Content about transportation

As smartphones and tablets become ubiquitous, multi-tasking behind the wheel has been gaining notice as a grown-up workplace danger rather than the sole province of reckless, texting adolescents.

Along with the risks to life and limb, the trend carries significant financial perils for employers.

A worker who causes an accident while reading e-mail or texting on the job can expose an employer to millions of dollars in liability for loss of life, in addition to the costs of property damage and lost productivity.

The unemployment rate held steady at 8.2% -- up from 8.1% in April, according to figures released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

All told, May saw an increase of 69,000 nonfarm jobs. Employment increased in health care, transportation and warehousing, and wholesale trade but declined in construction. Employment was little changed in most other major industries.

According to the Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate moved slightly to 8.1%, compared with 8.2% in March.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased with 115,000 additional jobs. Employment increased in professional and business services, retail trade and health care, but it declined in transportation and warehousing.

In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, former Home Depot merchant Mark Baker -- now the CEO of the newly public Orchard Supply Hardware -- talks about his expansion plans for the California chain, last year’s net losses ($15 million to $17 million), his favorite mode of transportation (a Cessna Caravan) and his motorcycle (a Harley-Davidson Road King). 

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply Co. has promoted Alexander Stanton to senior VP supply chain. In his new role, Stanton will handle logistics, transportation, distribution centers, inventory management and pricing for the 1,054-store retailer.

He joined the company in 2006 as VP finance and was later named senior VP finance and strategy. In his new role, he will report to Gregory Sandfort, president and chief merchandising officer.

Data released by the United States Department of Labor Friday showed the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1% in August. 

Employment in construction; trade, transportation and utilities; financial activities; and leisure and hospitality changed little over the month, according to the release. 

In August 2010, the unemployment rate stood at 9.6%.

Toano, Va.-based Lumber Liquidators second-quarter sales increased 4.0% to $175.5 million, up from $168.7 million in the same quarter last year.

But sales at comparable stores decreased 7.9%, and net income decreased to $5.3 million in the second quarter, down from $9.1 million in the second quarter of the prior year. 

Lighting manufacturer Leviton has announced the appointment of Steve Nikrant to the position of VP supply chain. Nikrant will be responsible for designing, developing, implementing and recommending policy and procedures for the distribution, transportation, order fulfillment, procurement/sourcing and customer service functions.  He will also be accountable for ensuring customer satisfaction and controlling costs.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) recently released its national legislative and regulatory policy agenda.


In it, NLBMDA calls on Congress to encourage financial institutions to renew lending activity that will spur new-home construction, while also encouraging the need to review federal rules and regulations that stifle job creation.


Despite winter storms that slammed Texas transportation, Handy Hardware Wholesale hosted more than 725 dealers at its Houston market last week. That's a new record for the Houston-based hardware co-op. 

During the event's Feb. 5 breakfast meeting, Handy president Tina Kirbie updated members on what she called Handy's "two bold 2010 initiatives" -- a computer system conversion and the company's new Meridian, Miss., distribution center.

To lead its supply chain transformation, The Home Depot didn’t turn to just any retail veteran with PowerPoint skills and a familiarity with trucking. In Mark Holifield, the Atlanta-based retail giant found an executive with a background tailor-made for the task of updating its logistics from a store-as-warehouse model to a rapid deployment system. His career in retail—at Office Depot and HEB Grocery—and his college major in distribution and transportation form a foundation for his current job.