Is today’s shipping crisis anything like the shipping crisis of 2008?
Good morning! Happy Taco Tuesday! Here are some words of wisdom in preparation for a taco feast:
“In this lifetime, you don’t have to prove nothing to nobody, except yourself. And after what you’ve gone through, if you haven’t done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen.” – Fortune, Rudy
In 2008, a shipping crisis struck. Sound familiar? Over the past few years, we’ve encountered similar problems… albeit not as a result of China’s Open Door Policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping. That took most of the blame in 2008. So, what can we do to learn from the past?
Check out today’s featured article from More Than Shipping to read about the similarities facing the supply chain today that occurred during the 2008 shipping crisis - is history meant to repeat itself? Or can we stir the ship away from disaster? ☕️
Featured Article:
Will We See a Similar Downturn in the Market as We Did During the 2008 Shipping Crisis? | More Than Shipping
“Today, we take a comparative look between the 2008 Shipping Crisis and the Shipping Crisis of 2020-2022.”
Peak Season & Small Businesses 🎄
After two years of strong online sales, small businesses brace for peak season fluctuations
Holiday shopping online was all the rage in 2020-2021, leaving many small businesses in a bind as they struggled to fulfill huge volumes of orders. But now, inflation-weary buyers are signaling there may be a change in peak season sales this year. More cautious than ever and with fewer pandemic stimulus dollars in their pockets, small businesses are bracing for a change of pace.
Stocking up early on inventory seems to be a common action in order to avoid similar supply chain issues as years previous. Many small businesses are hoping that more people will do their Christmas shopping in person rather than just online. As for the bigger retailers like Amazon and Target, holiday deals are already running so that inventory can be brought back down to manageable levels.
Midterm Elections 🇺🇸
Utah emerges as wild card in battle for the Senate | The Hill
The Hill contributor Alexander Bolton writes about the tight Senate race coming out of Utah.
The sleeper state Republicans are targeting to win the Senate | Politico
Politico contributor Natalie Allison writes about the GOP’s run to win big in Colorado.
Regulations & Electric Vehicles 🔋
Trucking is bracing for the big switch to EVs with Inflation Reduction Act support
The Inflation Reduction Act may not do much to reduce inflation, but it is the largest piece of legislation and effort by the U.S. government to battle climate change. The bill will raise $738 billion and authorize $391 billion in spending to reduce climate change’s impact - including investing in projects that deploy clean energy technologies.
The IRA also promotes domestic EV battery manufacturing in a large way, funneling major tax credits in support. Fleets across the country are reading the writing on the wall: electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel are the future of the industry and it’s time to start the change.
Let’s Get Global 🌎
🇺🇦 Ukraine’s grain export deal with Russia is still on, but both want some changes. Amir Abdulla, the UN coordinator for the landmark Black Sea Grain Initiative, has advised that Ukraine is seeking to extend the deal an additional twelve months and include an additional port to the clearance. Russia, in turn, wants to open up a pipeline for ammonia to the Odesa port in Ukraine. The agreement currently in place is set to expire on November 19th.
🇵🇷 Checking in on Puerto Rico post-hurricane. The Homeland Security Department (DHS) issued a Jones Act waiver to the island after Hurricane Fiona slammed the area in mid-September. With an island-wide outage affecting its population of 3.3 million, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi issued a plea for the waiver to increase fuel availability.
🇪🇺 The European Union’s disruptions have been vast, but can they turn it around? The government has a massive opportunity to improve the region’s future by increasing its focus on technology and improving its efficiency strategy. The logistics industry in Europe has faced a number of difficulties over the past several years, but fleets can adapt and mobilize.
iLevel With You
More topics for the average American household to consider…
🇺🇸 Mayor Pete is more popular than ever! Pete Buttigieg, current Secretary for the Department of Transportation, has been a popular topic in all things transportation logistics - but that isn’t where his name stops. With midterms right around the bend, Pete Buttigieg is a highly-sought after surrogate on the Democratic campaign trail - with more requests for his presence than Vice President Kamala Harris. Some are wondering… will Buttigieg be aiming for the White House, next?
🚙 Many have issued warnings that this could happen on a federal scale. The Biden Administration has taken aim at ‘gig work’ or the status of being an ‘independent contractor’. This comes on the heels of California’s controversial AB5 law, which effectively laid out the new groundwork for how a contractor can be classified. Some argue that a federal mandate making similar regulations across the nation is needed so that workers may retain certain rights, while others say the move will cost the flexibility that so many gig workers seek.
