted by FBN anchors Maria Bartiromo, Charles Payne, and Larry Kudlow.”
Government 🎩
As Fred Smith Steps Down as FedEx CEO, President Biden Steps In It | RealClearMarkets
“About the great Fred Smith (founder and CEO of FedEx), there are more than a few stories that have followed him over the decades.”
By the numbers: Biden's budget priorities for transportation | Transport Dive
“A proposal to spend $3 billion in freight and highway projects is among the president's requests to Congress.”
Human Resources 🙌
How the 'Great Resignation' Is Actually a Great Opportunity | RealClearMarkets
“Great operators with strong work ethics have been the key to the resiliency of small businesses over the last few years.”
Maintenance & Repair 🧰
Ideal Warehouse Develops Ground Mounted Trailer Support - Equipment - Trucking Info
“Ideal Warehouse Innovations developed a hands-free trailer support system to prevent trailer collapse.”
Blockchain ⛓
Tackling Product Counterfeiting With Blockchain | SupplyChainBrain
“The counterfeit business is booming, at the cost of authentic businesses suffering heavily.”
Sales 🧾
Used Class 8 retail sales, prices higher in February: ACT | FleetOwner
“Used Class 8 retail volumes, or same-dealer sales, were 16% higher month-over-month in February, according to ACT Research.”
Intermodal 🚂
The (Not So) Hidden Benefits of Intermodal - Inbound Logistics
“Shippers that turn to intermodal can ease capacity challenges and save money on long-haul shipments unburdened by pressing deadlines.”
Regulations ⚖️
There is a lot to monitor at the USPS, with the Postal Reform Act looking to make changes - Logistics Management (logisticsmgmt.com)
“Now that the United States Senate followed the House’s lead in signing off on the Postal Reform Act legislation, which is focused on augmenting the financial health of the long-beleaguered United States Postal Service (USPS), earlier this month, questions regarding the next steps still largely remain.”
Fuel ⛽️
Supply Chain News: Soaring Diesel Prices an Existential Issue for Many Truckers | SC Digest
“Surging diesel prices are hitting the bottom lines and especially the cash flow of truckers hard, especially smaller carriers.”
Desperately Seeking Commodities; Branded Supply Chains; Taxing Fuel | Wall Street Journal Logistics Report
“The cutoff in commodities from Russia is changing the global map for sourcing raw materials.”
Trucker’s Lounge 🧢
VIDEO: Tornado thrashes drivers on I-35 in Texas (cdllife.com)
“A driver parked under an overpass filmed the frightening moment that a tornado passed over the interstate.”
Health & Safety ⛑
Operation Safe Driver Week set to saturate North America with cops on patrol - TheTrucker.com
“This year’s Operation Safe Driver Week is scheduled for July 10-16 and will see law enforcement personnel in Canada, Mexico and the United States fanning out in force on thousands of miles of roadways.”
Driver Issues 🚚
Bigger trucks won’t help recruit, retain drivers, survey shows Land Line
“Proponents of proposals to allow heavier and longer trucks say it would counter the alleged driver shortage problem in the trucking industry.”
Company Culture 🎉
Testing new ideas | Seth's Blog (seths.blog)
“What would a focus group have said about the title of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird?”
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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.