The private companies that operate port facilities from Washington state to Southern California will begin negotiation on a multiyear agreement with the union representing 22,400 dockworkers to replace the contract that expires in July 2022. The union already rejected an offer by port terminal operators to delay negotiations until 2023. Major issues during negotiations usually […]

Grocery stores in the U.S. may receive limited quantities of products or may lack some flavors or items due to labor, raw material, or transportation issues that food manufacturers are facing. The companies named increased demand, labor shortages, “supply chain restrictions” or “logistical challenges”. Parts of the US are now battling food shortages as worried Americans

Postal service and logistics firms express concern that vaccine mandates will cause delays in the supply chain and mail. And more lawsuits are filed against the federal rules. In California, state officials are examining exemptions to vaccinations granted by doctors. Retailers are concerned about implementing the requirements during the busy holiday shopping season The National

While a global supply-chain crisis is crimping sales for companies from Apple Inc. to Caterpillar Inc., transportation firms are riding an unprecedented profit boom.  Trucking companies, in particular, have seen freight volume and prices jump as imported goods flood into the U.S., easily making up for higher wages to recruit drivers. The spike in fuel

Oilfield workers are a tough breed. Some may be a little bit rough around the edges. Some may have little formal education. Some may have advanced degrees. Some do very hard physical labor. Some have it easier. It really depends on what role you play and what profession you are in. The oil and gas

Amazon plans to add 150,000 temporary workers in the United States for the holiday shopping rush, a 50% increase from the company’s holiday hiring push a year ago. Amazon, like many retailers and logistics companies, is facing challenges hiring workers and is raising pay, dangling bonuses, and expanding benefits in response to the pressures. The

Hundreds of thousands of containers are stuck at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, West Coast gateways that move more than a quarter of all US imports. Dozens of ships are anchored ashore, with waiting times of up to three weeks. US president Joe Biden has hailed a new 24-hour working system, which

Demand for distribution workers has been soaring as more consumers are shopping online. Picking, packing, and shipping e-commerce orders is more labor-intensive than traditional warehouse operations that distribute wholesale goods or replenish inventory. More people are leaving the workforce because of concerns about getting sick or to care for family members. This has caused an

The congestion in California continues to challenge the major US ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, as demand surges and retailers pile up stock ahead of the holiday season. The backup impacts the nation’s supply chain because one-third of all imported cargo shipped on ocean carriers is processed at San Pedro Bay, the Pacific

Truckload volume surged and spot and contract freight rates hit new highs in August as logistics managers stared down their most challenging peak shipping season yet. Shippers and logistics managers who would normally be gearing up for peak shipping season have encountered one test after another in terms of their ability to manage transportation pricing,