Trucking steps up: Operation BBQ Relief is feeding victims of Hurricane Ian
Good morning! Happy Friday and hit the ground running! Start your weekend right with some Braveheart inspiration:
“Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” – William Wallace
On September 28th, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the western coast of Florida and tore apart much of what was in its path. Operation BBQ Relief, a disaster air nonprofit that includes a team of volunteers and truck drivers, had been on the scene. Founded in 2011, the organization relies heavily on truck drivers to supply post-disaster food distribution sites with cooking equipment and kitchen supplies. With the extra help from the trucking industry this year, the nonprofit has made the post-Ian response their largest in over a decade. They are providing up to 80,000 meals per day to displaced Floridians.
Check out today’s featured article from Supply Chain Dive to read about heartwarming gestures of selflessness and hope that Operation BBQ Relief and its truck drivers are providing Floridians who became the sudden victims of Hurricane Ian’s wrath. ☕️
Featured Article:
How the trucking industry is helping feed a million Floridians after Hurricane Ian | Supply Chain Dive
“Operation BBQ Relief drew volunteer drivers from across the country to deliver much-needed food supplies in the storm’s aftermath.”
Fuel Tech & Sustainability ♻️
Wind turbines see growth as world combats an energy crisis
Are wind turbines the answer? Offshore wind pipeline projects have been growing at a record pace with the United Kingdom leading the charge. The country is currently planning on expanding its wind capacity by 1,000 floating foundations in surrounding waters by 2030. Globally, the world is expected to have 3,200 by the same time period.
Offshore floating windmills are offering an opportunity for the U.K. and neighboring EU to tackle the crippling energy crisis sweeping across its continent. State-of-the-art technology is available, if only we all reach out for it.
Air Cargo & Peak Season ✈️
After years of Covid flight restraints lifted, air freight spot rates are on the decline
Globally, flights were grounded for years due to Covid-19 restraints. Now that the flight paths have opened up wide, flight capacity is growing and air cargo spot rates are shrinking… regardless of the upcoming peak season “swell.” With shipping reliability improving over ocean carriers, some shippers have turned to maritime cargo instead of air in order to save some dollars.
Niall van de Wouw, chief airfreight officer at Clive Data Services’ parent company Xeneta, has advised that any shippers that held on tight and avoided sending out product earlier in the year out of fear of supply chain constraints will likely now benefit from the declining rates.
Company Culture & Safety 🦺
Protect your workers and improve company culture
Safety first, always. Employees should be treated with care, and that includes equipping them with protective equipment and creating a work environment that values productivity without the expense of an individual’s safety and well-being. In particular, logistics and office workers alike regularly suffer from back problems. While back problems can occur from lasting injury, a worker can exacerbate these issues with constant stress. So what can the employer do?
Exosuits are one method some supply chain companies are turning to. These can reduce back strain and increase the range of motion. With these items, workers can feel not only more valued by their employer, but also empowered with renewed strength and durability. The United States Army is currently one of the leading users of an exosuit.
Let’s Get Global 🌎
🌏 Foreign goods are cheaper than ever to import. This could be because the value of the United States dollar has more purchasing power, up against the Japanese yen and the British pound. However, manufacturers in the United States are likely to suffer from the value of the dollar going up as US-made goods become more and more expensive for buyers internationally. These companies that are still operating primarily in overseas factories are also dealing with unfavorable exchange rates.
🥫 Collecting any cans recently? The Biden Administration is considering a country-wide ban on Russian-made aluminum as another round of punishments for how Russia has invaded the neighboring country of Ukraine since February. Currently, Russia is the second-biggest supplier of aluminum after China - which leads to a western ban on the substance to likely leave the latter to pick up the pace. The ban would also likely bring on another round of fluctuation in prices and more supply chain disruptions.
🇪🇺 How much longer can Europe hold on? The Energy War is waging, and Russia is winning. Sanctions, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical issues regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are showing Europe how energy-dependent it is. Immediate shortages are a severe problem and the union is currently under-equipped to handle the challenges. An energy transition is still in process but has long been dependent on cheap Russian hydrocarbons that have now been cut off at the knees.
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
💸 Buckle up, inflation doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. Compared to September 2021, energy and food costs have risen by 6.6% - this is the quickest jump in forty years. Overall prices rose 8.2% during the same period of time. With August to September prices increasing 0.4% faster than in July to August increase, the government is recognizing the problem. The Federal Reserve has already raised the rates sky-high, but it’s likely that the record heights will continue.
👗 Returns are all fun and games… until they charge you. Popular retail brands like Zara and Boohoo in the United Kingdom are switching up their return policies for online shoppers. A study titled, “The State of Operations Experience Management Study Series 2022” has discovered that the average cost for a customer making a return is $3.90 with an average wait time for a processed refund being 9 days. In a shocking statistic, considering that adopting sustainable practices is a major trend in the retail clothing industry, 87% of retailers in the U.K. do not offer paperless returns. On the eve of a peak season that is signaling reduced spending by customers, it should seem that retailers should be more concerned than ever with providing a seamless returns experience.
