| |
|
| |
|
 |
Supply
Chain by the Numbers |
| |
|
| |
- Oct. 20, 2022
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Inland Waterways Threatened by Drought; Amazon Workers Vote No again to Union; US Manufacturing Output Strong in September; Trucks Accident Fraudsters Convicted |
| |
|
| |
| t |
| ac |
| |
47% |
|
That is the amount of US grain that was moved by barge on the US’ inland waterways last year, transportation now threatened big time by low water levels, especially in the Mississippi River, lower by almost 11 feet from normal this time of year. That is near an all -time record. The lower water levels have impacted the amount of commodities that can be imported or exported out of New Orleans. Also, barges cannot be fully loaded, the number of barges that can be pulled together has been reduces, and some have gotten stuck. The river moves a lot more than grains too, including big volumes of beans, corn, oil and coal. Worse – the water levels on the Mississippi are projected to fall further risking a complete blockage of traffic. The Ohio and Illinois rivers are also among those at risk from lack of water stemming from a lack of rainfall. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
| That was the solid year-over-year growth in US manufacturing output in September, according the monthly report from the Federal Reserve Bank released this week. The index also saw decent month over month gains, rising to a level of 102.8 from 102.3 in August, a gain of about half a percent and 6% on an annualized basis. The data seems to be saying there is still strength in US manufacturing despite inflation and what seems to be a wobbly overall economy. Still, at the level of 102.8 it means US manufacturing output is just 2.8% above the recently changed baseline year of 2017 (index = 100) now about 5 years later, and well below the all-time high of 108.5 in December 2007. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
41 |
 |
| That rather amazingly is the number of convicted conspirators in the FBI’s “Operation Sideswipe” investigation on fraudulent claims of people being hurt in accidents with trucks. That includes three additional participants in staged accidents who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud charges last week. Two of those defendants face a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000, for their role in a June 28, 2017, staged collision with a 2012 Freightliner tractor-trailer owned by Frisard’s Trucking Co. Federal authorities believe were more than 100 staged accidents involving trucks and cars in the New Orleans area over a several year period - with fraudsters hoping to generate a large payout for themselves. Those suspicious accidents included multiple people in a claimant vehicle, sideswipe allegations with commercial vehicle trailers, minimal damage to claimant vehicle, little to no damage to the insured trailer and a commercial vehicle driver who is either unaware of or denies an impact. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
| |
 |
![]() |
 |
|
| |
 |
Feedback |
|
|
|
![]()
|
No Feedback on this article yet.
|
|
![]() |
|
|
|
![]() |
 |
![]() |
 |
|
| |
That was the overwhelming share of workers at an Amazon fulfillment center near Albany, New York who voted not to join a union, once against dashing the hope from labor of organizing the retail giant’s hundreds of facilities. That according to results released by the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday. The Amazon workers rejected the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), a sort of makeshift union but that did get the one and only union win at an FC on Staten Island in New York City earlier this year. More than 600 workers cast ballots in the Albany FC vote. A report by CNBC.com says many workers there said they voted against the union because it was unnecessary, with the pay and benefits offered by Amazon being generous compared to local alternatives. Workers also expressed skepticism about the ALU itself, as being too inexperienced to succeed versus Amazon.
