Supply Chain by the Numbers: December 20, 2007

Supply Chain by the Numbers

-December 20, 2007

The Numbers Worth Knowing this Week in Supply Chain and Logistics

This Week: Railway to Seventh Heaven; All the Tea in China for Made in the USA; Out with the Old and in with the New at GM; Hell or High Water Trial for Secure Freight Initiative



52,340
Number of miles of rail track in the US owned and operated by the seven Class I railroads—BNSF Railway, Canadian National (Grand Trunk Corporation), Canadian Pacific (Soo Line), CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.

The number of US suppliers used by the recently launched web site nmctoys.com (not made in China). There are a larger number of European suppliers. Most of the small number of US suppliers are in the northeast region, such as Vermont.


5200
The number of autoworkers, primarily in the parts area and some doing nothing in the infamous “jobs bank,” that will be offered buyouts by GM, as it tries to replace older, higher paid workers with less costly new ones. The move was made possible by the new contract with the UAW signed in September.




7
The number of ports that will participate in a trial for the Secure Freight Initiative, the US program that ultimately will require 100% screening of containers and other cargo bound for the US. Singapore announced this week it has signed a Declaration of Principles with the US to conduct a six-month trial project for the program. Other identified ports for the trial include Southampton in the United Kingdom, Salalah in Oman, and Qasim in Pakistan.