US intermodal rail fluidity improves, but larger questions remain After a delay-filled start to 2018, railroads are rushing to hire employees, lease locomotives, and build sidings to be prepared for the next seasonal wave in the second half of 2018. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. PALM DESERT, California — The US intermodal rail supply chain, exceedingly slow […]
Read More →Prince Rupert port returns to normal fluidity despite double-digit gains
on April 12, 2018in Industry News
Prince Rupert port returns to normal fluidity despite double-digit gains Despite a 28 percent increase in container volume in the first quarter, today the Port of Prince Rupert (above) is fluid. Photo credit: Port of Prince Rupert. Even as volume surged 28 percent year over year in the first quarter, the Port of Prince Rupert […]
Read More →Modest progress notched, Russia customs service reforms continue
on April 12, 2018in Industry News
Modest progress notched, Russia customs service reforms continue Customs reform is needed because Russia’s cargo traffic is growing substantially, which places more demands on the Russian State Customs Services’s (RSCS) resources. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Russian shippers and foreign companies operating in the country will be able to deliver their cargo substantially faster, as a result […]
Read More →XPO’s digital marketplace helps shippers trouble-shoot supply chain
on April 10, 2018in Industry News
XPO’s digital marketplace helps shippers trouble-shoot supply chain The digital platform will give customers of XPO’s non-asset brokerage and asset-based transportation services visibility into where their shipments are, their estimated time of arrival, and other business intelligence. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. While digital brokerages look to disrupt large US freight brokers, one of the largest freight […]
Read More →Digital forwarders, legacy forwarders engage in serve and volley
on April 10, 2018in Industry News
Digital forwarders, legacy forwarders engage in serve and volley “Disruption” is a term that gets thrown around a lot. But while disruption may have come to taxis, it hasn’t come to international shipping, at least not yet. Incumbent players one day might be disrupted by an Amazon or Home Depot taking control of their logistics, or from an autonomous […]
Read More →Europe’s automotive logistics sector eyes strong 2018
on April 9, 2018in Industry News
Europe’s automotive logistics sector eyes strong 2018 Europe’s automotive logistics sector is poised to register another year of growth in 2018, if political issues do not interfere. (Above: A Hoegh Autoliners roll-on, roll-off ship at the Port of Amsterdam.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. London — Europe’s automotive logistics sector is on a roll with volumes rising […]
Read More →Traditional forwarders challenged not disrupted
on April 9, 2018in Industry News
Traditional forwarders challenged not disrupted Legacy forwarders are gaining mastery over the vast amounts of data running through their systems, and the vast trove soon to become available through sensors on trucks, ships, containers, chassis, and other hardware. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. “Disruption” is a term that gets thrown around a lot. But while disruption may […]
Read More →Yilport’s plan for Gulfport
on April 7, 2018in Industry News
Yilport’s plan for Gulfport Amid high marine terminal competition, Robert Yuksel Yildirim sees opportunities in Gulfport, Mississippi, and other less flashy markets to propel the Turkish company he runs to the top 10 among global terminal operators and counter carrier pressure by partnering with other operators that lack container line backing. Promising to invest hundreds… […]
Read More →Traditional forwarders shrug off threatened digital disruption
on April 5, 2018in Industry News
Traditional forwarders shrug off threatened digital disruption Digitalizing the forwarding business will improve efficiency and automate repetitive functions, but transporting containerized cargo across continents will always require a human touch, key industry decision makers argue. Above: A container ship at the Port of Felixstowe. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Amid talk of how so-called new digital forwarders […]
Read More →Tariffs threaten nearly 7 percent of China-US container trade
on April 5, 2018in Industry News
Tariffs threaten nearly 7 percent of China-US container trade Above: A major entry point for China’s imports to the US — the Port of Los Angeles. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. The $50 billion in US tariffs on imports from China and Chinese retaliation threaten roughly 887,000 TEU, or 6.6 percent of the total US container trade […]
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