NYT: COVID Shutdowns Still Hurting Fairfax

For those who can work their way around the paywall, here's a bit of local reporting from the nation's paper of record on the still struggling auto industry . . . This one is important as shut downs might be happening all over again . . .

Before the global supply chain descended into chaos, the terminal ran on a steady and dependable rhythm. Roughly once every minute, a new car emerged from the General Motors Fairfax factory next door and landed in the terminal parking lot. Rail cars brought in a predictable influx of vehicles from other G.M. factories. Mr. Heide, the Fairfax terminal manager, could deploy drivers and yard crews with assurance . . . The Great Supply Chain Disruption has turned shipping terminals into volatile zones full of uncertainties and best guesses. Nearly two years into the pandemic, reliable planning is still next to impossible at every point of the supply chain. No one is fully in control of their own circumstances, nor can they divine the fortunes of their suppliers, distributors and customers. The result is a feedback loop of variability that impedes efforts to turn the economy back on after the virus shutdowns.

A Car a Minute Used to Flow Through Here, but Chaos Now Reigns

A shipping terminal in Kansas reveals the fundamental problem - no one can plan, and no one is sure what will happen next. The Fairfax terminal is a way station for G.M. vehicles on their journey to dealerships. Many are built at a neighboring plant. Credit...