SCS Weekly Rundown | April 9th, 2024
UPS Begins Preparing Their New Air Fleet
UPS announces the bulk hiring of three hundred pilots after winning a big contract.
After securing a noteworthy USPS contract, UPS plans to hire over 300 pilots, signaling a
strategic shift to better manage the anticipated surge. This expansion starkly contrasts the
prior trends of fleet downsizing and pilot layoffs, underlining the company's willingness to
pivot its operations to adapt to an ever-growing list of logistical complexities.
Learn more about this story as it develops here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baltimore Starts Showing Signs of Recovery
FMCSA has waived trucking limits in Baltimore, with sights now set on re-opening.
Following the bridge collapse last month, the FMCSA granted a waiver to ease trucking
restrictions in an effort to aid Baltimore's logistics sector. As a result, a smaller, limited
access channel is expected to open by the end of April to help cargo operations at the
port, but the trucking community remains apprehensive about the long-term impacts on
total cargo traffic in the region.
Get all the details on this story here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traffic Wave Expected In Texas For Eclipse
Texas DMV banned oversize load travel during the solar eclipse to manage traffic.
In response to the solar eclipse, Texas prepared for a visitor count in the nine digit range,
leading to a temporary suspension of all oversized load transports to manage the influx of
traffic throughout key cities. Operations moving throughout the region may find themselves
subject to small delays over the next few days.
Read the latest updates about the situation here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuel Rates Driving Up Operational Costs
Diesel prices have surged, amplifying transportation providers' market challenges.
With diesel jumping by a third of the cost since April of 2019 and spot rates for truckloads
only up by around half of that, carriers have started to feel the financial strain. The spike in
fuel prices compounds with the impact of rising operational expenses like driver wages and
maintenance, which suggests that some carriers are currently operating at a loss.
Dive into the full article here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------