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Rachel Premack

Rachel Premack is the editorial director at FreightWaves. She writes the newsletter MODES. Her reporting on the logistics industry has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Vox, and additional digital and print media. She's also spoken about her work on PBS Newshour, ABC News, NBC News, NPR, and other major outlets. If you’d like to get in touch with Rachel, please email her at [email protected] or [email protected].
Jan - 2024 -
29 January
Rachel Premack

A fond farewell to (almost) 5 years of MODES

Rachel Premack (that’s me) has a new job outside of journalism. This means no more MODES (for a little while).

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26 January
Rachel Premack

The surprising reasons why truck drivers wait hours unpaid

Detention time is one of trucking’s most pernicious issues. Two former retail executives explain why the industry can’t seem to fix it.

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24 January
Rachel Premack

Trucks are getting smarter, and truck drivers aren’t happy about it

Semi-trucks are getting better at monitoring what drivers do and, frankly, driving themselves. Truckers are understandably concerned. 

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23 January
Rachel Premack

Why Walmart pays its truck drivers 6 figures

Walmart is the largest company in the world. Its elite, well-compensated trucking fleet is part of the reason why.

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10 January
Rachel Premack

We got too accustomed to peaceful seas

As the Houthis disrupt Red Sea trade, we’re seeing how fragile our supply chains are (again).

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05 January
Rachel Premack

The disturbing truth behind the Zyn memes

Freight brokers love to love Zyn, but the adoption of yet another way to ingest nicotine reveals a disturbing truth about capitalism.

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Dec - 2023 -
21 December
Rachel Premack

Ramaswamy advocates trucker-friendly policy at Iowa 80

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate, wants to address truck driver retention, broker fraud and parking. 

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19 December
Rachel Premack

C.H. Robinson’s new CEO doubling down on lean management, large language models

The new CEO of C.H. Robinson has never led a freight brokerage. His beginner’s mind might be what the beleaguered company needs. 

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14 December
Rachel Premack

Ramaswamy to roll out trucking policy at Iowa 80

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate, will speak at the World’s Largest Truckstop on Dec. 21.

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Rachel Premack

We’re still at risk for another ‘everything shortage’

We’re still at risk for another “everything shortage” should a new crisis shut down society again. 

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11 December
Rachel Premack

Some Convoy carriers say collapsed startup owes them thousands of dollars

Freight brokerage Convoy shut down in October. Carriers say the brokerage didn’t pay them for loads they completed.

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Nov - 2023 -
30 November
Rachel Premack

Let’s get a truck driver on the OpenAI board

Artificial intelligence will probably change everything about our lives. For truck drivers, it could wipe away their economic stability.

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29 November
Rachel Premack

Protesting Polish truck drivers say EU policy is driving down pay

Polish truck drivers are blocking four key border crossings. They’re hoping to draw attention to a European Union regulatory change.

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24 November
Rachel Premack

The biggest freight brokerage layoffs and bankruptcies in 2023

Freight brokerages typically can stay afloat during trucking recessions. But the ongoing, severe downturn has slammed third-party logistics companies.

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22 November
Rachel Premack

Why trucking embraces alarming turnover rates

I went to Texas to learn about truck driver training — and learned that there’s a major disagreement in how to improve the industry.

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16 November
Rachel Premack

Truck drivers sound off on a bill that could give them overtime

Bipartisan lawmakers introduced a bill that requires employers to give America’s 2 million truck drivers overtime pay — for the first time ever.

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15 November
Rachel Premack

FourKites reshuffles leadership team

FourKites’ president is no longer with the company. He joined in April. The visibility platform announced other new leaders on Wednesday.

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14 November
Rachel Premack

Teamsters unionizes some truck drivers at large US Postal Service fleet

Dozens of truck drivers at 10 Roads Express, a major Postal Service contractor, have voted to join the Teamsters in recent months.

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12 November
Rachel Premack

Bipartisan bill introduced to guarantee truck drivers overtime pay

Legislators want to overturn an 85-year-old law that says companies do not need to pay truck drivers overtime. 

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02 November
Rachel Premack

Increased consumer spending not enough to end trucking bloodbath

After the Great Shopping Spree of 2021, tens of thousands of truck companies will have to shut down to restabilize the industry.

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01 November
Rachel Premack

Flexport acquires Convoy technology stack for undisclosed sum

Flexport’s acquisition comes weeks after the venture-funded trucking startup closed down. Convoy has some 400,000 truck drivers in its network.

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Oct - 2023 -
27 October
Rachel Premack

Flexport in conversations to buy Convoy’s technology stack

Flexport would hire a small team of Convoy employees and take on its technology stack. That could keep the trucking startup’s app functioning for customers.

