Bill to Lower Minimum Driving Age Reintroduced
A bill was reintroduced into congress that proposed to allow 18-to-20-year-olds to haul containers to and from ports. It is propositioned that opening the line haul field to a new, younger demographic would help to solve some of the issues with recruiting and keeping new truckers; especially after years of experiencing sever driver shortages and […]
Crisis Averted: Class I Railroads Will Not Strike
The railroad strike has been narrowly averted after a 20-hour negotiation meeting between unions and rail management. The two parties were able to reach a tentative deal early on Thursday, September 15th, with involvement from the United States President, Joe Biden. Railroad workers are governed by different labor laws compared to most workers, one that […]
Amazon Pauses Plans for Some Fulfillment Centers, Cancels Others
Amazon’s ambitious expansion plans have hit a snag, with six new distribution centers being canceled, eight delayed, and two postponed “indefinitely.” This unexpected turn of events follows the e-commerce giant’s recent announcement to double their fulfillment network at a cost of billions. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed a 2.4% growth in […]
Surface Transportation Board Severely Disappointed in Class I Railroads
The four major U.S. Class I railroads are under heavy scrutiny by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for not providing enough information regarding their rail service recovery plans. The STB issued a requirement for all four railroads on May 6th to submit a rail service recovery plan in response to shippers’ concerns about deteriorating rail […]
Cargo Moving Thanks to Threat of Fees
According to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, threats of penalty fees are just as effective as the fees themselves. The container dwell fee announced by the White House late in October 2021 declared that ports would be implementing a fee of $100 per each day extra at berth. A fee that was, […]
GPA Expands Container Capacity
The Covid-19 pandemic dragged infrastructure issues directly into the spotlight, one of them being the dire need for capacity expansion at ports; An issue that was exacerbated by equipment shortages, labor shortages, and various supply chain disruptions. The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has unveiled a plan to increase container capacity at the Port of Savannah […]
The Newest Way to Measure Supply Pressure
There is a new way to measure supply chain issues that are partially to blame for consumer price inflation: The Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (GSCPI). Researchers at the New York Federal Reserve invented this new calculation system using over 25 indicators, including, though not limited to, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) and Harpex index. […]