Chinedu Ufodike
PhD Student, Grad Teaching Assistant
Department:
Supply Chain Management
Biography
Chinedu Ufodike is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in supply chain management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. He holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida and a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. Prior to his doctoral studies, Ufodike worked as a systems engineer for a supply chain consulting firm, where he implemented warehouse automation and robotics solutions for distribution centers.
Ufodike’s research focuses on policy-driven transformation in the transportation sector, particularly at the intersection of regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. His work applies econometric methods to evaluate how public policy influences firm behavior and supply chain outcomes.
He is a co-author of a forthcoming article in the Journal of Business Logistics that examines how enforcement heterogeneity across U.S. states affected compliance with the federally mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule in the for-hire trucking industry. The study found that firms in states that postponed enforcement initially lagged in compliance but caught up as neighboring states implemented stricter oversight — highlighting regulatory spillover effects. This paper received the Best Theoretical-Driven Empirical Research Paper Award at the 2023 Decision Sciences Institute Conference in Atlanta.
Ufodike’s ongoing research includes a study on Clean Truck Programs (CTPs) at U.S. ports, which compares the effectiveness of voluntary versus mandatory programs. Findings indicate that mandatory programs significantly accelerate fleet upgrades and reduce emissions, particularly in low-visibility sectors like drayage trucking, where voluntary compliance is limited.
In another project, Ufodike evaluates the operational and safety impacts of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), a lean management strategy adopted by Class I railroads. While PSR improves efficiency, the study reveals associated increases in accident and derailment rates, raising concerns about trade-offs between cost-cutting and safety.
Looking ahead, Ufodike plans to examine the feasibility and impacts of a nationwide mandatory CTP and is expanding his research into OSHA regulatory compliance, particularly the role of symbolic versus substantive responses. He is also collaborating with the Trucking Alliance and the University of Central Arkansas on a study comparing the effectiveness of hair versus urine drug testing among commercial drivers.