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Supply
Chain by the Numbers |
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- March 31, 2022
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Potential West Coast Port Strike this Summer; Thieves Stealing Full Amazon Trucks in Dallas; US GDP was Strong in Q4, but could See Q1 Fall; Performance Team Places Big Order for eTrucks |
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22,000 |
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That is how many dock workers could soon go on strike at 29 ports and terminals on the US West Coast. The contract for the Worldwide Longshore and Warehouse Union with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents port operators, expires at the end of June. If a new contract is not reached before it expires, a resulting strike or lock out of workers by the ports would add still more chaos to container shipping operations. At the giant twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, container ships for many months have waiting a long time in the water for a berth to unload. Even smaller ports have seen significant delays. About three-fourths of those 22,000 dock workers are employed at LA or Long Beach. The stakes are especially high this time. An impasse or a strike could send another shock to a global economy many see as wobbly now. The last time the union’s contract expired, in 2014, the result was much turmoil at the ports. This time, odds for a deal without drama are “50-50,” say PMA CEO Jim McKenna. |
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| That is the revised estimate of US fourth quarter real GDP growth, according to the Commerce Department this week. That was down just barely from the previous estimate of 7.0% growth. Full year 2021 GPD was up a strong 5.7%, the fastest calendar-year growth since a 7.2% surge in 1984 in the aftermath of a brutal recession. But after that good news, GDP growth forecasts are generally much less positive, particularly for the first three months 2022. Higher inflation will likely reduce consumer spending as Americans take a dimmer view of the economy. Economists in fact forecast that growth could fall to as low as 0.5% in the first three months of the year and may even slip into negative territory. |
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300 |
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That is how many heavy-duty electric trucks that 3PL company Performance Team will soon add to its North America network. The e-trucks will come from Swedish company Einride. The trucks will be delivered between 2023 and 2025, and the order comes after Performance Team was acquired by ocean shipping giant Maersk Line in 2020. Maersk says this is the largest announced plan for electric truck deployment to date in the US. The trucks will be operated using Einride’s digital road freight operating system and charging solutions. This is the first large-scale use of the digital operating system, according to the companies. The freight mobility platform provides live insights on emissions, energy usage, location data, and more. Performance Team operates more 60 distribution and fulfillment center locations in North America. Last fall, Performance Team placed an order for 16 Volvo VNR Electric trucks. Maersk's venture funding arm Maersk Growth invested in Einride in 2021. |
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That is how many Amazon delivery trucks a man and woman theft team stole in the first three months of the year - with each truck full of goods that were headed to consumers. The thefts all happened in the Dallas area, with at the end of January, one in February and then three in mid-March. One was a robbery, and in which the thieves punched the driver. Police say they have recovered all five trucks but not their contents. The police have captured the female half of the crime duo and know who the male half is in part from a photo of the pair taken by one of the trucks' own internal cameras. A Dallas police major noted that she believes this is a good reminder for all drivers to always keep your keys with you, no matter how quick the stop.