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26 October
Rachel Premack

Convoy’s shutdown exposes the desperate state of trucking

The ultra-buzzy trucking startup Convoy could have fixed trucking. Instead, it shut down suddenly to the shock of industry insiders.

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05 October
Rachel Premack

What’s behind the reports of ‘unprecedented’ retail theft

Practically every retail chain in the U.S. has been sounding the alarms on external theft. It’s not as simple as it seems.

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Sep - 2023 -
25 September
Rachel Premack

Werner subsidiary fires 4 truck drivers after union petition filing

One terminal of trucking giant Werner filed to join the Teamsters union. Teamsters said key organizers were terminated afterward.

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15 September
Rachel Premack

American manufacturing is coming back. So are strikes. 

Amid the historic UAW strike, we’re seeing more militant labor leadership than ever. It’s a sign that the American economy is healthy.

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14 September
Rachel Premack

We’ve got a truck parking crisis. Who should solve it?

Truck drivers are pressed to find safe parking. A patchwork of entrepreneurs seem keen to expand options.

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07 September
Rachel Premack

Flexport board fired CEO Clark, sources say

The prominent former Amazon executive agreed to resign from the CEO role. Flexport founder Ryan Petersen will take back his role. 

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06 September
Rachel Premack

Flexport CEO Dave Clark steps down

Former Amazon executive Dave Clark told FreightWaves that Flexport founder Ryan Petersen wants to redirect Flexport’s mission.

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05 September
Rachel Premack

I rode with an ice road trucker to the Arctic Circle. Here’s what it was like

Alaskan trucking fleets are desperate for truck drivers. They make up to $170,000 a year. But the job isn’t easy.

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01 September
Rachel Premack

Coyote Logistics restructures, lays off unspecified number

Coyote, a $5.2 billion freight broker, just announced layoffs again. The trucking industry is in a recession.

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Aug - 2023 -
29 August
Rachel Premack

Why Teamsters allowed 22,000 union jobs to vanish

Following the bankruptcy of trucking giant Yellow, some 22,000 union workers are unemployed. It may be a spooky sign for the labor movement.

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10 August
Rachel Premack

Yellow employees getting paid a day late; $92.9M in vacation time in limbo

Yellow said employees who expected their paychecks Thursday would receive them Friday. However, it remains unclear when workers will receive pay for accrued vacation days.

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Jul - 2023 -
28 July
Rachel Premack

Yellow is ceasing ‘regular operations’ on Friday

Yellow told nonunion employees that all locations are shutting down or seeing layoffs. The trucking company said regular operations cease Friday.

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26 July
Rachel Premack

Yellow exec tells sales staff company will file bankruptcy Monday

At least two Yellow teams were given a prepared statement that “the company continues to prepare for a range of contingencies.”

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Rachel Premack

Stephens says Yellow is burning up to $10M a day

Industry watchers believe a Yellow bankruptcy is inevitable. Some of the company’s 30,000 employees are starting to feel nervous too.

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25 July
Rachel Premack

Yellow limits pickups nationwide, leaked memo says

“As a result of these unfortunate circumstances and the impact on the network, we are limiting pick-up operations in all terminals,” the memo states.

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21 July
Rachel Premack

‘Big trouble’: Yellow truck drivers ponder next moves amid potential bankruptcy

Some 30,000 Yellow employees may find themselves unemployed. Yellow truck drivers said they’ll likely find work at nonunion shops.

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18 July
Rachel Premack

Yellow customers see danger and opportunity in Teamsters fracas

Brokers say some shippers are steering clear of the troubled trucking carrier. Other customers are flocking to Yellow.

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14 July
Rachel Premack

Yellow truck drivers sound off on troubled fleet, Teamsters

Some truck drivers at Yellow are worried about their retirement plans. Others fear their jobs may be eliminated in the coming months.

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Jun - 2023 -
26 June
Rachel Premack

Slowdown in grocery inflation may be good news for trucking companies

Food brands are cooling it on price hikes. That means trucking companies will have more grocery volume to move.

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15 June
Rachel Premack

How Teamsters and trucking giant Yellow ended up in a bitter battle

Yellow wants to make massive changes in its operations. Teamsters is blocking them – even though the trucking company could shutter.

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May - 2023 -
25 May
Rachel Premack

California’s latest environmental regulation may have unintended consequences for truckers

All eyes are on California’s new regulation to decarbonize drayage trucks. It probably won’t please everyone.

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11 May
Rachel Premack

Trucking could — maybe — become less volatile

Some large retailers say they’d rather pay trucking companies more during this freight recession and avoid a trucking bloodbath.

