The pandemic has put unprecedented strain on global supply chains— and also on the workers who’ve kept those systems running under tough conditions. It looks like many of them have had enough.

The National Retail Federation (NRF), the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) all welcomed President Joe Biden’s announcement July 15 that he had created via executive order a Presidential Emergency Board.

There are a lot of people who have the necessary training and experience to drive trucks. So why the shortage?

The White House is monitoring labor talks in the logistics industry as unions representing 115,000 rail workers and 22,000 West Coast dockworkers negotiate fresh contracts, but won’t get directly involved in either bargaining process now, its supply chain envoy said.

Fleet management and supply chain logistics go hand in hand, as the successful delivery of products relies on dependable transportation. During a time of uncertainty, satellite technology brings much-needed reliability. 

Automation technology can help overcome driver-utilization problems and make the supply chain more efficient, agile, smarter and future-proof.

About 70,000 truck owner-operators who form the bedrock of California’s transport industry are in limbo as state-level labor rules start applying to them, creating another choke point in stressed U.S. supply chains.