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Supply Chain Commentary: Managing the Coming ELD Capacity Crisis
A capacity crunch, caused by the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate effective Dec. 18, 2017, is predicted by experts in logistics management, 3PLs, and truckers themselves. Only the magnitude of the shortage is challenged among experts. Some say it will be manageable, but at what cost? facts to remember Larger fleets adopting ELDs had a […]
Read MoreTrucking Industry Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
ATA Recognizes 3.5 Million Professional Truck Drivers
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Low Bridge, Everybody Down!
As the historic Erie Canal celebrates its 200th anniversary, it’s also enjoying another milestone: commercial traffic volume that’s five times higher than in recent years. Built in 1817 to transport goods and people from one side of New York to the other, today the canal is primarily a recreational waterway. Commercial volume on the state’s […]
Read MoreDoes Multimodal Logistics Have a Future in Europe?
When it comes to multimodal logistics moving freight by combining two or more transport modes Europe still lags the more advanced U.S. market, but has made steady progress, according to Colliers International’s latest industrial research for the EMEA. The future drivers of multimodal traffic in European corridors include: Mega projects. Infrastructure is vital to enhancing […]
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Supply Chain Commentary: Stop Reacting to Problems, Start Predictive Planning
Most planning systems deploy a reactive strategy rather than a predictive one. When a problem is identified regarding a capacity shortage, material shortage, or arrival of a high-priority order, the system addresses the issue by rearranging the plan. This is not optimal. It’s a Band-Aid solution that should be avoided. For example, if you release […]
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Docked and Loaded: 5 Trends Turning the Tide Of North American Shipping
Only one year after opening, the $5-billion Panama Canal expansion is already having a major impact on North American shipping. As a result, industrial real estate demand around East and Gulf Coast ports is escalating, finds a new report from JLL, a commercial real estate services company. The JLL report notes five major trends that […]
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Supply Chain Commentary:
Freight Transportation in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey
Harvey’s impact is being felt throughout the Southwest as transportation spot market pricing is expected to spike. The consumption of transportation resources through the combined effects of idling labor, equipment damage, and relief efforts will have ramifications for many months. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, spot market pricing jumped 20 percent and […]
Read MoreWhat Retail Apocalypse?
Retailers Open 4,000+ Stores in 2017
U.S. retailers are opening 4,080 more stores in 2017 than they are closing and plan to open more than 5,500 more in 2018, according to a new report from research and advisory firm IHL Group. The report, Debunking the Retail Apocalypse, was released on August 30, 2017. The research reviewed more than 1,800 retail chains […]
Read MoreThe Key to Seamless Order Fulfillment: Combine the Digital with the Physical in EDI and 3PL Outsourcing
Consumers today have been conditioned to purchase anything from anywhere in the world and expect to have it delivered within two days at no cost. For suppliers, meeting the expectation is a tough order to fill. Retailers are continually seeking to manage their suppliers better, improve product availability to consumers, streamline replenishment, and reduce stock-outs […]
Read MoreAmazon Closes Whole Foods Acquisition: 3 Experts Weigh In
Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market closes today August 28, 2017, and the deal’s impact will be felt immediately. Whole Foods Market will offer lower prices starting today on a selection of best-selling grocery staples across its stores, with more to come. In addition, Amazon and Whole Foods Market technology teams will begin to integrate […]
Read MoreThe Next Transformational Technology for Terminal Operations: Simplified and Integrated Systems
The terminal operations sector we serve is in constant motion. The tools and systems necessary to run marine and rail facilities are vast and disparate. Once upon a time, if one of those systems failed, you’d pick up a clipboard, record the tasks, and calculate deltas. When everything was back up and running, you’d sit […]
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Digitally Transform Your Supply Chain Today
Straightforward digital transformation solutions can deliver immediate results and reduce business inefficiencies.
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Is Ransomware Holding Global Trade Hostage? Here’s How to Safeguard Your Supply Chain
In June 2017, another major cyberattack targeted several large multinational corporations. The malware Petya (or NotPetya or Nyetya) was able to breach dozens of Russian and Ukrainian companies, including Russian oil and gas giant Rosneft, as well as leading global businesses across multiple industries. This time, two giants in the logistics industry, Maersk and FedEx, […]
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Under Contract
Key takeaways from TI’s Global Contract Logistics 2017 report: The global contract logistics market grew by 3.9 percent in 2016, up from 3.7 percent in 2015. Asia Pacific has overtaken Europe as the biggest market for contract logistics. Seven of the 10 largest markets grew at a slower rate than in 2015. The market is […]
Read MoreGlobal Business Leaders Feel Effects of a Riskier World
Nearly three quarters (72 percent) of business leaders in companies in Canada and around the world say their companies are increasingly impacted by risk and they believe we are living in a riskier world. That’s according to the BDO Global Risk Landscape Report, which surveyed 500 C-suite leaders, board and audit committee members from all […]
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U.S. Online Shoppers Click With International Retailers
Nearly half of avid U.S. online shoppers bought items from international retailers, demonstrating the need for retailers to offer more personalized services as a way to compete against lower prices, according to UPS’ sixth annual Pulse of the Online Shopper study. Almost all avid U.S. online shoppers (97 percent), made purchases on marketplaces, up 12 […]
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Global Supply Chain Suffers Disruptions Amid Diplomatic Crisis
Disagreements in the Middle East left the supply chain reeling as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen cut political and business ties with Qatar and accused the small Middle Eastern nation of supporting radical Islamic terrorism in the region. As part of efforts to sever contact, the countries shut down […]
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Could Self-Driving Ships Become Reality by 2020?
"This is happening. It’s not if, it’s when. The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships a reality exist." So said Oskar Levander, vice president of innovation for Rolls Royce, at Amsterdam’s Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium in 2016. He wasn’t wrong about the technology, considering the United States and China already have unmanned naval […]
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Supply Chains Double Down on Climate Change
President Donald Trump pledged to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, but stakeholders involved with the American supply chain—often supportive of the President’s business-friendly policies—aren’t so ready to fall in line this time. Rather than push American businesses away from sustainable initiatives, many companies seem to have reaffirmed their commitments. A few […]
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