After withdrawing a similar request in November, Amazon workers have finally found enough support to garner a vote on whether to unionize a New York City warehouse. The Amazon company is “skeptical there are a sufficient number of legitimate signatures,” but nonetheless, an election date will be set after a February 16 court hearing. Read more…
With a shortage of more than 80,000 truck drivers in the US, some companies are resorting to guaranteed minimum salaries of up to twice the national average. Companies such as JK Moving Services, the country’s largest independently owned moving company, is offering a guaranteed minimum salary of $100,000 to help address the crisis. Read more…
With driver shortages at an all time high, it might be sooner than we think before we see 18-wheelers with no drivers behind the wheel. Aurora Innovations already have some trucks with self-driving technology on the road (albeit with seasoned truck drivers along for the ride), but it might not be much longer before this futuristic vision becomes commonplace. Read more…
Compounding pandemic related exits, electronic measuring devices are driving truckers out of the industry as well. Truckers are paid based on mileage, but they are only allowed to drive eleven hours each day, a measure that can feel too restrictive for many of them. Read more…
Logistic giants ArcBest are pouring millions into remote-operated forklifts to help assuage labor shortage problems. Warehouse workers will soon be able to remotely operate forklifts from anywhere in the world, from the safety of their own homes, making the job immensely attractive during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more…
In an attempt to combat worker shortage issues, trucking firm KLLM Transport Services, one of the largest trucking companies in the US, is giving raises up to 33%, allowing some of its drivers to earn up to $150,000 in their first year. Read more…
With no immediate end in sight for supply chain issues, the global pandemic has forever changed how the shipping business works. With continued record breaking shipments, ongoing port congestion and worker shortages due to COVID, union contract negotiations set for 2022 have the potential to become a ticking time bomb. Read more…
With as much as 90 percent of Canada’s fruits and vegetables coming from the US during the winter, unvaccinated American drivers, who have to quarantine for two weeks upon entry, are causing a major slowdown of vital shipments. With extreme weather already hamstringing grocery store produce supplies, cross-border food trade rules are exacerbating the issue. Read More…
Dozens of Canadian truck drivers have staged a protest near the US-Manitoba international border to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, slowing down traffic on both sides and causing delays for drivers both entering and leaving Canada. Under the new rules, unvaccinated truck drivers will no longer be allowed to cross the border, worsening already dire supply chain problems. Read more…
Though a new apprenticeship program required by Congress might help 18-20 year old drivers finally be able to drive outside their home states, the new teenage truck drivers might not be enough to assuage the supply chain backlogs nationwide. With the U.S. having a historic 800,000 truck driver shortage in 2021, it’s unclear if this new initiative will be enough, not to mention the time it will take to train these younger drivers to safely drive the roads — a hard task in itself. Read more…
