Winter storm watch issued for drivers throughout the Northeast & Appalachians
Good morning! Happy Friday, folks. What’s the weather like where you’re at? ❄️
Driving a semi-truck in the snow can be dangerous for several reasons. First, semi trucks are much larger and heavier than most other vehicles on the road, which makes them more difficult to control in slippery conditions. Second, the long trailer that a semi-truck pulls can make it more prone to jackknifing, which can be particularly dangerous on slippery roads. Additionally, the high center of gravity of a semi-truck can make it more susceptible to rollovers in snowy conditions. Finally, semi trucks often have to travel at high speeds on highways, which can be particularly treacherous in the snow.
For all these reasons, it is important for semi-truck drivers to exercise caution when driving in the snow. Even more so this week as The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch through this afternoon in the Northeast and the central Appalachian Mountains.
Check out today’s featured article from The Trucker to read about the storms heading to some of the most-traveled highway corridors across the country and where drivers - and truckers - should take extra care. ☕️
Featured Article:
“Icy weather from a huge winter storm began earlier this week by dumping heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada and is predicted to bring ice and snow to the eastern U.S. in the coming days.”
Owner-Operations & Regulations ⚖️
Trucking industry warns DOL that modifying federal worker classification rules would be catastrophic
The Biden Administration’s Department of Labor is currently sifting through upwards of 50,000 comments regarding its proposed modification of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the Federal Register. The overwhelming consensus among truckers? It’s a bad idea.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record-keeping, and child labor standards for employers and employees in the United States. The law applies to most private-sector employers and employees, as well as some public-sector employees. The FLSA sets the national minimum wage and requires that most employees be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek and sets strict limits on the amount of work that can be performed by minors. However, the sticking point for the trucking industry falls in the worker classification definition. If changed, owner-operators will no longer be able to be classified as independent contractors.
The American Trucking Association has been a vocal opponent of the proposal, labeling the move as a “blunderbuss approach”. Congressional leaders seem torn over the proposal, with the GOP arguing rule modification would be devastating to the economy and Democrats arguing that the move would protect workers.
Congress & Driver Issues 🚛
Bipartisan bill introduced to Congress guarantees restroom access while waiting on pickup or delivery
Truck drivers often have a difficult time finding restrooms because they are frequently on the road and may not know the area they are in well. Additionally, truck stops and rest areas can be crowded, making it hard to find an available restroom. In some cases, truck drivers may have to drive long distances to find a suitable place to stop and use the restroom. This can be inconvenient and time-consuming, and can also make it difficult for truckers to properly plan their routes.
Enter, the legislative branch. In a bipartisan venture led by Rep. Troy Nehls, (R-TX) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, (D-PA), a bill was introduced to Congress that aims to ensure that truck drivers have restroom access when they are queuing at a shipper or receiver. The bill has some large supporters in the industry, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Women in Trucking Association.
Let’s Get Global 🌎
Snitch GIF via Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory/GIPHY
🇨🇳 China is calling out the U.S. to the WTO. China has filed an official complaint with the World Trade Organization over the United States’s export controls on the nation, designed to limit China’s ability to increase its domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry. It’s likely that an enhancement of China’s semiconductor sector would also better equip its military forces and technology. Calling America’s move “economic protectionism” and claiming that it undermines trade rules, China is labeling the United States’s efforts to inhibit China’s growth as a threat to the global supply chain. The WTO’s appeals process is notoriously taxing and long, but this complaint is likely to only increase the trade tensions between China and the United States.
🇺🇦 The Russia-Ukraine war has taken its toll on the U.S. economy. The United States’s dependence on Ukrainian and Russian-originated neon gas, palladium, platinum, and pig iron have been highlighted as some of the most affected commodities since February 2022. These commodities will remain in short supply, and the American automotive, electronics, and airplane manufacturing sectors will continue to take a hit.
🇪🇺 European logistics firms are hiring more women in executive roles. Namely, Magdalena Bosson will be taking over the CEO position at the Ports of Stockholm beginning on January 1st of 2023. This port is one of the largest passenger ports on the continent and she will be responsible for handling approximately 19 million passengers and 9 million metric tons of goods each year. Bosson previously served as Transport Department Director at Stockholm City Council and as CEO at new-homes management firm Familjebostäder.
