This fireside chat recap is from Thursday, the third day of FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.
FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: How the fuels supply chain held up during the pandemic
DETAILS: While there were shortages of all sorts of products during the pandemic, and many of them continue today, fuel supply never reached crisis levels. Supplies got tight but did not buckle. Longtime consultant Gary Bevers of Bevers & Co. reviews how that key part of the economy held up during those difficult times.
KEY QUOTES FROM BEVERS:
“The industry has figured out that you can’t have a 60-day delay to resupply a terminal in a big event.”
“The powers that be, the majors, are way upstream and then you have local distributors. Basically they all just stayed calm and waited for the other shoe to drop, whether there was going to be regulatory edicts put in place during hurricanes. But in this case the government sat on the sidelines and let the industry work it out for itself.”
(On the speed of price changes at the pump): “Most retailers are independents. The gas station owners are small guys and they look across the street at the other station because if they raise their price more than 2 cents, they lost customers. So they wait to follow Joe around the corner. They will run their margin down until they are almost making no money.”
Brokerage Compliance Symposium
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
F3 Awards Dinner
The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now