Category Archives for Industry News

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 […]

More CSX intermodal changes to test shippers, Harrison’s legacy   Although CSX’s new CEO is a disciple of the late, great E. Hunter Harrision’s precision railroading, there are reasons shippers should look for a softer approach to their concerns. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. CSX Transportation in the April-June period may have hit its best quarterly operating […]

Trans-Atlantic carriers cut services as US-EU trade growth slows   Although trade tensions between the US and the EU and their impact have been muted so far in 2018, as trade stakeholders know that could change dramatically, and quickly. (Above: A container ship approaches the Port of New York and New Jersey as another ship […]

Asia-Europe spot rate strength builds ahead of peak season However, the rising spot rate, while encouraging for ocean carriers as peak season approaches, has not – so far – refuted a perennial concern regarding rates and the second half of the year. (Above: Rotterdam port.) Photo credit: Shutterstock.com Container shipping lines struggling to reverse losses […]

India truckers' strike over diesel costs delays northwest freight As in Brazil, a segment of India’s truck sector is protesting a rise in diesel prices, and the truckers argue India’s government can take steps to strengthen their business model. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com. A nationwide, indefinite strike by a section of Indian truck operators, which entered […]