Articles
Risks and Rewards: Risk Management Strategies
Foul Play: When Merchandise is Stolen, Who Pays?
Q:A Philadelphia newspaper recently reported an armed heist of Sports Authority merchandise worth $500,000 from a local 3PL warehouse. According to the account, a former employee of a trucking company that delivered Sports Authority merchandise along the East Coast stole one of the company’s trucks. He and two accomplices held a warehouse guard at gunpoint […]
Read MoreC.H. Robinson Case: Brokers Learn Liability Lesson
Q: I read about a recent case in which a jury awarded $23.7 million against a transportation broker who hired a motor carrier that was involved in a fatal automobile accident. As I understand it, the transportation broker did not own or operate the truck that caused the accident. How is it possible that the […]
Read MoreHelp Wanted: Seeking Qualified Logistics Professionals
Q: As a logistics provider, I find that hiring qualified staff has grown increasingly complicated with the rise of demands such as regulatory compliance, security initiatives, and constantly changing industry standards. Why is this? What can the supply chain and logistics sector do to attract a younger generation of professionals to this field? A: One […]
Read MoreFacing the Challenges Ahead
During the past year, global events created new concerns for logistics operators. For some, finding insurance coverage has become increasingly difficult, as insurance companies need to balance the likelihood of a significant loss against the prospect of recovering their payout—a trying task in times of financial uncertainty. Purchasing insurance may well become costlier in the […]
Read MoreSigned, Sealed, Delivered…But to Whom?
Q: I am a warehouse operator. An insurance company recently refused to provide me with coverage for the wrongful delivery of goods stored in my warehouse, citing the Uniform Commercial Code as the reason. Can you explain the problem? A: The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a body of law that has been accepted, with […]
Read MoreA Behind-the-Screens Look at Air Cargo
Q: I am an air consolidator and arrange to ship cargo to domestic and international destinations. I understand that the Transportation Security Administration is developing a system to subject 100 percent of domestic and international cargo to security screening. Are you familiar with this initiative, and how will it affect my operations? A: Last year, […]
Read MoreA Matter of Life and Death
Q: I am a freight forwarder providing a service in which I deliver ISO tanks to my customer, who fills them with hazardous liquids and gas. Once the tanks are filled, I arrange to have them transported from my customer’s facility to their destination, usually in a foreign country. I recently read about a case […]
Read MoreTaking on One-Offs
Q: I operate a marine terminal, and I have an insurance policy with a $1-million limit to cover loading and discharge operations. A customer wanted me to discharge a heavy piece of machinery valued at $75 million. When I asked my insurance company to increase its limit just for this one operation, it refused to […]
Read MoreThe Perils of Trucking: It Takes a Thief
Q: I am expanding into Central and South America and need trucking insurance to cover my cargo. Can you help me? A: This is a common question from shippers who cannot obtain cargo insurance, from forwarders who are unable to get liability insurance, and even from truckers who are required to secure cover before any […]
Read More2008: Applying What We Learned
In this last column of 2007, I thought I’d look back at some practical issues addressed last year, and speculate on future trends in supply chain risk and liability. Insurers will broaden their scope. In October, we heard from a logistics operator whose business grew, through an acquisition, from handling and transporting air cargo to […]
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