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05 May
Rachel Premack

Alaskan trucking fleets promise $150K driver salaries amid drilling boom

Alaskan trucking companies are betting that six-figure salaries could lure truck drivers to haul freight in the frigid Arctic.

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Apr - 2023 -
28 April
Rachel Premack

Trucking bloodbath snares fleets large and small

Thousands of small truckers are shutting down, while megafleets are reporting losses in the millions.

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20 April
Rachel Premack

Why most of America’s 2 million long-haul truck drivers aren’t unionized

Deregulating trucking made modern supply chains achievable — but it also carved out one of America’s essential blue-collar professions.

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13 April
Rachel Premack

Furniture companies still paying for the supply chain crisis

Many industries are enjoying high profits from historic inflation. The furniture industry isn’t one of them. Thank the supply chain crisis.

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07 April
Rachel Premack

Transportation wonks are mixed on Pete Buttigieg

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been lambasted for his performance. Supply chain insiders don’t entirely agree with the criticism.

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Mar - 2023 -
27 March
Rachel Premack

Federal law designed to make trucking safer may have aggravated worst issues

The ELD mandate put more pressure on truck drivers’ workdays and may have pushed its most-tenured employees out. 

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23 March
Rachel Premack

$31B merger will make rail industry even more consolidated  

Rail is dominated by just a few large players. A new merger is going to make the industry even more consolidated. Some farmers are worried. 

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17 March
Rachel Premack

Produce season likely to be weak — and it’s bad news for truckers

Historic rainfall has flooded key agricultural areas of California. Farmers there say the deluge has delayed their planting and harvesting — and even sparked disease in some crops. 

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Rachel Premack

La temporada de frutas y hortalizas se presenta floja, una mala noticia para los camioneros

El 20% de los campos de fresas de la principal región productora de California están bajo el agua.

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16 March
Rachel Premack

Food giants cash in on ‘pet parents’ buying gourmet meals for ‘fur babies’

Dog food has become an inflation safe haven for packaged-food giants — because pet owners won’t trade down categories for their “fur babies.”

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09 March
Rachel Premack

There are no federal regulations on key rail sensors

A study found use of hot-box detectors has contributed to a 59% decrease in certain train accidents since 1990.

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02 March
Rachel Premack

A new deal will make Lunchables more powerful than ever

Kraft Heinz will sell Lunchables in schools directly to kids. It’s an auspicious deal but not the best indicator for the nation’s health.

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Feb - 2023 -
23 February
Rachel Premack

Qué hay detrás de los interminables despidos en las agencias de transporte de mercancías 

Las corredurías o brokers de carga contrataron a demasiados empleados durante 2021 y 2022, y esa marea está cambiando ahora

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Rachel Premack

What’s behind the never-ending freight brokerage layoffs

Big names like C.H. Robinson, Uber Freight and Convoy have all cut staff in recent months. Here’s what’s driving the freight brokerage layoffs.

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16 February
Rachel Premack

El modelo de negocio del Tesla Semi tiene un grave defecto 

Más allá del hecho de que, al parecer, nadie puede conseguir sus camiones

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Rachel Premack

​​​​​​Tesla Semi’s business model has a serious flaw

Communicating to an industry audience isn’t very “badass,” but it should be a priority for Elon Musk’s Tesla Semi.

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Rachel Premack

Norfolk Southern eliminated key maintenance role in derailment region, union says

There are no federal requirements on the usage or maintenance of heat-detecting devices that have helped cut down on derailments.

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14 February
Rachel Premack

Wall Street says Norfolk Southern profits won’t suffer from derailment 

One analyst expects Norfolk Southern will pay up to $50 million following its Ohio derailment — about 1.7% of its 2022 profits.

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09 February
Rachel Premack

Bubble Wrap is deflating — and so is the American consumer

Despite record-low unemployment, the packaging giant behind Bubble Wrap says consumers aren’t buying red meat or shopping online like before.

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Rachel Premack

What crappy beer demand tells us about the economy

Beer is too expensive, but consumers are happy to spend top dollar on hard liquor.

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Jan - 2023 -
30 January
Rachel Premack

Cardboard box demand plunging at rates unseen since the Great Recession

Cardboard boxes are a humble but key indicator. Manufacturers are quickly halting output of this good in a spooky sign for the economy.

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19 January
Rachel Premack

Cómo aprovecha Rusia su región ártica para ejercer influencia mundial

Durante la última década, mientras el resto de nosotros no mirábamos, Rusia ha invertido seriamente en su región ártica. Ahora, alrededor del 20% del PIB del país y el 30% […]

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Rachel Premack

How Russia is leveraging its Arctic region for global influence

Some 20% of Russia’s GDP comes from its Arctic region. Climate change means Russia can extract and ship fossil fuels more easily from the once perpetually frozen landscape.

