Coronavirus

The report’s first quarter National Shipment Index—at 124.3 (2011=110.1) dropped 1.8% compared to the fourth quarter and was up 3.8% annually. First quarter spend—at 188.1 (2011=110.1)—fell 3.7% compared to the fourth quarter, following a 4% sequential decline from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2019, and it was down 2.5% annually.

Tom Derry, CEO of the Institute for Supply Management, talks about how nearly all ISM members are dealing with disruptions stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With a 2.7-cent decline, this week’s national diesel average came in at $2.480. This is a lower sequential decline compared to the four previous weeks, which saw declines of 4.1 cents, 3.8-cent, 7.3-cents, and 8.1-cents, respectively.

More than 2,000 face shields to be dispersed to local hospitals and emergency responders.

A little more than one month after the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) conducted a member survey focused on how their businesses and supply chains are dealing with coronavirus, or COVID-19, as it continues to wreak havoc on their supply chain operations, the organization a new survey this week.

Commerce reported that March retail sales—at $483.1 billion—were down 8.7% compared to February, which represents the single largest annual monthly retail sales decline going back to when this data was first tracked by Commerce in 1992.

When a recession hits, customers can reduce your revenues and stop your outbound flow of products faster than you can trim expenses and stop your inbound flow of raw materials. Working capital will be stressed as your materials pipeline backs up and profits will take a hit as costs overshoot revenues. This framework gives supply chain managers six simple ways to prepare for downturn before it happens—and to respond constructively when the economic slump arrives.

Despite much hype over the years, advanced factory automation has not been substituted for human workers at scale.

Company plans to produce as many as 1,000 masks per week in North Carolina and Mexico locations.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said yesterday that its national emergency declaration to provide hours-of-service regulatory relief to commercial vehicle drivers transporting emergency relief in response to the nationwide coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has been extended through May 15, 2020 or until the revocation of the Presidentially-declared COVID-19 national emergency.

Total March POLA volume—at 449,568 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—saw a 30.9% annual decline, and total March POLB volume—at 517,663—slipped 6.4% annually.

One safe assessment we can make in the midst of the pandemic: There’s now an extra layer of complexity around areas of logistics that were already complicated.

Data recently issued by Chicago-based FourKites, a provider of real-time tracking and visibility solutions across transportation modes and digital platforms, highlights the difficulties being encountered at facilities—located in the United States and Europe—in dealing with increased shipment volumes resultant of meeting coronavirus- (or COVID-19) related demand.

As people hunker down in their homes to isolate themselves from the COVID-19 pandemic, an army of dedicated professionals keeps the country’s food supply chains humming under trying conditions. The army is made up of distributors’ employees, fulfillment center personnel, logistics planners, pallet manufacturing crews, procurement professionals, transportation brokers, truck drivers, truck stop attendants, warehouse workers, wholesalers, and countless other specialists.

Amidst an unparalleled crisis, a focus on blocking and tackling principles will keep the team healthy, maintain operational effectiveness and keep customer’s orders flowing.