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Southwest Goes Tex-Mex
U.S.-based low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines flies into the international freight transportation field with the launch of a new Houston-Mexico City route. The carrier plans to add Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas to its network by end of summer 2018. The airline is starting with four roundtrips per day between Mexico City International Airport […]
Read MoreTo 3PL or Not to 3PL?
Retailers may face significant challenges when expanding further into the online/e-commerce business. Some challenges may involve supply chain management issues. One of the largest obstacles is developing an effective fulfillment strategy. When it comes to making this decision, it is advisable to review the possible benefits of using a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. Self-performing fulfillment […]
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Finding Hidden Talent
Employers worldwide are facing the most acute talent shortage since 2006, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey. Of the nearly 40,000 employers surveyed, 45 percent are struggling to fill roles. Skilled trade workers, sales representatives, and engineers are the most difficult to find. MORE TO THE STORY: The 4 B’s of Finding Talent […]
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An American in Paris: UPS Invests in France
UPS officially opened a new 30,000-square-meter, advanced technology package sorting and delivery hub outside Paris in Corbeil-Essonnes/Évry. The new facility, which employs nearly 1,000 people, facilitates cross-border trade and enhances package delivery service in the Île-de-France area. “This $100-million advanced technology facility spans four soccer fields,” says Nando Cesarone, president of UPS International. “And it’s […]
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J&J Uses Sustainability to Strengthen Carrier Relationships
Shipper of choice and sustainability are trending terms among supply chain managers but they’re nothing new to the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in North America. The company’s logistics operation has a long track record of attracting carriers that share a commitment to customer service, efficiency, and sustainable transportation. With for-hire trucking capacity in […]
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Setting the Standard for Perishables
The air cargo community should drive its own standard for perishables, without waiting for other groups and agencies to establish them, according to Stavros Evangelakakis, global product manager, healthcare and perishables, for Cargolux and chairman of the Cool Chain Association (CCA). A lack of accountability is contributing to the 1.3 billion metric tons of food […]
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Demand Segmentation Drives Forecast Accuracy, Customer Service Improvements
How companies are adopting demand segmentation and leveraging its benefits in tackling demand volatility and channel shifts is the subject of a new report, Demand Segmentation Users are Better Equipped to Manage Their Channel Challenges. Authored by Bryan Ball, vice president and group director, Aberdeen, and sponsored by Logility, the report examines how the ability […]
Read MoreHow Small Businesses Can Win at E-Commerce
If you’re a small business trying to establish yourself or grow in e-commerce, you know it can be an uphill battle. Sure, you have a great product, but you can sometimes be overwhelmed by large companies that seem to always find their way to the top of every search engine. Meanwhile, the big boxes offer […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF | New Services & Solutions
Transportation Logistics provider Dachser expanded its range of services, launching 26 less-than-containerload (LCL) connections in 2018. As of June 2018, Dachser added these routes: weekly LCL services from Bremen, Germany, to new destinations in the United States (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, Houston, Atlanta, and Charlotte); from Hamburg to India (Nhava Sheva and Chennai); […]
Read MoreWorld Cup Nets Big Numbers
1 million fans in the stands. 2 billion TV viewers. 32 teams. 64 matches. It all adds up to scoring a logistics planning goal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Read MoreNews & Trends Impacting Manufacturing
The Myth of the Summer Slowdown Manufacturers have long believed that buyers also ramp down during the summer. Though that was true in the past, in today’s digital-driven, ultra-competitive global supply chain, procurement teams can’t afford to take any time off. In fact, data on the buying activity on the Thomas Network at Thomasnet.com finds […]
Read MorePreparing for the Digitization of Logistics
By 2019 there could be 224 million digital shoppers in the United States, and according to research by McKinsey, about 70 percent of those shoppers will choose the cheapest form of home delivery. Why? Because of increased consumer preferences and the evolution of warehouse-to-home delivery systems. As we move beyond traditional deliveries and into a […]
Read MoreSwitching Gears: Positioning Your Business to Take Advantage of Tax Reform in Your Financial Reporting
It could be the best of times – or the worst of times – depending on how you incorporate certain elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) into your financial reporting. With proper planning and forecasting, businesses across the manufacturing and logistics industries may reap substantial benefits under the new tax law. However, […]
Read MoreGaining Control: Why European Time Slot Management Makes Sense in the United States
Inefficiencies at the dock can cause long lines of trucks outside a warehouse, congestion on access roads, delayed deliveries, and long driver wait times, all with the potential of accruing steep detention fees. European logistics managers deal with these inefficiencies—resulting from space constraints and too few docks for trucks—on a regular basis. Typical European shipper […]
Read MoreDriving Your Shipping Business Forward With Analytics
Inbound logistics is a complicated affair, carefully managing the movement of raw materials, components, and finished inventory throughout the production process before it goes out into the wider supply chain. Shipping in particular can be very costly, so great effort is put by shippers into ensuring vessels operate at capacity and as efficiently as possible. […]
Read MoreHumans Are What’s Wrong with the Global Supply Chain
Most business is driven by an incentive to grow. The global supply chain follows a different narrative. Growth costs more than is affordable for the steamship line whose business it is to transport cargo, and there’s no way for these carriers to differentiate from competitors. Instead, carriers cut their costs and increase their margins. The […]
Read MorePreparing for the Rough Road Ahead: Taking a Long-Term Look at How the Driver Shortage Is Affecting LTL
According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the industry expected a driver shortage of more than 50,000 at the end of 2017. Unfortunately, it’s projected to only get worse. By the ATA’s projections, the shortage could extend to more than 174,000 drivers by 2026. Here are some of the leading factors affecting the shortage and […]
Read MoreTech Drives Trade Growth, Say Upbeat SMEs
Small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) struggling for equal footing in the global economy increasingly look to cross-border trade for growth, seeing technology as a way past obstacles in shipping and compliance, according to new research from Shipa Freight. Shipa Freight’s global study of 800 SMEs from developed and emerging markets shows smaller companies are remarkably […]
Read MoreThe Key to Logistics Visibility: Connecting Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) attempted to improve logistics visibility by connecting fleets to help gain control over shipments. However, these solutions miss the mark on other logistics issues including end-to-end transport, shipment conditions other than location, stolen cargo recovery, and overall accuracy. Instead of connecting the fleets themselves, the key is to connect to […]
Read MoreSMEs Reveal Global Trade Obstacles
Small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) face numerous international trade obstacles, finds a Shipa Freight study. Forty-two percent of respondents say the costs of shipping abroad are too high, or they lack an accurate picture of costs, while 40 percent find it difficult to understand documentation requirements. A significant minority say their cargo has been held […]
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