Rail-linois Triumph 🏆
Good morning! Greetings, logistics enthusiasts and supply chain connoisseurs! As summer's scorching heat takes center stage, it's time to cool off with a delightful treat that brings back fond childhood memories for many - the beloved ice cream sandwich. Today, on National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, we dive into the delectable world of frozen delights and explore how supply chains and logistics play a crucial role in ensuring these scrumptious treats reach eager consumers across the nation.
So sit back with your frozen treat and read the brand new Work Day Dash on this fine Wednesday morning. 🍦☀️
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During a visit to Central Illinois, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined local officials to highlight federal infrastructure investments in the region. As Senator Dick Durbin took the stage, an Amtrak train made a fitting cameo, underscoring the significance of rail projects. Buttigieg emphasized the importance of addressing railroad crossings, and in Savoy, he celebrated a $22.6 million federal grant for a grade separation project on Curtis Road. The Brush College grade separation project in Decatur, funded with $16 million from the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, aims to alleviate traffic jams caused by train congestion.
Buttigieg praised Illinois for investing in infrastructure and stressed the importance of safety in the country's railroad network. After the event, Buttigieg headed to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a "fireside" chat with engineering students and faculty. He and other officials also planned to tour a rail management facility in East St. Louis operated by MetroLink.
Check out today’s featured article from Pantagraph to read more about what the US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg was doing in central Illinois. Will this investment help in the long run? Will Buttigieg help with traffic and rail work?
In Central Illinois stop, Buttigieg calls rail projects 'a win' for region | Pantagraph
“As Sen. Dick Durbin reached the podium, located outside on a patch of grass just south of Curtis Road, a southbound Amtrak train whisked by on the nearby railroad tracks that run parallel to U.S. 45.”
Trucking & Electric Infrastructure
Tesla's Ambitious Plan Includes Forging a Texas-to-California Semi-Charging Route
Tesla Inc. aims to secure nearly $100 million from the U.S. government to construct nine electric semi-truck charging stations along a route from Texas to California, as revealed in emails seen by Bloomberg News. Each station is proposed to have eight 750-kilowatt chargers for Tesla Semi vehicles and four chargers for competitor trucks.
This initiative, if successful, would establish the first-of-its-kind charging network in the U.S., enabling long-haul electrified trucking between Texas and California, while addressing the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the commercial trucking sector. Tesla has sought support from Texas officials to include the project in its funding application for federal grants available through a new bipartisan infrastructure program. The project's viability and the potential for further delays in Tesla Semi production remain uncertain.
Law & Taxes
Maricopa County Transportation Tax Measure Triumphs in Legislature Following Intense Battle
The Arizona Legislature approved a bill allowing Maricopa County to hold a transportation tax election in the coming year. The proposed measure seeks to extend a half-cent sales tax to fund transportation projects over the next 20 years. The estimated $14.9 billion raised through the tax would be allocated to freeway projects (40.5%), transit (37%), and arterial streets and intersection improvements (22.5%). The bill faced heated debates, leading to major changes that favored road projects over transit initiatives.
The plan's prohibition on spending money for light rail expansion generated significant controversy. Despite some disagreements among Republicans, the bill received bipartisan support and is expected to appear on the November 2024 ballot in Maricopa County.
Let’s Get Global 🌎
Checking out the scoop outside of the United States…
🌴 Supply Chain Report Investigates Deforestation Linked to Palm Growing in Colombia. An investigation by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Netherlands and AidEnvironment analyzed the palm oil supply chain in Colombia. The study focused on six case studies of companies involved in palm oil production and marketing. Colombia is the fourth-largest palm oil producer in the world, but experts highlight a lack of progress in the country's palm oil supply chain traceability. The investigation revealed risks and threats of deforestation in areas where palm oil companies operate, with significant hectares of land burned and deforested between 2021 and 2022.
