Alexander Pope once wrote “Toerr is human.” And now, to errcould also be profitable, thanks toa contest being held by RakutenSuper Logistics.

The Las Vegas-based e-commerce order fulfillment companyrecently launched a nationwidesearch for the worst e-commerceshipping or fulfillment blunders.Contestants who submit the mosthair-raising horror stories—which the company calls “‘OhShip’ moments”—are eligible towin a share of $7,000 in prizemoney.

The contest is open to all U.S.online retailers. To participate,companies simply submit a factual account of their most epicfailures at www.rakutensl.com/oh-ship by the end of July. Thegrand-prize winner will receive$5,000, while two runner-ups willeach take home $1,000.

The competition promises to bestiff, according to the company.“We know that many online business owners think they have theworst story—whether that’s thewrong item shipped, the packagedelivered to the wrong destination, or goods that were damagedduring the process,” said JasonChan, Rakuten’s vice president ofmarketing and sales, in a release.“But is your ‘Oh Ship’ momentthe absolute worst [and therefore,most deserving of] our $5,000grand prize?” n

Got a fulfillment
horror story? Turn it
into cash

Nationwide traffic patterns changed radically on March 13, when the federalgovernment declared a state of emergency due to the Covid- 19 pandemic. Withbusinesses closed from coast to coast and workers sheltering in place, commercialtruckers suddenly had the highways to themselves.

Now, a new report sheds some light on how drivers responded to the suddendrop in traffic. In a study titled The Impact of the Covid- 19 Crisis on DrivingBehaviors, researchers at mobile asset management provider Teletrac Navmananalyzed data collected from the company’s connected vehicles during the first36 days after the order took effect. What they found were some distinct shifts indriving behavior, including:

b A 17% increase in speeding,b A 10% increase in failures to stop at stop signs, andb A 15% increase in harsh-cornering events.

“It is interesting to see how … drivers behaved with lighter traffic congestion,”Ben Williams, director of marketing, digital and analytics for Teletrac Navman,said in a release. “Fewer vehicles on the road should translate to safer drivingconditions; however, these insights reveal that might not be the case. We hopethese findings serve as a reminder that we should all follow safe driving practiceswhether the highway is full or empty.” n

Speed demon

Most vehicles start out with a “new car smell,” but there are other specific odorsthat drivers—whether truckers or regular motorists—should never ignore.Identifying these suspect smells early on can help vehicle owners avoid the hassleand expense of an unexpected breakdown, according to the Bethesda, Maryland-based trade group the Car Care Council.

“Unusual smells can be the sign of serious, and potentially costly, trouble foryour vehicle. By acting quickly and making necessary repairs, you’ll be able tobreathe easy knowing there is no harmful damage to your [vehicle],” said RichWhite, executive director of the Car Care Council, in a statement.

The council recommends conducting a sniff testof your vehicle to identify any unusual smells,including the following six warning signs:

b The smell of burnt rubber could be slipping drivebelts or misplaced loose hoses that might be rubbingagainst rotating accessory drive pulleys,

b The smell of hot oil could mean that oil is leakingonto the exhaust system and leaving a telltale stainon the pavement underneath,

b The smell of gasoline is likely the sign of a gas leakin some area of the vehicle, such as a fuel injector line or the fuel tank,

b The sweet smell of syrup may be a sign that a vehicle is leaking engine coolantfrom a leaky component related to its cooling system,

b The smell of burning carpet could be a sign of brake trouble and a safety hazard,and

b The smell of rotten eggs could mean a problem with a catalytic converter notproperly converting the hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust to sulfur dioxide. n