Tariff Tantrum, Track Record Retired, & Crude Awakening
🚨 Welcome to The Workday Dash — your no-fluff, high-gear rundown of what’s moving (and stalling) across the supply chain. Today’s menu of mayhem:
🚗 U.S. auto giants are fuming after Trump’s U.K. trade deal — they say it favors British cars over North American ones. (Tea, meet torque.)
🚂 Union Pacific’s history-making president Beth Whited is stepping off the train after 37 years on the tracks.
🛢️ And OPEC+ is cranking the valve again, adding 411K barrels a day to the mix and keeping fuel markets in full guesswork mode.
Buckle up — from tariffs to turnover, the global freight ride’s not slowing down.
“Don’t worry about people stealing your design work. Worry about the day they stop.”
U.S. Auto Giants Just Clapped Back at Trump’s Latest Trade Move
GM, Ford, and Stellantis aren’t holding back — they’re calling Trump’s new U.K. tariff deal a raw deal for North American auto. Under the new outline, U.K. vehicles (even those with little to no U.S. parts) would only be hit with a 10% tariff — making them cheaper to import than USMCA-compliant cars from Mexico or Canada that include 50%+ American-made components.
The American Automotive Policy Council is sounding the alarm: this doesn’t just hurt automakers — it dings U.S. suppliers, logistics networks, and auto workers. Meanwhile, Trump is chalking it up to national security… and a soft spot for Rolls-Royce.
Why You Should Care:
If you’re in auto freight, supply chain, or port logistics, this is more than policy. It's potential disruption to cross-border flows, rerouted shipments, and a reshuffling of supplier demand.
🔥 Hot Take:
“America First” shouldn’t mean “America Last Mile.” Especially when the cargo is handcrafted in Britain.
Union Pacific President Beth Whited to Step Down After 37-Year Career
After 37 years and a groundbreaking run as Union Pacific’s first-ever female president, Beth Whited is stepping down on July 1. She’s not riding off into the sunset just yet — she’ll stay on as a strategic advisor through early 2026 — but make no mistake: this is the end of a major chapter for UP.
Whited wore a lot of hats: EVP of sustainability and strategy, head of HR, marketing, finance, investor relations — you name it. She helped navigate the company through major business shifts, labor deals, and policy changes. UP says they’re not naming a new president (for now), which could make for some... interesting dynamics at the top.
Why You Should Care:
If you’re in freight, intermodal, or anything rail-adjacent, this leadership change will affect you. Strategic priorities, partner relationships, and service models could all be in for a shakeup.
🔥 Hot Take:
No president at UP? That’s not just a title drop — it could derail some serious decisions down the line.
OPEC+ Turns the Valve Up — But Oil Markets Are Sending Mixed Signals
OPEC+ is boosting output again, tacking on another 411,000 barrels per day in June as part of its ongoing rollback of production cuts. Saudi Arabia’s not-so-subtle strategy? Reward the rule followers and punish overachievers like Kazakhstan, which is blowing past its quota.
But here's where it gets weird: oil futures are showing a rare “smile” curve — tight short-term supply (backwardation) paired with expected long-term oversupply (contango). The last time we saw this? Early 2020… right before everything hit the fan.
Add in Trump’s trade deal with the U.K., rising refining activity for summer, and a softening global economy, and you’ve got a volatile recipe. Analysts are already slashing 2025 oil forecasts — Standard Chartered just dropped theirs to $61/bbl from $76.
Why You Should Care:
For transportation and logistics pros, this isn’t just an energy headline — it’s a freight forecasting nightmare. Cheaper diesel might feel good now, but if lower oil demand = slower economies, it means lighter loads and more idle capacity.
🔥 Hot Take:
When oil throws a “smile,” logistics teams shouldn’t grin — they should brace. Because if the market sours, that diesel discount might just come with a side of stagnant freight.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for June 27, 2025, from iLevel Logistics Inc.