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BREAKING – UPS Launches New Tech-Enabled Healthcare Solutions, Forms Healthcare Unit
UPS Premier is a new critical healthcare product portfolio using next-generation sensor and tracking technology to help pinpoint tracking accuracy, combined with a new operating model featuring priority handling from origin to destination. Company deploys consistent quality management system across 114 UPS, Marken and Polar Speed facilities globally. New UPS Healthcare and Life Sciences unit […]
Read More5 Tips for Choosing a Logistics Provider
Especially during times of global volatility and evolving marketplaces, an experienced logistics provider is a critical business decision. Vincent Touya, managing director of Dachser USA, offers these considerations for choosing a provider that will meet your expectations and business objectives. 1. Strong reputation and knowledge of your industry. The reputation of a logistics provider plays […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS | Metals
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: What’s Happened So Far To help make sense of the confusion around current steel and aluminum tariffs, IHS Markit offers this timeline. March 23, 2018: President Donald Trump imposes import tariffs on steel and aluminum. June 1: Significant–and supposedly final– changes are imposed. June 15: President Trump approves tariffs on Chinese […]
Read More2019 – The Year of Brazilian Trade
With continual shifts in the global landscape, countries from around the world are increasingly looking to Brazil as a partner ripe for trade and investment. Brazilian stocks have already reached an all-time high in the first half of the year, showing that the country is truly starting to make its mark as a key, competitive […]
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JetBlue Ups Its Cargo Game
As part of its plan to gradually expand cargo operations, JetBlue will partner with Miami-based consultancy Aeronex Cargo. Initially, JetBlue will utilize flights to and from Fort Lauderdale to interline cargo moving through Miami International Airport. Aeronex will organize the Miami to Fort Lauderdale road-feeder transportation. Prior to 2018, the low-cost carrier did not transport […]
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Carriers Cough Up Hiring Fee
As part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse rule, trucking companies soon will be required to pay the agency a fee prior to hiring each driver—in addition to an annual fee for currently employed drivers. Starting Jan. 6, 2020, carriers will be mandated to query an FMCSA database […]
Read More(Not So) Forever 21
On September 29, 2019, Forever 21 filled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The young-adult fashion emporium’s decision will primaily affect locations outside of the United States. The company plans to shut down nearly all of its facilities in Asia and Europe. It plans to close nearly 200 stores in the United States, and plans to continue […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Skills of the Future and How Organizations Can Prepare
A recent CEO survey by Gartner1 cited “lack of appropriate talent and capability” as the top most inhibitor to a company’s digital progress. Supply chain organizations are no exception. The gap between the skills needed to compete in an increasingly digital world and those available in the organization is widening. Rise in robotics, algorithmic intelligence, […]
Read MoreMaersk, Blackbuck Create Containerized Trucking Platform
To help India’s government reach its goal of reducing logistics costs from 14% of the GDP to less than 9% by 2022, integrated container logistics company Maersk is partnering with BlackBuck, India’s largest online trucking marketplace. BlackBuck will own and operate a new containerized trucking platform, which Maersk will support by developing industry-specific solutions. The […]
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Warehouse Automation Growing, But For How Long?
During the past few years, the warehouse automation market has seen double-digit growth rates driven in part by the rise of e-commerce and omni-channel retail, finds new research from market intelligence firm Interact Analysis. Consumer demand for faster and cheaper online delivery options has many retailers investing in warehouse automation to cut order processing times […]
Read MoreThe Value of a Trucking Company Offering 3PL Services
On-time delivery has remained a singular focus for shippers, supply chain engineers and freight handlers for decades. Only now, they have more options available to alleviate delivery disruptions and expedited costs. A multi-modal strategy — combining truck assets with 3PL carriers — gives shippers more capacity choices and consistency that can be the difference between […]
Read MoreManaging Logistics Chaos With the Next Wave of Artificial Intelligence
Most of us have heard of the “Butterfly Effect” — the phenomenon where the flapping of butterfly wings in one location can affect how weather plays out in a distant location. This is an example of nonlinear system behavior, or how a small change in conditions in one location can result in large changes in […]
Read MoreThe Impact of E-Commerce Growth on Logistics Companies
The rise of e-commerce and the digital marketplace phenomenon, also known as “The Amazon Effect,” has changed the composition of consumer buying behavior and expectations, as consumers now expect fast, free shipping and competitive pricing. This demanding delivery schedule challenges traditional logistics and supply chain models, and companies are now forced to adjust their strategies […]
Read MoreHow to Maintain Composure During Trucking Capacity Shifts
When logistics executives and decision-makers get together, the conversation often turns to transportation and truck capacity—currently a conundrum for many. Loosening capacity means spot market rates are down 20% on average, which can be a tempting proposition for shippers, despite inherent volatility. On the other hand, a tougher pricing environment means trucking company failures are […]
Read MoreConsumer Demands Put Pressure on Furniture’s Final Mile
While brick and mortar stores remain the shopping venues of choice for the majority of US furniture buyers, the battleground is shifting. By 2012, 27 percent of total home furnishings revenue will come from online sales (Statista), and that share is growing at a double-digit rate. The trend has ramped up the pressure for fast, […]
Read MoreWalgreens Brings the Goods to You With New Drone Delivery Program
Walgreens is taking steps to make their customers’ experiences as seamless and stress-free as possible. In a new partnership with Alphabet’s drone service, Wing, the company will be testing a new on-demand option that delivers foods and beverages to customers. Eventaully, Walgreens hopes to incorporate over-the-counter medications into its offerings. The move comes in […]
Read MoreSolving the Trucking Labor Shortage
The convenience of e-commerce is quickly driving up the number of product shipments across the U.S. In fact, Pitney Bowes’ latest shipping index reveals an 8% year-over-year growth in U.S.-based shipments. As more consumers start shopping with e-commerce giants such as Amazon, it remains to be seen whether the trucking industry can keep pace. According […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-October 2019
Products UniCarriers Americas unveiled its BXC65 4-wheel, cushion tire, electric forklift. With a 6,500-pound capacity, the BXC65 features on-board diagnostics and provides immediate truck status to reduce downtime. Materials handling company Crown Equipment made its Crown WP Series pallet truck available for purchase through the Crown online store with free, five-day shipping. Crown WP Series pallet trucks maneuver […]
Read MorePRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | Fulfillment Innovations
Kardex Remstar vertical buffer module: The LR 35 vertical buffer module is designed to pick small parts quickly in warehouses. It comes with picking software that lets users optimize routes and accurately pick goods. Additionally, the module easily integrates into existing systems and serves as a storage solution as well. UNEX roller rack: Designed to […]
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VERTICAL FOCUS | Apparel
Quick-Changing Supply Chains As trends in the fashion industry constantly change to keep up with evolving consumer needs and expectations, supply chain and logistics professionals need to be just as nimble and flexible to keep up. The apparel industry used to be divided into two seasons: spring/summer and fall/winter. Today, however, with the desire to […]
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