- Truck N' Hustle Newsletter
- Posts
- FreightFest early bird sale!
FreightFest early bird sale!
Truck N' Hustle
06 Oct
Rise and grind, hustle fam. Looks like the cat’s out the bag! So many of you LOVED FreightFest we had to make sure we blessed you all with some early bird tickets. Find more on that near the bottom of this newsletter. 😉
And of course we’ve got the latest on Total Quality Logistics lawsuit outcome, revealing Chick-fil-A’s big news, and more current events regarding our economy.
Newsletter Highlights
 | We have a surprise for you! Brace yourself for a special delivery of some super clever insights on how to secure contracts with the United States Postal Service. And that's not all… |
 | Searching for ways to start, grow, and build a resilient small business? SBA loans are perfect for small businesses who are looking to sustain long-term development. Get the specifics on types of SBA loans, their pros and cons, and newest SBA rules… |
NEWS
In 2010 a case was filed against Total Quality Logistics for violating wage laws, by 4,500 former TQL employees. Finally, over a decade later, a federal judge put an end to this long-running class action lawsuit, ruling that TQL owes the 4,500 former workers for unpaid overtime.
While TQL argued its workers in the case were exempt from overtime pay because they were largely performing “administrative duties.” Apparently, the case fell short for two reasons:
First, because a majority of the employees’ workload contributed toward the company’s overall sales production. Secondly, the employees who worked under close scrutiny, pitched services with sales scripts and whose decisions were regularly reviewed—deeming them not eligible to be considered as management employees.
BUSINESS
After a tweet from North Carolina’s Governor, Roy Cooper, it’s said that Chick-Fil-A’s Supply will invest $58.3 million into building a distribution center in Kannapolis, NC—bringing 112 new jobs, including truck driver positions.
The new 120,000-square-foot distribution center is expected to open in the third quarter next year. And Chick-Fil-A plans to open more distribution centers in Cleveland, Ohio and Kansas City, Kansas, and add two new distribution centers next year in Dallas and Selma, Texas, near San Antonio. Truck drivers and others can apply on the Chick-fil-A Supply website.
“It is extremely convenient for trucking transportation. It is literally right off the I-85 corridor at Lane Street. It is minutes outside of metro Charlotte and between the Charlotte Douglas Airport and Greensboro Triad Airport,”
— Annette Keller, Kannapolis City’s Communications Director
MARITIME
In August, Port Everglade’s cargo volume dipped 14% YoY to 79,641, reflecting a sixth-consecutive month of declining volumes. And at the same time last year, container volumes were higher at a total of 92,383 TEUs, compared to 2019 levels, cargo shipments fell by 9% this August.
“In general, the bump in volumes can be attributed to Port Everglades’ cargo traffic returning to pre-Covid levels.”
— CEO and Port Director Jonathan Daniels
ECONOMY
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has extended the suspension of taxes on motor fuels until at least November 11, 2023. The taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel were set to expire on October 12.
Unfortunately, the government has lost about $1.7 billion in revenue during a previous suspension from March 2022 to January 2023. And currently, the average diesel pump price in Georgia is $4.20/gallon, down from $4.31 a month ago.
The national average for diesel pump prices is over $4.54/gallon. Keep in mind, fuel distributors, not gas stations, pay the motor fuel taxes to the state, so the time it takes for taxed fuel to reach the pump can either negatively or positively affect fuel prices.
RAILROAD
Rail demurrage was common during the pandemic when containers were “unavailable,” but shippers were charged penalties without a way to get their cargo. Today, it is still hard to come up with a solution to this problem.
In unfair cases like cargo owner being charged when a yard is closed and they aren’t able to access their shipment, is where the problem lies.
Daniel Maffei, Chairman of the FMC, cautioned that further action on the matter would either require an act of Congress or some agreement with the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) over jurisdiction.
WEEKLY RECAP
On Tuesday we had the pleasure to speak with Annalee Cate, CEO of Route Consultant. She told us everything you NEAD to know about earning that DOUGH in the lucrative world of bread routes. (Gotta love a good pun!)
Listen real carefully to Annalee’s advice and you will learn what it takes to build equity as an entrepreneur, and not just an average W-2 income!
WHAT’S NEXT
Missed this fall’s FreightFest? We told you we’ve got you covered on the next one—so here it is. Don't miss the 2024 FreightFest Early Bird Offer! Secure your seat for the ultimate cargo celebration at unbeatable prices! 🌟 For a limited time only. Grab Your Tickets NOW and save BIG!
“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.“
— Winston Churchill