Articles
News
Trends—March 2013
Winner Takes Oil As debate about the Keystone XL pipeline continues to rile industry, politicians, and environmentalists, the railroads are minding their own booming business. The volume of crude oil hauled in U.S. freight trains more than tripled in 2012, as production from shale formations surged. U.S. freight trains hauled nearly 234,000 carloads of crude […]
Read More
Global Logistics—March 2013
India’s Auto Industry: Abundant Drive, But Will Progress Follow? India’s economy has been faltering amid questions about protectionist business and trade policies, socio-political imbalances, and transportation weaknesses. But the country shows signs of progress in one industry: automotive. When Tata Motors debuted the world’s cheapest car in 2008, it created a buzz. The Tata Nano […]
Read More
Trends—February 2013
Green: The United Color of Benetton Sustainability has gained fashion appeal over the past few years. But apparel companies are growing even more sensitive to social responsibility, especially as it relates to materials procurement and use in the supply chain. Benetton Group is the latest apparel brand to join Greenpeace’s Detox Program, launched in 2011 […]
Read More
Global Logistics—February 2013
Lifting Supply Chain Barriers at the Border Improving border administration and transport, and telecommunications infrastructure and services, could boost global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by almost five percent, and world trade by 15 percent, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Bain & Company and the World Bank. Completely […]
Read More
Trends—January 2013
It’s a Smaller World After All The shrinking distance between demand and supply is triggering a trend toward inter-regional supply chains and creating a globalization tipping point, according to research by Philadelphia-based third-party logistics provider BDP International, its Centrix consulting unit, and Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Real-time communication technology has greatly increased global […]
Read More
Global Logistics—January 2013
Tesco Tests Longer Reefer Trailers As part of a government-backed trial program testing the efficacy of longer trailers, United Kingdom-based grocery chain Tesco has taken delivery of 25 new 51-foot Gray & Adams refrigerated units. The company will use the new trailers to deliver store inventory from regional distribution centers. Each trailer can carry 51 […]
Read More
Global Logistics—December 2012
Maersk Digs Drilling, Ditches Shipping The name most synonymous with container shipping is taking a break from navigating an increasingly agitated ocean trade. Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk is shifting the focus of its business activity from shipping, choosing instead to concentrate on its oil, drilling rigs, and port operations, according to a Financial Times report. AP […]
Read More
Trends—December 2012
Bringing Logistics Efficiency To the Front Line In The Art of War, Sun Tsu teaches that "every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought." It is a reminder of the planning and logistics necessary to move and replenish supplies and armaments during successful military operations. The completion of a three-year study conducted […]
Read More
Trends—November 2012
CSCMP: Notes, Quotes, and Totes The 2012 Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) conference in Atlanta was awash with new ideas and strategies, discussions of recurring economic and regulatory challenges, and examples of supply chain best practices. Logisticians and supply chain practitioners on both sides of the supply/demand coin mingled within the expansive Georgia […]
Read More
Global Logistics—November 2012
U.S., China Consider Joint Logistics Response Partnership Sometimes shared pain, or even altruism, can create unlikely allies. U.S. and Chinese officials plan to discuss the possibility of combining logistics resources during counter-piracy, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response missions. The United States officially extended an invitation for a team of senior Chinese logisticians to visit Washington […]
Read More
Trends—October 2012
Greyhound Races to Expand Package Delivery Greyhound Lines has long provided time-critical parcel delivery service, though its relevance over the past few decades has been largely overshadowed by the growth of expediters such as FedEx and UPS. Now, to better synchronize its PackageExpress business, the iconic intercity passenger bus company has tapped One Network’s demand-driven […]
Read More
Global Logistics—October 2012
China Opens Door-to-Door Delivery to FedEx, UPS Federal Express officially contracted its name to FedEx in 2000 to facilitate an easier translation as it expanded the brand globally. United Parcel Service (UPS) has built similar acronym appeal and currency in the countries where it operates. So China’s recent decision to grant both couriers authority to […]
Read More
Trends—September 2012
Rail Innovation Keeps Ag Moving, Despite Drought The drought that plagued much of the Midwest in summer 2012 has had a marked impact on agriculture supply and, consequently, food prices, placing an inordinate amount of pressure on supply chains to squeeze out as much extra cost as possible. While much of the news has been […]
Read More
Global Logistics—September 2012
Brazil Invests in Infrastructure Infrastructure performance and transportation connectivity have long dogged Brazil’s efforts to grow its economy. But the overwhelming success of London’s 2012 Summer Olympics, and the mantle of responsibility and expectation that befalls the next in line, may force the issue. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recently announced a $60-billion-plus investment package to […]
Read More
Trends—August 2012
Ocean Freight Industry Seeks Delivery Time Reliability Awash with capacity and beset by rate fluctuations, the ocean container shipping industry reflects the global economy. Shippers are trying to find a measure of consistency as they navigate the peaks and troughs. While cost is often the common denominator linking shippers, carriers, intermediaries, and consignees, recent collaboration […]
Read More
Global Logistics—August 2012
U.S., Canada Confront Port Insecurities The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is taking Canadian ports to task over concerns they are siphoning U.S.-bound container volumes while threatening homeland security. The agency’s primary target is Prince Rupert, North America’s deepest natural harbor port. While Montreal, Halifax, and Vancouver participate in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) […]
Read More
Trends–July 2012
The 23rd Annual State of Logistics Report: Sputtering Toward Sustained Growth The city was abuzz with speculation about the fall presidential election in June 2008 when Rosalyn Wilson, senior business analyst for Delcan Corp., gave her annual State of Logistics presentation in Washington, D.C. Stormy economic clouds were already gathering as a consequence of the […]
Read More
Global Logistics—July 2012
Latin America Charts Path to Growth Considering trade with Latin America? Here’s a look at five key countries in various stages of economic, political, and trade/supply chain growth. Argentina. Until recently, Argentina has been relatively resilient to global economic woes, and the impact of slower growth in Brazil. Ernst & Young’s Rapid Growth Markets Forecast […]
Read More
Trends—June 2012
4 Supply Chain Predictions For the Next 4 Years Four trends are expected to impact global logistics organizations over the next four years, according to Gartner, a consultancy based in Stamford, Conn. The predictions come as 60 percent of companies surveyed as a primer for Gartner’s July 2012 Supply Chain Executive Conference in Sydney, Australia, […]
Read More
Global Logistics—June 2012
Air Cargo Growth in Holding Pattern Hitting bottom might be a sign of better things to come. Freight demand was down 4.2 percent year-over-year, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) April 2012 global traffic results. While some of this volume degradation can be attributed to monthly volatility, some signs indicate that different areas […]
Read More