FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse expecting big changes in 2023
Good morning! Happy Wednesday… or… HUMP DAY! 🐫
“Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.” — Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse has some big changes being implemented on Jan. 6, 2023. One of the biggest changes? Carriers will no longer need to manually reach out to previous employers while interviewing prospective drivers to intercept drug-and-alcohol-related information.
Check out today’s featured article from Fleet Owner to read about the upcoming Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse new compliance standards for 2023. ☕️
Featured Article:
What fleets should know about clearinghouse changes for 2023 | Fleet Owner
“As of Jan. 6, 2023, regulated motor carriers will no longer have to manually reach out to previous employers for drug-and-alcohol-related information about prospective drivers.”
Leadership & Supply Chain Management 🏆
Party City aims to improve supply chain operations with new COO
Party City, the “discount super party store” is on a mission to optimize its supply chain operations. The first matter of business? A big leadership change.
Peter Smith, former executive vice president of the global supply chain for children’s retailer Carter’s, has been hired by Party City to step in as the role of chief operations officer. Party City President and CEO Brad Weston announced the leadership change on an earnings call last week. Smith’s new position will entail the oversight of manufacturing, sourcing, inventory optimization, and supply chain efficiency within the Party City brand. The company also announced that lower demand and inflationary pressures have forced it to roll out a $30 million cost-cutting plan.
Repaid & Maintenance 🧰
Are your international chassis clear for operation?
Domestic chassis manufacturers are protected by the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s combined 221.37% tariff and countervailing duty against the Chinese container chassis manufacturer CIMC Vehicles Group. This tariff will remain for the next five years. CIMC Vehicles Group had a market share of over 75% of all marine and domestic container chassis sales in the U.S. prior to this ruling.
Since the ruling, North American chassis manufacturing capacity has created an opening that many are hoping to fill. The AAR (Association of American Railroads) has comprehensive testing requirements for all intermodal vehicles, including any trailer/chassis that interfaces with North American rail service. Companies face potential liability issues when not taking into consideration the regulations intentionally when it comes to chassis manufacturing.
Let’s Get Global 🌎
Episode 11 Shipping Container GIF via GIPHY
🫠 Demand for global containers plummets while warehouses sit fully stocked. Containers are no longer in hot demand, so retail orders, shipping containers, and ship sailings are being canceled left and right. Unfortunately, there is not enough depot space to accommodate all the containers just sitting around unused. Container owners are likely to be incurring hikes in storage fees to disincentivize longer stays at the congested depots.
✈️ International airlines are being required to pay out $600 million to travelers. The U.S. Department of Transportation fined Frontier Airlines alone $2.2 million for delayed customer refunds. Other airlines on the hook are Aeromexico, Air India, TAP Portugal, El Al, and Avianca. Early in the pandemic, many passengers complained about the lack of refunds after flights were unexpectedly canceled due to Covid-19 restrictions.
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
🚂 A freight rail strike could occur as soon as Dec. 4th. The third largest union - Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or BMWED - rejected the proposed labor contract. With this rejection, the union agreed to a “cooling off”’ period as they work to align their needs and timelines with the other unions that have rejected the labor contract previously. A rail strike could be catastrophic for the country’s supply chain.
🍅 Microsoft launches a “Supply Chain Center” platform to connect ERPs with supply chain solutions. Several new technological tools were unveiled on Monday, including its Microsoft Supply Chain Center - a program designed to assist customers to connect data across various ERPs and third-party supply chain management solutions. Another package called Microsoft Supply Chain Platform permits Microsoft to market various supply-chain-related solutions to its customers.
⚡️ Northeastern United States will require a high-voltage power grid for electric vehicle operation. As EV adoption is expected to accelerate nationwide, the “Electric Highways Study” released this week analyzed what market forces and federal policy changes will require of electric grid interconnections and infrastructure going forward. Transportation analytics organizations CALSTART, RMI, Geotab, and Stable Auto, conducted the study to provide insight into the future of EV highway charging from the states of New York to Massachusetts.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
🕹️ Container devanning is one of the most important warehouse management systems. These systems automate the delivery process and make it easier for logistics companies to manage their freight. “Devanning” is when a company uses digital technology to systematically unload loose items and shipping containers from a vehicle’s load space. Often, the entire operation requires the usage of heavy-duty equipment like counterbalance forklifts.
🚛 Final-mile logistics is the focus of 2023. According to software-as-a-service (SaaS) company DispatchTrack, companies will be taking a closer look at how delivery affects customer satisfaction, profits, and corporate social responsibility as the industry enters 2023. This will likely be done through programs focusing on last-mile accuracy, increased IT spending, and accelerated sustainability initiatives. Climate change and post-pandemic economic realities have companies speeding up their revolutionary decisions.
