The supply chain industry is thriving—and the proof is in the news. Supporting evidence can be found every day in headlines that explore how companies are shaking things up along the supply chain journey in new and different ways. Let’s take a look at some recent industry news stories and announcements, and examine the impact on the supply chain.

Nike confirms that it is no longer selling its products on Amazon (Business Insider)

Building a truly customer-centric supply chain is no easy feat. Organizations, together with suppliers, manufacturers and logistics service providers, need to support one another in the launch of such an initiative. Now that Nike has announced it will no longer sell its products on Amazon, we can only anticipate more companies will eventually follow suit.

Providing exceptional products and services is becoming increasingly important as customers continue to gain greater access to more varieties of goods. To thrive, a business needs to differentiate itself. It must look for every competitive advantage and opportunity to become truly customer-centric. If a company has the right customer strategy, looking upstream to the global supply chain can be a big win—and Amazon is no exception to this high-pressure, high-demand, and highly competitive environment.

US senators introduce ‘Women in Trucking’ bill (FreightWaves)

There has been a strong push to welcome more women into the world of truck driving, and the recent Promoting Women in Trucking Workforce Act is the latest effort to do just that. The legislation focuses on identifying ways trucking companies and associations can support women who want to pursue these careers by offering training enhancements, education and outreach programs exclusive to women. Why is it important to have more women on the roads? A more inclusive and diverse workforce is vital to the success of the trucking industry moving forward. For example, women are 20% less likely to be involved in a crash while on the job compared to men. Though the advantages of a more diversified trucking workforce have yet to be fully realized, we can be sure they will be plentiful.

Along with increasing the ranks of women drivers, the trucking industry has made significant strides in the past year to promote truck driver careers in an effort to increase the nationwide driver supply. As shippers front-loaded inventories in 2018, demand for trucking largely outstripped supply. Now, the balance has shifted—the record number of trucking company closures in 2019, due to increasing costs and softening demand from high tariffs, has put thousands of drivers back on the market.

 

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