Monthly Archives for April 2018

ELDs, US delivery demands raise stakes for visibility Can deep, wide, sophisticated supply chain visibility help shippers ‘create’ capacity and control rising costs? Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Visibility, or the lack of it, is by far the most visible supply chain problem today. Gaining real-time visibility over freight as it moves toward its final mile is […]

Growing Africa volume spells trouble for congested region In the PwC report, the consultants noted that although individual countries in Africa have tended to push for developing their own hub ports, it was likely that only some ports would eventually emerge as major hubs. Above: The Port of Durban. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Container volumes are […]

Marine terminal operators push inland for shippers Terminal operators, in a desire to control global end-to-end container logistics, are mirroring a strategy being employed by container lines. Above: SSA Marine Terminal, Port of Oakland. Photo credit: Port of Oakland. Container terminal operators are extending their reach into the hinterlands of North America, Europe, and other […]

Is your business ready to deploy the temporary warehouse? As the global economy strengthens and the synchronized regional recovery continues, there is a growing need to generate space savings and improve productivity in distribution centers (DCs) in order to accommodate a faster and shorter — and a more flexible — supply chain. Moreover, automation is one of the options […]

Digitization is not the 'disruption' In his April 5, 2018 news story “Traditional Forwarders Shrug Off Threatened Digital Disruption,”  JOC.com Europe Editor Greg Knowler reported how traditional freight forwarders are adopting digital solutions of their own to keep pace with the “digital freight forwarders” who pose a disruptive threat to the freight forwarding and logistics industry.   […]

Analysis: E-commerce era ushers in smart, flexible warehouse Increasing customer demands and the need for more-flexible supply chains means the warehouse of the e-commerce era will do much more, and also achieve more for businesses. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. As the global economy strengthens and the synchronized regional recovery continues, there is a growing need to […]

Port of Santos customs officers strike delaying cargo Trucks parked at the Port of Santos, waiting for cargo. A customs officers strike has delayed the transport of container cargo at the port by up to 14 days. Photo credit: Rob Ward. Shippers are starting to suffer major delays again at the Port of Santos, and […]

Global economy boost revenue, niche buys among Top 50 3PLs In 2017, the strengthening global economy increased both business volumes and freight rates — boosting Top 50 third party logistics providers’ revenue, while fueling niche mergers and acquisitions. Photo credit: Kuehne & Nagel. Reflecting the strong turnaround of the global economy, the combined revenue of […]

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 […]

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 […]