🇨🇦 Canadian Trucking Company Ordered to Rehire Truck Driver Fired for Drinking and Driving. A female truck driver was fired by Groupe Robert, a Canadian trucking company, after a crash on June 30th, 2022. The incident caused damage to the truck but did not result in injuries. The driver admitted to consuming at least nine beers before the crash and later informed her employer that she was an alcoholic. She sought help for her drinking problem after the incident. The driver argued to an arbitrator that the company could have installed a breathalyzer in her truck or offered her a different position instead of termination. The arbitrator ruled in favor of the driver, considering alcoholism a disability, and ordered the company to rehire her as a truck driver, stating that they should have made reasonable accommodations for her condition.
iLevel With You 🏡
More topics for the average American household to consider…
👗 Walmart's Bold Step Towards Sustainable Fashion. Retail giant Walmart has set its sights on promoting sustainable fashion within its supply chain. The company aims to adopt eco-friendly practices and materials in its clothing production processes. By prioritizing sustainability, Walmart intends to reduce its environmental impact and support responsible practices in the fashion industry. This move reflects Walmart's commitment to addressing the environmental challenges associated with clothing manufacturing and promoting more ethical and sustainable fashion options for its customers.
🚛 Uber Freight Reports Widening EBITDA Loss Compared to Last Year, But Shows Improvement from Q1. Uber Freight reported a significant decline in its second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) compared to a year ago but showed improvement sequentially. Despite the addition of Transplace, the company has experienced three consecutive quarters of negative EBITDA following three quarters of barely positive EBITDA. Second-quarter EBITDA was negative $14 million, down from positive $5 million in the corresponding quarter last year, but it improved from the negative $23 million in the first quarter. Uber Freight's revenue has steadily declined, with figures including Transplace results since the beginning of 2022. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi acknowledged the challenges of the soft market and highlighted rigorous cost management, operational enhancements in Mexico, and the company's long-term growth prospects. However, there was no discussion of Uber Freight on the conference call with analysts.
🔋 Baltimore's 2050 Transportation Plan Continues Auto-Centric Approach. In their commentary published in The Baltimore Sun, Samuel Jordan, Eric Norton, and Michael Scepaniak criticize Baltimore's new regional transportation plan, Resilience 2050, for perpetuating an automobile-centric approach. The plan allocates a significant portion of funding, about $7 billion, to expand roads and highways, while only around $5 billion is allocated for new transit projects. The authors argue that relying on road expansion to address congestion has historically been unsuccessful. They call for a transportation system that offers choices, promotes economic growth, ensures safety for all users (including cyclists, pedestrians, and people with disabilities), and helps reduce carbon emissions.
Get Smart 🧠
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
🧑🏽💼 Labor Department Initiates Program Aimed at Reducing Warehouse Injuries. The Department of Labor has launched a three-year "national emphasis program" aimed at improving workplace hazard prevention in warehouses, distribution centers, processing facilities, and high-risk retail establishments. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will conduct safety inspections focusing on industrial vehicle operations, material handling and storage, and walking and working surfaces. The program will target premises based on their industry codes or inclusion on a list of retail establishments with high rates of injury and illness. This initiative comes as workers in the warehousing and distribution sector experience higher nonfatal injury and illness rates than the average rate in all private industries. The Labor Department aims to create permanent change in workplace safety through its enforcement efforts.
🚗 BMW warns of supply chain and inflation challenges in the future. German automaker BMW has raised its outlook but anticipates challenges ahead related to its supply chain, electrification trends, and inflation. The company's margin guidance and similar expectations from rival Mercedes are being closely examined by Yahoo Finance Autos Reporter Pras Subramanian.
💰 TFI Experiencing Surge in Shipments Following Yellow's Closure. TFI International's U.S. less-than-truckload operation, TForce Freight, experienced a significant increase in daily shipments, around 3,000, following the announcement of rival Yellow Corp.'s closure. TForce Freight had been handling 23,000 shipments per day but saw a boost after customers sought alternatives due to Yellow's demise. TFI's CEO, Alain Bedard, viewed Yellow's exit as a positive development, removing a low-price competitor from the market. The company aims to build density in the U.S. network, focusing on existing customers who previously used Yellow. Bedard also discussed TFI's revenue declines and efforts to improve the TForce unit's operating ratio. Additionally, TFI plans to allocate $500 million for acquisitions and share repurchases, and a contract with Teamsters was ratified, securing wage increases for TForce Freight employees.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for November 27, 2024, from iLevel Logistics Inc.