Month: May 2020

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 15. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

 

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

As the nation begins the slow process of getting people back to work during the COVID-19 pandemic, TIA has released a resource for our members on re-opening procedures, and questions to consider. TIA’s Operations Committee began work recently on developing a resource that members can utilize, that outlining several questions that companies should consider before returning to work. Issues covered in this resource include: Continued Teleworking Procedures | Commuting Policies | Cleaning Procedures

Please use this information along with your own personal resources; nobody knows your business like you do. TIA hopes this helps you and your staff stay safe as you begin to re-open. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you need any additional information or perspective.

 

TIA UPDATE:

We want to thank all our members for being CDC and state compliant, as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been a tough time for our organization and our industry – along with a lot of American businesses. We want to reiterate our support for all of you and for the important role you all have played to ensure that freight continues to move during this pandemic. You are our heroes.

 

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

Another day of progress. We have had nine consecutive declines in week-over-week comparisons. This day has a small new decline, probably because Thursday was the biggest day for testing so far, 367,000.

Some interesting details: IL, MI, and LA lead the way in week-to-week increases in cases. They are second-wave states where the contagion is still strong. However, all three were down, slightly, on deaths. Also, New York is now tied for third in new deaths per day, giving up the lead to Pennsylvania. PA is down on deaths, New York down more.

Note that the infection rate per test continues to fall. Interestingly, the U.S. is among the leaders in population per case but in the middle of the pack in deaths per population. Apparently, our people catch the bug easily but don’t get a high percentage of bad cases. Maybe its health care or genetics. It is not the level of our sequestration, as there are variants of those practices across the countries counted.

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We’ll be back on Monday with COVID-19 updates and information that came through over the weekend.

This week, we shared a number of Navy-themed songs from World War II. Today, in honor of my father-in-law who was a B29 mechanic who worked on the Enola Gay in the South Pacific (in what was then the Army Air Corps), here’s Glenn Miller and “The Army Air Corps.” Have a great weekend.

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 14. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

FEDERAL UPDATE:

On May 14, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that the Final Rule on the proposed changes to the Hours-of-Service regulations was being sent over to the Federal Register today for printing. The actual final rule will be published sometime next week and will take effect 120-days from the date of the publication.

This is a rule that the Agency began working on a little over two years ago to provide truck drivers with more flexibility in terms of their HOS. There were over 8,000 comments submitted to the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). The following changes incorporate those comments and suggestions and have been made part of the Final Rule, following the 120-day period:

1. The Agency will increase safety and flexibility for the 30-minute break rule by requiring a break after 8 hours of consecutive driving and allowing the break to be satisfied by a driver using on-duty, not driving status, rather than off-duty status.
2. The Agency will modify the sleeper-berth exception to allow drivers to split their required 10 hours off duty into two periods: an 8/2 split and a 7/3 split—with neither period counting against the driver’s 14-hour driving window.
3. The Agency will modify the adverse driving conditions exception by extending by 2 hours the maximum window during which driving is permitted.
4. The Agency will change the short-haul exception available to certain commercial drivers by lengthening the drivers’ maximum on-duty period from 12 to 14 hours and extending the distance limit within which the driver may operate from 100 air miles to 150 air miles.

The new rule would not increase driving time and would continue to prevent CMV operators from driving for more than 8 consecutive hours without at least a 30-minute change in duty status.

TIA’s Highway Logistics Conference discussed the issue and drafted comments which were submitted to the NPRM in support of increasing flexibility in the driver’s time. If you have any questions, please contact TIA’s Government Affairs team at [email protected].

 

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Thanks to everyone who joined today’s Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar “Establishing & Maintaining Carrier Relationships During Major Market Disruption,” and a special thank you to TriumphPay for their sponsorship. As a reminder, all Virtual Lunch & Learn webinars can also be accessed on-demand.

