CINCINNATI — While scenes of semis stuck in a snowy standstill during Monday's snow storm are but a distant memory for some, the hampering of winter weather continues to impact the national supply chain.
On January 6, Total Quality Logistics (TQL) reported a 56% increase in calls made by workers who dispatch and communicate logistics to freight drivers on compared to around the same time last year.
Winter Storm Blair brought over a foot of snow to some spots across Ohio this week. In Cincinnati alone, snowfall totaled more than 10 inches by Monday afternoon.
"There's huge demand and supply stresses, and those can kind of hit against each other and create a lot of stress on the system," said Julia Fulton, TQL director of marketing. "When there's adverse weather like this, it can impact a wide variety of things."
More than 3,000 employees stood at the ready this week, 24/7, to troubleshoot issues on the road, in the sky and out at sea. Fulton said the largest disruptions came from road delays this week.
"I think any time there is snow on the ground, it creates dangerous driving conditions, especially when you think about a truck — it's 80,000 pounds — so it can be really hard to stop," she said.
Of all the industries hit hard with weather delays this week, Fulton said the food and beverage industry felt the brunt of the impact.
"Any time there is a big storm, food and beverage (companies) feel immense demand. People obviously want to stock up," Fulton said. "That can all cause a lot of strain on the system and ultimately slow down inventory getting into the hands of consumers."
And with slow and steady snowfall expected Friday, Fulton said to expect more short-term delays to the supply chain.
"It's really slow to travel. You can't cover as many miles. That slows down their ability to move things, and creates a lot of delays," she said. "There could be acute situations, like trucks getting into accidents, becoming distressed, but generally, we shouldn't feel any major strain here in the Cincinnati area."
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