Supply Chain Optimization

Sandbagging Trucking

 

The fracking revolution is really taking off…and it is sucking up truck drivers.  As we have reported in the past, each well is taking more and more sand…last year’s total consumption was 100 million lbs. – that is 4 million truckloads that must be ferried from the rail to each well.  A year from now, consumption is projected to be 150 million lbs. – 6 Million loads.  Even at 3 loads per day per driver, that is 7,000 drivers working 300 days each year!  In addition, contaminated water needs to be trucked away after each well is completed.  Putting the sand moves in perspective – this is equivalent to the largest private fleet (Pepsi).  
 
Seeing a truckload of computers arrives during a tour of a UPS facility reminded me that cargo theft could be lucrative.  German cargo losses exceeded $1.3 billion last year – 26,000 trucks were robbed – a robbery every 20 minutes.  Strangely, I don’t see US statistics for cargo loss – does anybody know what is happening here?
 
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