 

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

The news from the U.S. contagion is getting marvelously routine – another day with significant reductions in cases and deaths compared to the previous week. The Exhibit 1 middle graph shows the downward progress. The new chart below that shows how progress has occurred despite a continued increase in further tests. The rate of positive results of tests is now about a third of where it was early in April. That decrease indicates that the bug is attacking a declining proportion of our population. The new table at the bottom of Exhibit 2 shows where we are compared to the worst time of the contagion. We are almost a quarter down on tests and almost a third down on deaths.

It is safe to conclude that the U.S. is following the clear pattern established in Asia and Western Europe. This contagion has its limits – well below the catastrophic levels predicted by many experts early on and yet today. With four million data points collected, we have a statistically valid database to help us understand at least this stage of the COVID-19 contagion. Surprizes will have to come from subsequent phases or perhaps from the contagions invasion of South America and Africa, places where it is still on the rise.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

Closing out this week’s Navy theme, here’s “Anchors Aweigh.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 13. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

As mentioned yesterday, the House rolled out their latest proposed COVID-19 relief package. The proposal carries a $3 trillion price tag. TIA Government Affairs staff has prepared a brief summary of the major provisions, which can be found HERE or in the TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

 

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Register now for tomorrow’s Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar “Establishing & Maintaining Carrier Relationships During Major Market Disruption.” Given the current climate surrounding freight rates, having strong relationships with your carriers is more important than ever. Learn the keys to managing these relationships by registering now! Special thanks to TriumphPay for their sponsorship.

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

We are now five days into a steady decline in U.S. statistics, despite a major counting adjustment in Illinois that produced a new daily record for cases in that state. We suspect a counting issue because Illinois also had a good day in week-to-week death counts.

Watch out tomorrow as Wednesday is the weekly max for deaths, as Thursday or Friday are for cases.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

Keeping with our Navy theme, here’s Spike Jones and “Sailor with the Navy Blue Eyes.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 12. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

FEDERAL UPDATE:

The U.S. House of Representatives released their text for the next COVID-19 relief package. The package includes combining aid to state and local governments with direct cash payments to individuals, expanded unemployment insurance and food stamp spending as well as a list of progressive priorities like funds for voting by mail and the troubled U.S. Postal Service. There appears to be no language tied directly to the owner-operator issue, which is great news.

There is a section of price gouging that essentially puts safeguards in place for action to be taken if there are situations occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several factors including looking back on the price of a good or service prior to January 31, 2020. This could be a slippery slope for a lot of businesses, because they don’t define “excessive”. Furthermore, the definition of goods and services are pretty limited to food, medical supplies and delivery services. It will be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.

 

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

If you were unable to attend this afternoon Virtual Lunch & Learn What Does Carrier Capacity Look Like Now & Over the Next 3-6 Months? make sure to check out the recording on-demand. This is a can’t miss webinar! Special thanks to Descartes for their sponsorship.

 

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

The U.S. has had three consecutive days of substantial reductions in week-to-week numbers. We had the usual uptick in Monday death counts; but they were still well below a week ago. On the moving average basis, they are almost 500 daily deaths below the peak. At the current rate of decline the U.S. will reach recovery status in a month, having totaled 112,000 deaths. That is twice what we thought would occur back in April, but about half of the lowest official forecasts of that time. We can now see that this contagion has been a bad one, but not to the catastrophic level originally feared – and for which the sequestration orders were justified.

By comparison, the 1918 pandemic caused 650,000 U.S. deaths, most of which occurred in a second wave. We won’t know about that risk with COVID 19 until this time next year. Except – to understand that such follow on, severe contagions are rare.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

Continuing our Navy theme, here’s Connie Boswell with “Bell Bottom Trousers.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 11. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

TIA’s Government Affairs staff has been contacted by several Congressional offices who have heard from their local owner-operators about this issue. The problem stems from the fact that the demand for freight in the supply-chain has plummeted, therefore causing rates to decrease, all because of the COVID-19 pandemic. TIA is calling on all members to take control of the situation and fight back by contacting their Members of Congress in support of the 3PL industry.

Take Action!

