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Power index: Top 10 Biden appointments affecting freight markets

While almost every cabinet department and a host of federal agencies within the executive branch touch freight and supply chains in some way, these 10 recent appointees by President Joe Biden will likely figure most prominently in steering freight transportation policy as Biden’s administration gets underway. The list is in alphabetical order by last name.

Pete Buttigieg, secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
(Credit: U.S. DOT)

Background: Buttigieg began campaigning for Biden...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/power-index:-top-10-biden-appointments-affecting-freight-markets

Is heavy-duty fuel cell trucking almost ready for prime time?

Here’s what we know about hydrogen-powered fuel cells for heavy-duty trucking:

  • They are not in commercial production.
  • Onboard hydrogen storage is far less efficient than battery-powered trucks.
  • Heavy-duty truck fuel cell adoption is projected to be just 2.5% by 2030.
  • Battery-electric truck proponents call fuel cells unflattering names.

.None of that has changed. Yet, something seems different. 

For starters, car and truck makers and Tier 1 suppliers are investing billions of dollars in fuel cell...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/is-heavy-duty-fuel-cell-trucking-almost-ready-for-prime-time?

AI breaking down silos and improving e-commerce experiences

The fast acceleration of e-commerce is owed in part to the development of artificial intelligence. AI is what allows retailers to know what to stock, where to stock it and how to ship it. And often, AI is working hard for consumers in the background without them even knowing it.

“[AI] is the glue that can connect the good customer experience digitally to … the store [experience],” Sudhir Balebail, program director for IBM’s (NYSE: IBM) Sterling Order Management System, told Modern Shipper. “The...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/ai-breaking-down-silos-and-improving-e-commerce-experiences

Freight railroads curtail operations as extreme winter weather blasts through

A photograph of a snow plow clearing a road.

Bitter cold, heavy snowfall and power outages over swaths of the South and Midwest are crimping much of the U.S. freight rail network and causing service disruptions.

“Another winter storm will slam the South Wednesday, taking nearly the same track as the historic storm earlier this week,” FreightWaves reported. “That storm produced daily record snowfalls and record low temperatures in many places.”

Besides road closures, several airports and intermodal terminals remain closed, and millions of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-railroads-curtail-operations-as-extreme-winter-weather-blasts-through

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