A recent survey provided by Owl Labs this fall provides seven key findings, revealing the most current factors related to the emerging trend of the hybrid work option (a combination of both remote and in-office work for an individual employee.) As the hybrid approach grows as a new normal, some of the survey findings include: about 50% of workers continue as full-time in-office; new remote collaboration technologies; and the number one reason why employees return to the in-office work environment. See the full survey at Owl Labs. (Link below: “Key Findings From Our Hybrid Work Survey: Fall 2021”September 16, 2021, by Kayt Racz)

According to American Shipper, a record high of about 70 ships are waiting off the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles with even more ships expected for arrival in the days ahead. The cargo waiting onboard is estimated at about 432,909 TEUs, which represents more than month’s volume of containers processed at the Port of Long Beach (see video). The current extreme ship congestion well surpasses the last peak of 40 containerships this past February. See more data, maps and charts at American Shipper. (Link below: “Just how many containers of cargo are stuck off California’s coast?” September 21, 2021, by Greg Miller)

According to a report from Drewry this week, global container shortages are expected to continue in 2022.  The ongoing problem is attributed to several compounding factors including extended transit times, the continued residual effect of blank sailings in 2020 resulting in “many containers …. in the wrong place”, and continued increasing port congestion, especially in North America and Europe. (See link to Lloyd’s Loading List, “Little relief in sight for container equipment shortages”, Friday, 17 September 2021)

By analyzing the size of trucking companies regarding number of employees and corresponding number of trucks per fleet in relation to the mandates indicates some interesting results. The mandate, while applying to only about 1% of US trucking fleets involves more than 50% of the country’s total tractors, including companies with 100+ employees and fleets ranging from about 50 to over 5,000 tractors. That potentially results in the mandate impacting a huge segment of the nation’s truck drivers. Read more details at link to FREGHTWAVES, (“Biden vaccine mandate may worsen low driver retention rates”, September 9, 2021, by John Gallagher.)

As reported by Relocation Global today, the head of Germany’s Federal Labour Agency is stating that the country will already have 150,000 less workers in 2021, and suggested a need for 400,000 immigrants as skilled workers each year in the coming years ahead. The immense and growing shortage results from a low birth rate and an aging workforce in the country and reflects a similar and wider problem across the EU as well as the UK. Read more about how the EU workforce will dramatically decrease without migration over the next 30 years at (Relocate Global, “German dilemma highlights Europe skills gap”, 31 August 2021, by David Sapsted)

New quarantine measures in China are causing ground handling and operations staff to resign in high volume resulting in cargo delays, flight cancellations, and increasing freight rates. The Loadstar reported this week that the rules are also including flight crews adding to the problem of additional empty and cancelled flights. Backlogs at impacted airports are expected to continue to grow in the weeks ahead. (See link to Loadstar, “Pandemic rules bring China air cargo chaos …”, August 19,2021, Sam Whelan)