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Don’t forget to register for tomorrow’s Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar What Will Carrier Capacity Look Like Over The Next 3 to 6 Months? This webinar will focus on the various factors that are likely to impact carrier capacity over the next several months including an aging driver population, shortage of new drivers, drivers who are at least temporarily taking themselves out of the driver pool through COVID-19, as well as industry changes (both surging and waning industries), and more. Thank you to Descartes for sponsoring this webinar.

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

The U.S. had its best day yet, down over 7,000 in cases over last week and 400 below last Sunday’s death count. Note in the Exhibit 2 table that both old and new states were, down over last week. We expect tomorrow to be also a low day as Mondays are weak measurement days. The numbers will jump up on Tuesday and Wednesday although we can hope for week-over-week reductions.

Georgia bares watching in the state data. Its cases were up perhaps due to the relaxation of restrictions in that state– or just from a random measurement phenomenon. Several more days should give a better idea.

However, there is no evidence to support that so far.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

For today’s musical selection, here are the Andrew Sisters with “Here Comes the Navy.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 8. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

 

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

Earlier today, TIA released a statement from President & CEO Robert A. Voltmann, CAE, in response to President Donald J. Trump’s comments regarding perceived price-gouging by transportation brokers. We encourage you to read the statement and share with your networks. TIA continues to address concerns raised in the media on this issue and will provide additional information as it becomes available.

 

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Be sure to join us next week for the latest installments of TIA’s Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar series: “What Will Carrier Capacity Look Like Over the Next 3 to 6 Months?” on Tuesday afternoon and sponsored by Descartes, followed by “Managing Carrier Relationships During Market Disruption” on Thursday afternoon and sponsored by TriumphPay.

 

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

The U.S. metric for cases was up today but down significantly compared to a week ago – a good thing. Deaths were down on both metrics – a very good thing!

In the state data, New York receded to its normal territory, as shown in Exhibit 5. Note that we have changed the coloring on the state charts to more sensitively highlight the changes. Lots of green means a good day.

In the international data, we see the clear story of this contagion. The early victims are on the road to recovery with one or two more countries reaching full recovery each week. We placed Ireland in that group tentatively yesterday, bringing the total to eight among the countries we follow. In contrast, the newer victims, places in South American, Central America, and Africa, are still in the expansion stage. It takes time for this bug to work through a population. As you look at the early victims, you will see no signs of a second round of the contagion, either with the passage of time or the relaxation of restrictions.

We conclude that, whatever the fears of commentators in the States about a resurgence in our contagion rates due to the relaxation of restrictions, there is no statistical case for those assertions. As our comments at the end of each report say, there is a major disconnect between the model-based projections of the medical community/government and the statistical realities, scientists and statisticians can measure. It remains possible that this could be a multiple wave contagion like the 1918 flu. However, there is no evidence to support that so far.

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We’ll be back on Monday with COVID-19 updates and information that came through over the weekend.

Today is the 75th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe. So, here’s a fun little ditty to share for the weekend: Kay Kyser and “Praise the Lord & Pass the Ammunition.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 7. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

TIA’s Government Affairs staff has been contacted by several Congressional offices who have heard from their local owner-operators about this issue. The problem stems from the fact that the demand for freight in the supply-chain has plummeted, therefore causing rates to decrease, all because of the COVID-19 pandemic. TIA is calling on all members to take control of the situation and fight back by contacting their Members of Congress in support of the 3PL industry.

Take Action!

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this afternoon’s Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar Business as Usual, with nationally recognized sales productivity expert John Boyens and a special thank you to Teknowlogi for sponsoring this webinar! As a reminder, you can access all past Virtual Lunch & Learn webinars on-demand.

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

The new case data for the U.S. yesterday demonstrates the importance of accounting for the day of the week. In the first chart in Exhibit 1, Wednesday’s case number moved up. However, the table on Exhibit 2 shows that cases are down 2,970 on a week-over-week basis because Wednesday is usually a big new case day. As a result, the moving average metric for cases fell yesterday after moving up for two days. However, the same record keeping shows that deaths moved up on a week-over-week basis, not much, but still worthy of our interest the next few days.

