While data might be open to interpretation, the overall strength of the truck transportation sector continues to increase. Since the pandemic nadir employment levels of April 2020, the monthly employment report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been mostly on the up-swing. In fact, “the truck transportation sector reported by the BLS has added jobs for 22 consecutive months.” Read more…
While the picture that autonomous trucks paint in many minds might be of a world where thousands of truck drivers lose their jobs, the reality of the situation might not comport. Though driverless trucks might be an incredible feat, “there are many tasks autonomous trucks will simply not be able to perform for themselves out on the open road.” This will lead to countless new jobs in the industry for applicants across the country. Read more…
The President’s State of the Union address did not overlook the importance of national and global supply chain and logistics, as Joe Biden spoke of “key directives and positions” on the much blighted sector. While once being renowned for having the “best roads, bridges and airports on earth,” Biden suggests that “now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world” and that the United States “won’t be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st century if we don’t fix it.” Read more…
In the last half-past decade alone, Memphis has grown the number of jobs in the supply chain and logistics industry “by almost 15%,” putting the city on the map for being an international logistics hub. Compared to the national average for job creation within the industry, which sat under 7% from 2015 to 2020, Memphis has doubled that rate by “nurturing of tech talent within the space,” while also offering “significantly lower operating costs when compared to other logistics markets like New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.” Read more…
The Department of Transportation assessment of the nation’s supply chain issues calls for new policies and utilizing funded resources to help expand truck parking and improve warehouse capabilities. The DOT also reports the “vulnerabilities in the U.S. freight and logistics supply chain and offers clear-cut actions needed to speed up the movement of goods from ships to shelves.” Read more…
With a shortage of 50,000 truck drivers in the American trucking industry, there are plenty of job openings in the sector for ambitious individuals, including jobs where you don’t even have to drive at all. Not only can you choose to work locally or to explore the land beyond the borders, but you can also choose to enter the industry by becoming a dispatcher or instructor. Other unique positions include: heavy equipment hauling, delivery truck driving, and bus driving. Read more…
Logistic firms are being forced to create new options for themselves to deal with the shortage of warehouse spaces, including “building multistory facilities and choosing locations farther from coastal ports.” The shortages across the US are coming from many companies stockpiling goods to hedge against supply chain issues, leaving hardly any space for others to stash their merchandise. Robert Thornburgh, the chief executive of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, says “there is limited inventory of industrial space. It is almost evaporating before your eyes, if you are even lucky enough to know about it.” Read more…
The U.S. Department of Labor’s latest initiative of the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division is meant “to focus on protecting the wages and workplace rights of the workers” in the warehouse and logistic industries as the global supply chain demand continues to impact them greatly. The initiative will focus on minimums and overtimes, workplace harassment, family and medical leave, and independent contractor analysis. Read more…
Veho, a logistics startup that uses technology to help with next-day package delivery, has raised “$170 million in an early-stage funding round led by Tiger Global that valued it at $1.5 billion.” This news comes only six weeks after the company raised “$125 million at a valuation of $1 billion.” The funds will go towards creating more automated warehouses across the nation and quadrupling its headcount to 2,000. Read more…
With truck companies struggling to meet CA emissions demand, many are worrying that not only will the supply chain issues get worse, but drivers could lose their jobs. These companies need to have engine models of 2010 or newer by 2023, but it’s becoming harder to afford newer models due to the ongoing semi-conductor shortage. According to the Western States Trucking Association, “40,000 vehicles in the state are older than 2010 models. If those don’t get upgraded, they won’t be allowed on the road.” Read more…
