With winter storms devastating roadways across the nation, states like Kentucky are “temporarily suspending certain restrictions on motor carriers” that are responsible for “restoring power, removing debris, and delivering fuel” to areas that are expected to be hardest hit. The temporary order will allow drivers to exceed their maximum driving times and minimize their weigh-station stops, so they can better respond to the affected areas. Read more…
AT&T’s 5G networking infrastructure has successfully completed the first milestone in its development of smart warehouse applications for the United States Department of Defense. If its next phase is a success, “AT&T 5G will be set to integrate with official Navy Systems to provide smart warehouse capabilities.” This could lead to low latency and high security smart warehouses across a wide range of industries. Read more…
Winter storms across the nation are having massive impacts on the trucking industry, including winter storm Landon which is “dumping ice, snow, sleet and rain across a more than 2,000-mile path of the U.S., affecting roads and the supply chain as many 18-wheelers are idling to wait out the weather.” Entire interstates could be affected by storms across multiple states. Read more…
Trucker salaries are reaching historic heights due to an “increased demand for shipping, along with an overall national shortage of long haul drivers.” With approximately 72.5% Of the country’s freight weight moved by truck, the exorbitant success of Ecommerce and motor freight industries are driving trucker compensations through the roof. Read more...
Thousands of demonstrators protested against a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canada border in Ottawa this past week. Around 90% of Canada’s 120,000 cross border truckers have been vaccinated, but the unrest amongst the unvaccinated continues. The US also requires foreign truckers to show proof of vaccination upon entry. Read more…
With the mobile robotic industry growing immensely over the past few years, the advances in robotics and artificial intelligence may soon yield efficient and cost effective ways to assuage many of the labor issues blighting the global logistics industry. Mobile robotics can be used to help with “a range of logistics operations, including material handling, material picking, long-haul distribution, and last mile delivery.” Read more…
Distribution and logistic sectors continue to grow nationwide, including in Kentucky where Levi Strauss & Co. will set up a new e-commerce distribution center in Erlanger. This new facility will create approximately 300 new jobs with a $48 million-plus investment, “evidence that Kentucky is the perfect location for companies looking to get their products to customers as quickly as possible.” Read more…
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…