🔋 California’s Democrat-led Proposition 30 has one massive opponent: Governor Gavin Newsom. The proposition asks Golden State voters to tack on an additional 1.75% personal income tax on households that make more than $2 million per year. This tax would fall upon less than 43,000 people in the state but raise up to $5 billion per year. That extra money, the proposition says, would be used to help battle wildfires and assist those who are looking to purchase electric vehicles. Newsom, however, has accused ride-share company Lyft of using the proposition to funnel state income taxes for its own benefit. Lyft has paid $45 million in backing the proposition.
GET SMART
Ramp up that brain power for these advanced topics…
💸 Don’t get it twisted: Rising prices are not what’s causing inflation. Rising prices are actually the result of inflation. The blame instead should lie in the decline of the monetary unit (the dollar) over the past two years against foreign currencies. Don’t let politicians off the hook for choices made over the past few years… rising prices aren’t the root of the problem.
🕳 Don’t just leave money sitting on the table. Developing integrated business plans is the key to balancing project demand with growing capacity. Concurrent planning is joining together multiple timelines and managing those plans at once, like a domino effect. This strategy, combined with a data lake, can optimize the execution of forecasting during challenging times.
🛍 Your customer comes first. That should be your company’s motto as we enter 2022. An omnichannel could be the answer to any problems your company is encountering while trying to keep customer satisfaction high. An omnichannel can be based on apps or in-store, with customers engaging in various sale points with effortless care. Buying online and picking up in the store is a common form of Omni-channels.
Network Association 🤝
Supply Chain Dive Association Editor Megan Ruggles writes about the food distributor UNFI and is launch of a new refrigerated 125,000 square foot distribution center in New Hampshire.
Maritime 🌊
Is Ballast Water Management Working? | G Captain
G Captain contributor Anthony Ricciardi writes about the growing threat to ecosystems at the bottom of North America’s Great Lakes due to Ballast tanks bringing in non-native invertebrates, fishes, plants and microbes.
Sustainability ♻️
California Fleets Achieve Carbon Negativity | Trucking Info
Trucking Info shares an article about the second year in a row that California has achieved hosting fleets with a carbon negative output, by using bio-CNG.
A wind turbine just smashed a global energy record—and it’s recyclable | AJOT
AJOT shares an article about the new offshore turbine that just blew open the doors to the possibilities of electricity.
Regulations ⚖️
Is the Uber, Lyft and gig economy battle over workers nearing its end game? | CNBC
CNBC contributor Tim Mullaney writes about the ongoing battle between the gig economy and the Biden Administration.
Electric Vehicles 🔋
Lithium price jumps to fresh all-time high | Mining.com
Mining.com contributor Frik Els writes about the growing price of lithium in a world that’s never been more interested in it.
Leadership 🏆
Keurig Dr Pepper appoints new supply chain chief in ‘strategic realignment’ | Supply Chain Dive
Supply Chain Dive reporter Max Garland writes about Roger Johnson’s recent appointment to chief supply chain officer at Keurig Dr Pepper. Johnson, who has been at the company since 2016, was previously the chief product officer.
“I’m not that smart” | Seth’s Blog
Seth writes about how important it is for leaders to keep moving forward, despite what they think their personal capabilities are.
Trucker’s Lounge 🧢
Five good things in trucking: Driver saves trooper, hauling help to Florida | Fleet Owner
Fleet Owner Staff writes about some of the most heart-warming stories coming out of the trucking industry this week.
Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Guilty of Defrauding Investors | Transport Topics
Transport Topics contributors Chris Dolmetsch and Ed Ludlow from Bloomberg News write about Nikola founder Trevor Milton and his guilty verdict for fraud.
Sales 🧾
September US Class 8 Retail Sales Stay Strong | TT News
TT News Senior Reporter Roger Gilroy writes about the reported 23,000 Class 8 retail sales in the United States over the month of September.
Trade & Border Issues 🗺
CNBC contributor Ashley Capoot writes about Elon Musk’s renewal of Space X’s commitment to pay for Starlink access for the Ukraine government.
Infrastructure 🔨
The Trucker News Staff writes about the roads and bridges that will be getting a facelift after the Infrastructure Law funnels $60 billion into projects across the U.S.
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.