According to Supply Chain Digest, prices of commodities are continuing a two-year decline through 2013 Q2. Prices of metals are the most significant, down overall by 15 percent since the beginning of 2013. The major commodities index now sits 24 percent under its peak in April 2011. Natural gas prices fell 6 percent in Q2,…
Before Republicans gained a majority in the House in 2008, Obama’s “cap and trade” legislation failed to pass. Since then, no new legislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. has been seriously considered. Environmentalists have complained that the President is doing nothing to reduce emissions. Instead of trying to push new legislation through…
At long last, the longstanding goal of America (according to both major political parties) seems within reach. The U.S. is set to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer by the year 2017. By the year 2025, the U.S. will be exporting more than its importing, and should be fully energy independent by…
Even as unemployment hovers above 7 percent, and 25,000 trucking jobs wait open for drivers, companies are still unable to fill those seats. As experts predict the industry to grow by 21 percent in the next seven years, companies try new ways to lure drivers and boost the retention rates of their new hires. Some…
On Monday, July 1, the hotly contested new hours of service regulations imposed on the trucking industry by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) went into effect. Carriers and drivers hoped the Federal Appeals Court would rule in their favor before the new rules took effect, and even requested that the FMCSA hold off…
Durable goods manufacturing, seen as a key indicator of market strength and business confidence in the economy, rose in May for the third consecutive month. This is the third time this sector has seen a three month straight increase in orders since the fall quarter of 2011. According to the report by the U.S. Commerce…
Reuters news agency reports that the Army Corps of Engineers is being forced to close numerous locks along the Mississippi River due to rising flood waters. According to spokespeople for the Corps, it is unclear when barge traffic will be allowed to resume due to chances of even more rains in these regions in the…
As production costs and energy prices rise overseas, the U.S. is looking more attractive to companies looking for low-cost areas to manufacture goods. Top manufacturers such as Caterpillar, GE and Ford, which led the way towards moving manufacturing overseas, are once again considering the U.S. for new manufacturing facilities. This growth in U.S. manufacturing jobs…
According to a new report released by two Gartner analysts in conjunction with MESA International determines the single largest obstacle to deploying MES applications is a lack of clarity on the costs and benefits these systems can offer. This came as a surprise to Gartner analysts Simon Jacobson and Michael Doran because these issues were…
During the severe economic recession, which began in 2009 and is only lessening its grip on the world very recently, suppliers in the automotive parts industry consolidated their operations, closed manufacturing facilities, and laid off workers. In all, they reduced capacity by about 30 percent. Now, the auto industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom in…