Penske Logistics plans to slash 337 warehouse and other workers in Kinloch, Missouri, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) recently filed. The layoffs come from “losing a contract for warehousing services for supermarket chain Schnucks.”
A trade war with China and possible upcoming tariffs compelled businesses to “continue frontloading inventories, creating more trucking jobs in April, albeit temporarily.” According to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “more than 1,000 truck driver jobs were added to the economy in April. This was the fourth monthly increase in the past six months, which was preceded by a nearly one-year downward spiral.”
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Odyssey Logistics has repositioned its global headquarters to southwest Charlotte, bringing with it over 80 new jobs. The move to Charlotte is part of Odyssey Logistics’ strategy to leverage the city’s growing talent pool and quality of life. The new headquarters will be in the Whitehall Corporate Center, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held. Odyssey Chief Executive Officer Hans Stig Moller exclaims: “Our new home in Charlotte is a mutually beneficial development, both for our organization and for the North Carolina business community.”
Truck driving jobs in March rose the most in a month since the beginning of 2022; in addition, “the increase of 9,600 jobs that went along with a larger-than-normal increase in nonfarm payrolls for the country (up 228,000 jobs) was the largest since an increase of 10,400 jobs in January 2022. That month was nearing the end of what is generally considered the strongest freight market in recent history. This month’s increase came during a time when the most optimistic voices are hoping for an improvement by the end of the year.”
The on-again, off-again tariff confusion is leading truckers to feel the impact of said debacle, especially truckers who work to transport vehicles and auto parts between the U.S. and Canada: “while there is still a steady flow of traffic across the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Canada, including plenty of 18-wheelers, truckers and businesses say uncertainty is still affecting things.”
Current events in United States trade policy have once again thrown the global supply chain into turmoil as President Donald Trump’s moves to impose and then partially suspend some tariffs have resulted in significant disruption and uncertainty for many businesses operating in North America. According to Freightos Baltic index, that unsettling feeling has extended to ocean container rates, already in the midst of the traditional early-year lull.
According to a report by factoring service altLine, a dire shortage of an estimated 24,000 truck drivers is leaving many trucks empty, costing the freight industry $95.5 million every week. According to the report, “the industry could generate $47.4 billion in annual revenue if all registered trucks were operational.”
Lofta is partnering with the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) to broaden the availability of streamlined at-home sleep apnea testing and treatment for professional truck drivers. Megan Magensky, PTMA director of communications, extolled: “We’re excited to have Lofta supporting the association… their commitment to PMTA shows they are interested in promoting the trucking industry holistically… their platform is focused on prioritizing driver health and safety, which aligns with PMTA’s mission.” read more…
UPS CEO Carol Tomé, in discussing the company’s strategic shift, discusses reducing its over reliance on Amazon while prioritizing profitability and high-growth sectors; she also expounds on “UPS’s focus on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), healthcare logistics, and international trade, alongside a $1 billion cost-saving initiative.”
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246 professional truck drivers are being lauded by XPO for achieving million-mile safe driving milestones in 2024. CEO Mario Harik exclaims: “I want to congratulate our 246 drivers who reached one million or more consecutive accident-free miles last year… I am grateful for everything they do to serve our customers and keep our roads safe, and I look forward to recognizing many more drivers in the coming year.” Read more…