🚙 Got a side gig? Might be time to reevaluate. The Biden Administration is taking a look at how companies classify independent contractors, which includes the likes of Instacart and Uber. The aim? Reclassifying them as employees. It follows suit with the controversial California AB5 law, which early on, effectively made freelance labor an impractical form of work. Trucking, in particular, is deeply affected by this legislation, removing many work opportunities for those who choose to be owner-operators.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
🤖 Can robots and automation really improve a process? Artificial Intelligence may be considered a type of marketing gimmick at this point, but AI does give a company a competitive edge. Implementation and optimization of artificial intelligence require a holistic approach. If a company’s goal is to transform an area of manual input into a more efficient process, AI is the answer.
🌬 Chicaaaaaaaaaago! The Windy City is known for being a logistics hub, but it’s now introducing multi-level warehouses to its arsenal. Full-size tractor-trailers can now climb to the second story in order to make full use of space. The traditional one-story warehouses are now a thing of the past as historically low employment rates and rising rapid shipping demand are forcing warehouse builders to move into urban areas. Sometimes, that means the only way you can build is vertical.
👩💻 I’d like to keep that private, please. Data privacy regulations are the new normal as companies migrate into increasingly online systems. Any personal data gathered at an organization should be protected with the utmost data security measures and there are several reasons why that is critical for a business’s survival. Data breaches of wide magnitudes have been reported at Home Depot, Target, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Industry Forecast 📊
U.S. imports drop but port delays remain | Supply Chain Management Review
Supply Chain Management Review Staff write about the recently released October report by Descartes Systems Group regarding the global shipping crisis. Numbers show that port delays are remaining consistent due to Chinese imports increasing and decreasing U.S. imports.
Network Association 🤝
Cabify To Pump $20 Million Into New Logistics Unit | Forbes
Forbes contributor Jonathan Keane writes about the Madrid, Spain-based taxi company’s big investment into a logistics business unit to further oversee delivery functionality for customers.
Leadership 🏆
J&J health supply chain chief Stevens is STEM role model | Supply Chain Digital
Supply Chain Digital contributor Sean Ashcroft writes about the Worldwide VP of Consumer Health Supply Chain at Johnson & Johnson, Meri Stephens and her professional advice on STEM in the supply chain.
Safety 🦺
ATRI report shows inspections are key in curtailing big truck crashes | The Trucker
The Trucker News Staff writes about what can be done to prevent large and fatal crashes with big rigs. Studies by the American Transport Research Institute (ATRI) show that inspections could play a key role.
Ports 🚢
Ports under pressure as strikes over pay continue worldwide | Container News
Container News Managing Editor Antonis Karamalegkos writes about the worldwide strikes affecting ports across the globe, from South Africa to Europe.
American Politics 🇺🇸
Congressional Republicans Question Biden Administration Policies | Transport Topics
Transport Topics Senior Reported Eugene Mulero writes about the growing tension between GOP leaders and the Biden Administration as more energy-focused policies are rolled out.
Compliance 📋
Speed limiter proposal eyes June 2023 unveiling | Land Line
Land Line contributor Mark Schremmer writes about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s expectation to release its findings on the speed limit proposal next summer.
Company Culture 🎉
You’re going back to the office. Your boss isn’t. | Vox
Vox contributor Rani Molla writes about the trend of high-level employees remaining in work-from-home situations while they order the rest of the office to be back in-person. Lower-level employees are finding ways to fight back.
Maritime 🌊
New Polymetallic Nodules Collection System Tested Key Region of the Pacific Ocean | G Captain
G Captain contributor Mike Scholar writes about the new collection system of polymetallic nodules from the Pacific Ocean’s seafloor within the 1.7-million-square-mile fracture zone called the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ).
Video: Great Lakes Historical Society Finds Wrecked "Whaleback" Barge | Maritime Executive
Maritime Executive shares the story of the discovery of a Great Lakes whaleback barge by The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in Lake Superior. Barge 129 went down on October 13, 1902, off of Vermilion Point and luckily the entire crew survived by escaping via lifeboat.
Sustainability ♻️
MTS Logistics held its second annual Clean Oceans Project in Izmir, Turkey on October 8th, including 250 participants for the educational environmental training and cleanup event. Many of the participants were children between the ages of 4 to 15 years old, encouraging the younger generation to carry on environmentalism as they grow.
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
ZF Unveils Autonomous Driver Safety System | Trucking Info
Trucking Info contributor Jack Roberts writes about the new autonomous driver safety system unveiled at the Transportation Research Center outside of Columbus, Ohio, by ZF Technology.
Werner wants to ‘stay at the forefront’ of autonomous tech | Transport Dive
Transport Dive Associate Editor David Taube writes about the carrier Werner Enterprises making moves to be at the head of the autonomous tech revolution in trucking.
Regulations ⚖️
Labor Department wants to redefine independent contractors | Fleet Owner
Fleet Owner Staff writes about the newly proposed federal rule to modify the definition of independent contractors.
Space Logistics 📡
CNBC contributor Michael Sheets writes about Amazon changes in rocket carriers, from ABL’s RS1 rocket to ULA’s Vulcan rocket, in preparation for the test of its Kuiper satellites. This change will result in a delay to the first quarter of 2023.
Infrastructure 🛠
White House aims to speed-up pace of building infrastructure | AP News
AP News contributor Josh Boak writes about the Biden Administration’s push to speed up efforts to modify the country’s infrastructure.
NYC Congestion Pricing "Comes at the Expense" of New Jersey | Supply Chain Brain
Supply Chain Brain shares an article about the back-and-forth between New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Manhattan regarding the proposed traffic congestion pricing toll.
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.