We see from the state data that the jump in deaths was concentrated in New York, bring them near their previous high. (See Table 3A.) The graph in Exhibit 5 tells us that the bad day was a big reversal of a very positive trend. The big jump looks like the catch-up addition of a group of deaths previously missing rather than a trend. This New York change bears watching.

Internationally there is good news south of our border. Mexico had a rare good day in new cases.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

For today’s musical selection, enjoy the sounds of Glenn Miller and “Fools Rush In.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 6. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

There has been a lot of news recently surrounding the protests in Washington, DC, and around the country by owner-operators who feel they are being “cheated” and “screwed over” by brokers in terms of freight rates.

TIA’s Government Affairs staff has been contacted by several Congressional offices who have heard from their local owner-operators about this issue. The problem stems from the fact that the demand for freight in the supply-chain has plummeted, therefore causing rates to decrease, all because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

TIA is calling on all members to take control of the situation and fight back by contacting their Members of Congress in support of the 3PL industry.

LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Reminder to join us tomorrow at 12:00 PM ET for our Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar: Business as Usual, with nationally recognized sales productivity expert John Boyens, who will present this complimentary one-hour webinar. A special thank you to Teknowlogi for sponsoring this webinar!

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

As usual, the death numbers spiked yesterday, but not as high as last Tuesday, a good sign. The progress again comes in the older contagion states, mainly in the Northeast.

For your convenience we have split the state table into two, so the numbers are more easily seen. Note also the addition of an ‘other’ category. That is the sum of all the non-state entries, places like Puerto Rico, Guam, the VA, the Military. The other category can be a significant contributor to the overall numbers.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

Here’s an upbeat tune for Hump Day… Please enjoy Doris Day as she sings “Hooray for Hollywood.”

As TIA continues to monitor the situation surrounding COVID-19 and it’s impact on the 3PL and transportation industries, here is your Daily Update for May 4. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

ADVOCACY UPDATE:

TIA’s Government Affairs Team continues to hold regular Zoom meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your advocacy skills and build or maintain relationships with your elected representatives. If you would like to participate, or to learn more, please contact Chris Burroughs at [email protected].

VIRTUAL LUNCH & LEARN UPDATE:

Reminder to join us tomorrow at 12:00 PM ET for our Virtual Lunch & Learn webinar: Financial Strategies for Challenging Market Conditions, analyzing how shippers have responded to coronavirus and what brokers can do to prepare for the next 3-6 months. A special thank you to TriumphPay for sponsoring this webinar!

NOËL PERRY UPDATE:

Sunday was down from Saturday for the U.S. but up from seven days ago in cases and just a few down in deaths. It was down on both metrics in Europe, assuring we in the U.S. that their contagion is well on the way to resolution.

You can see again in the state data that the early victim northeastern states were down, while much of the remainder of the country, those states with younger contagions, were up from a week ago. We will see over the next two days if this is just a weekend measurement issue or something more pressing. We are reminded that, although the Asian and European examples point towards resolution, the downward pace to that desired place is slower than we would like.

As expected, states are beginning to loosen restrictions. Note that the impetuous for that is as much the realization of the necessity of a return to full economic activity as the lessening of the contagion. What we can say is that there is no evidence that this contagion is the catastrophic event predicted by some a month ago. Yes, it is worse than other recent flu seasons, but it should produce less than a fifth of the deaths as the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920, an event to which it is frequently compared. Clearly, a bug that infects only one in three hundred people and kills one in almost five thousand does not appear to be a sufficient threat to our society to justify the continued historic disruption of economic activity. Such a conclusion is all the more supported when one considers that science remains unsure of the benefits of sequestration. We are trading the chance of reduced health risks for the certainty of economic disaster.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with COVID-19 updates and information that came through overnight.

On a beautiful Monday in the Nation’s Capital, I leave you with Benny Goodman’s “King Porter Stomp.”