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
🎁 Amazon is focusing on rewarding its workforce during the holiday season. The massive retailer often is the victim of bad press, but it seems that Amazon would only be hurt by having an unhappy workforce during the busiest time of year - the holidays. By getting creative with rewards, as well as increasing employee pay, Amazon will also continue to meet customer needs by improving operations.
💸 Was the Paycheck Protection Program abused by American businesses? James Pierson and Adam Andrzejewski penned an opinion piece for Newsweek on the matter, highlighting the pitfalls of the $787 billion appropriated to businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP Loans were dispersed to businesses and nonprofits in order to pay employees during the height of the pandemic, and 95% of these loans were forgiven. It is questionable, however, just how many of those businesses actually needed a helping hand.
📉 2023 mild recession is on its way, says ATA economist. Bob Costello, chief economist and senior vice president for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) is sounding off his opinion on a “short and shallow” recession early next year. With a potential West Coast dockworker strike still lingering and increasing costs of energy due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Costello is predicting that while there will be a decline early in the year, Q4 will begin the healing process for the economy.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
🔋 Some are calling 2022 the beginning of the electric vehicle obsession. Several legislative moves were made in states like California, which pledged to ban conventional car sales in the Golden State by 2035. Additionally, the European Union is currently making progress in passing similar legislation to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles within fifteen years, as well.
📟 Supply chain management ecosystems are growing. This model is becoming more commonplace across supply chain firms and it is increasing the ongoing and real-time data available to a company’s network and its customers. An ecosystem also has the potential of building resilience and driving innovation for an organization.
👷♀️ Competitive salaries and career growth opportunities can increase employee retention. The logistics industry has fallen victim to high-turnover rates, particularly in blue-collar positions. Talent retention is a key factor in the growth of many companies and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting staggering numbers of job quits - 867,000 logistics employees in August alone. With a turnover rate of approximately 31%, organizations should pay attention to what their happiest employees say keeps them around.
Business Strategy 💡
Four Strategies That Worked | Supply Chain Shaman
Lora writes about a few business strategies that have worked when tackling supply chain problems.
Ryder expands Chicago-area footprint | DC Velocity
DC Velocity Staff writes about the North Aurora, Illinois expansion of a 555k square foot facility for Ryder System, Inc.
Costco slows chartered ship use as supply chain congestion eases | Supply Chain Dive
Supply Chain Dive Senior Reporter Ben Unglesbee and Editor Sarah Zimmerman write about Costco CEO Richard Galanti’s announcement that the big box store will be slowing down its use of chartered vessels.
Ports 🚢
Imports Lull Continues at Port of Long Beach | G Captain
G Captain contributor Mike Schuler writes about still-plummeting cargo TEU rates at the Port of Long Beach, falling by another third last month.
Southern California Ports to Expand Electrification Efforts. | TT News
TT News Senior Reporter Dan Ronan to write about the massive electrification effort underway at Southern California’s ports of LA and LB.
Industry Forecast 📊
Logistics providers report faltering confidence in Q1 business conditions | DC Velocity
DC Velocity Staff writes about the slumming Logistics Confidence Index, signaling poor logistics conditions in the Q1 forecast.
What Will the Supply Chain Look Like in 2023? | MH&L News
MH&L Staff writes about the predictions for the following year in the supply chain industry.
Spot rates keep falling, but threat of rail strike, seasonal demand aid market | Fleet Owner
Fleet Owner contributor Scott Achelpohl writes about the latest DAT Freight & Analytics report on the month.
Network Association 🤝
Watch: The Growing Importance of Carrier Contract Negotiations | Supply Chain Brain
Supply Chain Brain contributor Robert J. Bowman writes about how carriers can no longer overlook contract negotiations when entering into business with shippers.
Trucker Path teams up with Transport Pro to expand load visibility for drivers and fleets | AJOT
AJOT writes about the partnership between Trucker Path and Transport Pro to create the Transport Pro TMS.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for November 28, 2024, from iLevel Logistics Inc.