🔧 Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing is going head-to-head with a new brand of principles: Just-In Case. Instead of demand-driven, agile and lean processes, and breaking down functional silos inside an organization, Just-In-Case principles adopt a probabilistic mindset by factoring in possible events or actions and their probabilities. By exploring options and sensing supply chain disruptions, companies can quickly anticipate what will happen and plan for it, just in case.
Tech 💻
Microsoft Software Tackles Customer Supply-Chain Disruptions | Supply Chain Brain
Supply Chain Brain contributor Bloomberg shares an article about Microsoft Corp.’s newest software venture, Microsoft Supply Chain Center, released on November 14th. The company’s goal is to break into the growing supply chain tech sector.
Microsoft CEO says supply chain platform 'transformative' | Supply Chain Digital
Supply Chain Digital contributor Sean Ashcroft writes about Satya Nadella, the Microsoft CEO. Nadella praised the company’s newest supply chain platform as “transformative.”
Sustainability ♻️
Supply Chain Sustainability Considerations for Transportation Leaders | Food Logistics
In this article, Food Logistics contributor Josh Bouk of Trax Technologies writes about strategic course corrections companies should consider when adding sustainable practices to their supply chains.
Ports 🚢
As U.S. Container Imports Fall, Port of Savannah Reports Second Busiest Month in October | G Captain
G Captain contributor Mike Schuler writes about Port of Savannah reporting its second-busiest month ever in October, even after imports to the U.S. begin to decline.
Fuel ⛽️
Diesel average dips, but more price hikes may be brewing amid shortage concerns | Fleet Owner
Fleet Owner contributor Scott Achelpohl writes about the potential diesel shortage this winter, despite the slight drop in diesel prices.
American Politics 🇺🇸
Democrats to Focus on Climate Change in Next Congress | TT News
TT News Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero writes about congressional Democratic leaders in Congress and their focus on battling climate change.
The infrastructure lobbying frenzy is just getting started | Politico
In this article, Politico contributors Alex Daugherty and John Handel write about the lobbying scramble by states.
Electric Vehicles 🔋
In this article, Phil LeBeau writes about the multibillion-dollar battery component deal for U.S. production won by several companies.
Holidays 🎄
Buttigieg: ‘We’re not out of the woods’ on holiday travel prep | The Hill
In this article, The Hill contributor Julia Mueller writes about the looming holiday travel surge.
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
Supply Chain News: Amazon Introduces New Sparrow Piece Handling Robot | SC Digest
In this article, SCDigest Editorial Staff writes about the new Sparrow robot, unveiled at Amazon. The robot has a mechanical arm that can effectively select individual items from totes and place them into shipping cartons.
Industry Forecast 📊
In this article, SC Digest writes about ass Information Systems and partner Tim Denoyer releasing the ACT Research monthly report.
What Will Be the State of US Supply Chains in 2023? | MHL News
In this article, MHL News Staff writes about global political unrest, lack of raw materials, and rising fuel and energy costs being the primary challenges of firms entering into 2023.
Saia warns it could tap the brakes on 2023 terminal expansion | Supply Chain Dive
In the article, Supply Chain Dive reporter Colin Campbell writes about Saia’s warning that they might delay expansion into 2023 if inflationary pressures don’t improve.
Daimler Truck CFO: Supply chain still ‘broken’ | Fleet Maintenance
In this article, Fleet Maintenance contributor Geert De Lombaerde writes about Daimler Truck Holding AG’s CFO warning, despite raking in more than $1 billion in profits during the third-quarter.
Driver Issues 🚛
Truckers Win Lawsuit Against Unlawful Fingerprint Scans [Video] | Trucking Info
In this article, Trucking Info summarizes the latest episode of HDT Talks Trucking, where they explore some of the most pertinent verdicts in a court of the trucking and transportation industry.
Breaking down the disparities between carriers and drivers | Fleet Owner
In this article, Fleet Owner contributor Cristina Commendatore writes about the top concerns that impact compensation and quality of life on the road for their drivers, as opposed to the top concerns of carriers.
Safety 🦺
Safety a chief focus in 1st meeting of USDOT’s Women of Trucking Advisory Board | The Trucker
The Trucker News Staff writes about the inaugural meeting of the Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) on Nov. 8th where they discussed driver safety as a priority.
Inflation 💸
Fox Business contributor Aislinn Murphy writes about the dire warning being issued by Jeff Bezos.
Yet another key economic report is showing inflation pressures are easing | CNN
CNN contributor Alicia Wallace writes about the easing inflation… hopefully, easing.
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.