The Daily Dash is a quick look at what’s happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, we highlight trucking video game enthusiasts, the impact of the microchip shortage and more.
The High Five
1. There was nothing like being on the open road. The spacious blue skies, amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesties above the plains of North America made it all worth it. Except there’s this: It wasn’t real. Grace Sharkey with the feature story: Carriers need drivers; are gamers the answer?
2. Daimler Trucks North America is rotating downtime at two medium-duty truck plants as the shortage of microchips plaguing the automotive industry finally reaches truck manufacturers. After repurposing some chips, the maker of Freightliner and Western Star trucks succumbed to the inevitability of slowing production. Alan Adler with the details: Microchip shortages finally slowing truck production
3. Thyssenkrupp Supply Chain Services announced it is closing its facility in Houston and will eliminate 30 jobs by July 31. That was one of several rounds of freight-related layoffs announced recently, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notices. Noi Mahoney with the news: 265 layoffs hit freight-related firms in Texas
4. Deutsche Post DHL Group is investing a whopping 7 billion euros ($8.25 billion) in green technologies between now and 2030 to fight climate change. As part of its sustainability road map released last week, the company also made a commitment to donate 1% of net profits to social impact projects and programs. Alyssa Sporrer with more: Deutsche Post DHL Group dedicating $8.25B to green tech
5. Under most circumstances, commercial trucks based in foreign countries — Canada and Mexico — cannot haul domestic freight between two points in the U.S. That principle stems from laws and regulations governing cabotage: the point-to-point transportation of goods within a country by a foreign operator. Nate Tabak with the AskWaves file: Can foreign-based trucks haul domestic US freight?
Five more to check out
The adventures of finding Ford’s ‘Big Red’
Chipotle invests in self-driving startup Nuro as it prepares for delivery’s future
TICO partnership: Electric terminal tractors in pipeline
Rail Roundup: VIP Rail, Procor and Navis streamlining services