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Digital Businesses Look At the Bright Side
Digitized businesses report even higher levels of optimism than their offline peers, says a report from Alibaba.com, bolstered by stronger sales performance, larger anticipated investments, and more global exports. Key findings from the report reveal: Digitized SMBs far outperformed businesses still operating offline in terms of sales and sourcing: 61% of digitized businesses saw increases […]
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Electric Trucks Save the Planet…and Some Cash
By 2027, electric freight trucks and buses will become less expensive to purchase and operate than their combustion engine counterparts, says a study by Roush Industries for Environmental Defense Fund, with lower maintenance and energy costs. These electric vehicles will not only help save truckers and fleets money, but also provide substantial health and welfare […]
Read More4 Tech Predictions that Came True
From companies spending billions on cybersecurity to the cloud becoming the biggest thing in desktop applications, some of the top tech predictions from those in the know in various tech fields were proved right in 2021. Here are four trends that came true: 1. Natural Language Processing The branch of artificial intelligence that helps computers […]
Read MoreTrucking Influencers Take Over
Trucking influencers on social media, especially women truckers and drivers, are gaining traction and changing up transportation, says a PartCatalog.com report. They teach beginners about their unique experiences of life on the road, review products such as truck bed covers and floor mats, and flatbed trucks, and show off their truck driving skills. Take a […]
Read MoreWave of the Future: 5 Maritime Shipping Trends
From the time sea captains relied solely on celestial navigation to the smart ports of today, technology has continuously changed the shipping industry. Here are some of the biggest trends in maritime shipping to scope out, says a Thomasnet.com report: 1. Autonomous Ships In 2022, the U.S. Navy took over the Pentagon’s ghost fleet system, […]
Read MoreReady to Live on the Edge?
Driven by evolving communications networks, such as 5G, 25% of supply chain decisions will be made across intelligent edge ecosystems by 2025, a Gartner report predicts. Edge ecosystems transform operations by bringing decision-making close to the original source of information. They help bring data processing, communications, and storage together to create even workflows and streamline […]
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Direct-to-Consumer Gets Trendy
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce has changed the way people shop for everything from razors to sofas, to the point where retailers with more traditional supply chains are catching on. New e-commerce brands and traditional retailers alike can follow these five DTC trends in 2022 to stay competitive, says a Forbes report: 1. Traditional retailers go DTC. […]
Read MoreTop Supply Chain Disruptions in 2021
Supply chain disruptions increased 88% year over year in 2021, says data released by risk management platform Resilinc, with disruptions related to supply shortages increasing 452%, the largest increase across all event types. Although human health disruptions fell 68% year over year, 2021 saw the most factory fires ever recorded in a single year. The […]
Read MoreGlobal Shipping Costs Break Records
Today’s disruptions are even more significant than those during the financial crisis of 2008, says the Thomas Index Report. Prices for ocean freight shifted more than 72 percentage points over the course of the pandemic starting in 2020 to a peak in Q3 2021, when prices were more than 50% higher than average container shipping […]
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The Year of Capacity
All signs indicate that 2022 will be the year of capacity—not just for air, ocean, ground, and final-mile parcel, but also in terms of labor and the customer experience, SEKO executives stressed in a media call discussing Chinese New Year’s impact on the supply chain. Delays are simply routine now, and have steadily increased on […]
Read MoreWhere Do Consumer Loyalties Lie?
With 72% of consumers saying they will continue buying online via pickup or delivery, retailers need adequate local shipping processes as well as speedy delivery, says a recent report from SOTI. Highlights from the survey reveal: Shipping experience influences consumers’ purchase decisions: 56% of consumers find shipping time the most frustrating aspect of ordering goods […]
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FedEx Aims for Anti-Missile Lasers
In a new move for a carrier, FedEx has requested permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to equip a fleet of its Airbus A321-200 aircraft with an anti-missile laser system that disrupts heat-seeking missile tracking. FedEx referenced prior incidents in which attackers used portable air defense systems against civilian aircraft, such as Iran shooting down […]
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7 Biggest Robotics Predictions for 2022
In the past five years, robots have moved from a developing technology to an indispensable tool for many businesses. With their ability to predict market change or supply chain disruptions, automation programs are increasingly adopted across many industries, says a report from software company Meili Robots. This will continue to change the way business is […]
Read MoreGet into Outsourcing
Logistics outsourcing to third-party logistics (3PL) providers has been on the rise, and it won’t likely slow anytime soon, says a recent Gartner survey, with 66% of logistics leaders increasing their outsourcing budget in 2021 and 74% set to increase their budgets in the next two years. At the same time, nearly two-thirds of logistics […]
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4 Trends for 3PLs in 2022
Order volumes grew for 79% of third-party logistics (3PL) providers in 2021, but that growth was tempered by inventory availability and disruptions that cost the U.S. economy $228 billion, says a report from 3PL Central. Disruptions, technology innovations, and consumer demands will persist in 2022. These are the four key trends impacting 3PLs in the […]
Read MoreToughest Job in the C-Suite
Although executives who dream up new products, market expansions, or patents typically get all the praise, the pandemic and its disruptions have made getting items to shoppers a more complex and crucial task, says a Fortune report. The fluctuating demand for consumer goods and ships idling in major West Coast ports have only added to […]
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Port Everglades Sails Ahead
Port Everglades has broken several records in its cargo operations as the cargo trade rebounds. It recently welcomed Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Kotor Bay (pictured), the largest container ship ever to call on the South Florida port. Kotor Bay has a container handling capacity of 8,566 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), carrying a variety of cargo from […]
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No Congestion Relief in Sight
It’s shaping up to be another congested year for global supply chains as the ongoing pandemic keeps consumers from spending on services versus goods, exacerbating resource shortages and delays. Logistics services providers must view this as a longer-term situation and plan accordingly, says a recent report from Descartes Systems Group. U.S. ocean container import volumes […]
Read MoreState of the North American Supply Chain
Most shippers responding to a survey by Averitt Express expect more delays, increased shipping volumes, and higher transport rates in 2022. Findings from the report reveal: 76% of shippers anticipate increased shipping volumes in 2022, the highest percentage recorded in the survey’s seven-year history. 37% struggled with capacity challenges within their supply chain in 2021 […]
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Finding a Home for Holiday Returns
Record retail sales, including a growing share of online purchases (see chart), mean that more returns than ever are flooding warehouses. U.S. holiday retail sales were up 8.5% compared to 2020, says data from Mastercard, and 66% of consumers will likely return at least one gift. At 18%, the e-commerce return rate is almost twice […]
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