Monthly Archives for July 2018

Air cargo groups say peak season capacity to match demand The air cargo sector is better prepared to handle likely strong demand in 2018’s peak season than last year. (Above: Air cargo being loaded in Poland.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. The air cargo market this peak season will be better prepared to handle the expected strong […]

Trans-Pac peak season wake up call US importers are facing a perilous peak season in the trans-Pacific this year, with many likely to be forced to pay significantly higher rates to get goods onto ships that in many cases are nearly sold out. Ocean carriers in certain cases are holding the line on weekly minimum quantity commitments (MQCs) […]

Cosco’s pre-cyber attack efforts protected network   Cosco Shipping Lines was able to contain the damage from last week’s cyber attack to its operations in the Americas, and cargo handling in the United States, Canada, and South America at its marine terminals was largely unaffected because Cosco isolated its internal networks across its global operations. […]

Indian truckers end strike after government deal Officials told trucker union representatives that the government remains sensitive to truckers’ demands and they will establish an expert committee to examine all core issues. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Indian supply chains are returning to normal, after striking truckers and government authorities brokered a deal during their second round […]

US importers face perilous trans-Pac peak season There is, perhaps, no better evidence to senior management on the necessity of proactive carrier engagement than this: transportation conditions can change quickly in container shipping, and an annual contract with a carrier is no guarantee of capacity when one needs it. (Above: The Port of Oakland.) Photo […]

Logistics startup overcomes US cryptocurrency crackdown The decision may have positive implications for other public blockchain solutions reliant on a token to underpin transactions. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. The South Carolina attorney general’s office last week vacated a cease-and-desist order that prevented the cryptocurrency-based logistics startup ShipChain from doing business in the state since May 21. The startup, […]

Harrison’s unfinished legacy at CSX CSX Transportation in the April-June period may have hit its best quarterly operating ratio of 58.6 percent, a railroad’s best measure of profitability. The coming months, however, will reveal whether the same efficiency envisioned by its late CEO, E. Hunter Harrison, can be achieved for its intermodal franchise — and shippers… […]

Hurdles make blockchain slow burn for container shipping One thing is certain regarding blockchain technology circa mid-2018: it has the potential to transform and dramatically improve logistics efficiency. But that potential will remain only that — potential — until many paramount issues are resolved to universal satisfaction. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. Amid a swirl of buzz […]

Charleston, Savannah nibble larger share of resin exports Resin exporters, whose product – barring an all-out, global trade war – will likely continue to uptrend in the years ahead, have turned to the US Southeast to meet their facility needs, and there are objective reasons why they’ve done so. (Above: The Port of Charleston.) Photo […]

Backed by spot rate strength, trans-Pac carriers levy hefty GRIs The ongoing uptrend is noteworthy because, historically, the largest increases in spot rates often occur in August, usually the busiest month of the peak shipping season, and October, the last month of the holiday shipping period. (Above: The Port of Los Angeles.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com […]