TIA Daily COVID-19 Update: April 6th

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 April 6. As a reminder, you can find all the latest information, resources, guidance, and news from TIA’s COVID-19 Response Center.

FEDERAL UPDATE:
On April 6, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) Wage & Hour Division promulgated temporary regulations to implement public health emergency leave under the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and emergency paid sick leave to assist working families facing public health emergencies arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The provisions under this temporary rule are in effect until December 31, 2020, and will not affect the FMLA after the expiration date. This temporary rule went into effect on April 1, 2020.

There are several clarifications in this temporary rule, including who counts as an employee. For additional information, please review TIA’s Guidance on DOL’s Temporary Rule.

TIA UPDATE:
Join TIA this week for two exciting (and topical) Virtual Lunch & Learn webinars as we dig deeper in trying to understand the impacts COVID-19 will have on the logistics and transportation industries.

NOËL PERRY’S DAILY COVID-19 UPDATE:
Very good news from France and the U.S. if Sunday stats hold up. With the big French fall in new cases, Western Europe moved down as a whole. Note, however, that the UK was up significantly. North America continues to be dominated by the U.S. Mexico and Canada were up. Tomorrow will tell us if these big trends continue. The French number will bear watching given recent measurement changes there. Deaths were also down in many countries. That is the stat that is most important in the end.

 

 

Wearing his other hat, Noël Perry reports on Truckstop.com’s market demand index: As usual, the MDI serves as a quick indicator of market conditions. After jumping up from the initial hoarding surge, the numbers are plunging rapidly, as you would expect is a third or so of the economy is dormant. There is no mystery here. The pricing numbers are also moving down.

 

 

The Supply Chain Analysis Network (SCAN) Update:
SCAN is reporting that large truck volumes are, on average, 5% – 10% lower than normal conditions, while total U.S. traffic volumes are generally 30% – 50% lower than average. SCAN also warns city and state officials that, “It’s vital that truck drivers are not subject to self-quarantining in applicable ‘hot spots’ and are not subject to highway checkpoints.” SCAN further reports the following:

  • Pilot/Flying J: Stores open, showers open, gas open, food available, on-site restaurants closed;
  • Love’s: Stores open, showers open, gas open, food available, on-site restaurants open(reduced hours);
  • TA/Petro: Stores open, showers open, gas open, food available, on-site restaurants some open;
  • Roady’s: Stores open, gas open, food available, on-site restaurants closed.
  • Gas Stations & Hotels: Typically are not subject to mandatory closures.
  • Truckstop Showers: Typically open.

SCAN is intended to provide two evidence-based products to FEMA. Within the first 24hrs – and thereafter as needed – an “ecosystem assessment” is developed focusing on inbound and outbound flow, principal nodes, links and/or channels, critical dependencies, and a strategic assessment. This is followed by a regularly updated “lifelines assessment” that provides more detail on individual flows, network behavior, and observed changes.

The ecosystem assessment attempts to synthesize a strategic view. The lifelines assessment attempts to analyze operational progress. These products are intended to depend on open sources. TIA is participating in SCAN through the American Logistics Aid Network and directly with FEMA.


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

Instead of music from the 40’s today, here’s a clip of the address Queen Elizabeth II made Sunday to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. The Queen is the longest-serving world leader and the only current world leader to serve during World War II where, as Princess Elizabeth, she wore her country’s uniform as a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Services serving as a mechanic. This picture is from April 1945 as she explains to her mother what she is working on. We will all meet again.

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