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12 January
Rachel Premack

We’re about to learn all about the Fortune 500’s secret cash flow weapon

Supply chain financing is a major way that corporate behemoths keep cash flow humming. This tool is about to get its moment in the spotlight. 

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Dec - 2022 -
31 December
Rachel Premack

The largest trucking companies that went bankrupt in 2022 freight recession

2022 brought a recession in the trucking industry, but few large trucking companies declared bankruptcy.

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22 December
Rachel Premack

Union Pacific proposes pilot program to have just 1 person operating trains

Major U.S. railroads have pushed for years to eliminate the in-cab conductor role. But unions think the cost-cutting rule could undermine safety.

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20 December
Rachel Premack

Trucking conditions crashed to pandemic lows this fall

Soaring diesel costs plus sinking volumes made trucking conditions especially challenging in October and November. 

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15 December
Rachel Premack

Bizarro inflation is making random stuff cheap and necessities unaffordable

Inflation has famously slammed the price of food and gasoline this year, but televisions and smartphones are historically cheap. What gives?

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Rachel Premack

Railroad barons are reconsidering the playbook that made them rich

America’s freight railroads descended into chaos this year. Their best way out might be reconsidering their operational style — but Wall Street might not approve.

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Rachel Premack

Biden signs bill to force labor agreement on rail workers, averting a legal rail strike

Four out of 12 unions voted no on the White House-brokered tentative agreement. Now, they will have to accept the contract.

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01 December
Rachel Premack

Senate votes to force labor agreement on rail workers — minus sick leave

The Senate voted 80-15 to intervene on a potential rail strike. The bill does not mandate seven days of paid sick leave. 

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Rachel Premack

We’ve (probably) averted a rail strike. Now what?

The Senate will likely vote Thursday to end any possibility of a legal rail strike. But a “wildcat” strike could still happen.

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Rachel Premack

Hemos evitado (probablemente) una huelga ferroviaria. ¿Y ahora qué? 

No me había dado cuenta de la gravedad de la situación”, dice un agricultor sobre las luchas de los trabajadores ferroviarios

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Nov - 2022 -
30 November
Rachel Premack

House votes to prevent rail strike, guarantee paid sick leave

The House of Representatives voted 290-137 to intervene on a potential rail strike. It also voted to guarantee seven days of paid sick leave.

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29 November
Rachel Premack

Lawmakers, rail unions slam Biden’s call to impose labor contract

Congress is poised to pass a bill that will thwart a rail strike. But some lawmakers are breaking rank to call for an amendment that rail workers agree with.

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24 November
Rachel Premack

The quest to get truck drivers to stop worrying and love the ELD

Truck drivers say new technology has made their jobs a “race against the clock.” Technology manufacturers are trying to argue the other side.

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18 November
Rachel Premack

ACT Research sounds alarm on ‘bottoming’ trucking market

Demand for durable goods is soft and diesel rates are sky-high. It’s a spooky sign for the trucking industry.

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16 November
Rachel Premack

Por qué las flotas de camiones se expanden en medio de la desaceleración del transporte de mercancías 

¡Nuevos equipos en abundancia! (¿Justo a tiempo para un baño de sangre del transporte por carretera?)

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Rachel Premack

Why trucking fleets are expanding amid a freight slowdown

Most trucking experts anticipate we’re headed into a freight recession — or we’re in one already. Yet truckers are ordering more equipment.

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08 November
Rachel Premack

Washington lawmakers still believe there’s a truck driver shortage

The idea that America has a truck driver shortage isn’t going away so easily, and it’s shaping major policy.

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Oct - 2022 -
21 October
Rachel Premack

Small cars are an endangered species — blame the supply chain

Supply chain chaos has helped increase the cost of a new car by 25%. The automotive industry won’t let go of those profits anytime soon.

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13 October
Rachel Premack

Latest supply chain crisis could threaten global stash of food, energy

The world needs American energy and fuel — badly. And the barges carrying those goods can’t get through fast enough.

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Rachel Premack

Morgan Stanley says jaw-dropping inventory levels a ‘key risk’ to retailers

Plans to order more inventory have fallen to a record low, according to Morgan Stanley. There’s far too much stuff and not enough demand.

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06 October
Rachel Premack

Los gigantes del transporte marítimo siguen haciendo caja, pero el tiempo se acaba 

Los años 2023 y 2024 serán una época difícil para los arrendadores de buques en particular

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Rachel Premack

Shipping giants are still rolling in cash — but time is running out

Major ocean carriers are likely to survive the ongoing dip in shipping rates. But other companies may soon struggle.

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