Articles
Ocean Shipping
Hawaii Logistics: Moving on Island Time
As an island state importing most goods it uses and with limited storage, Hawaii challenges companies to keep shipments moving just in time. Here’s how logistics providers shore up supply chains and keep disruptions at bay.
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Managing Your Ocean Freight
In today’s post-pandemic new normal, beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) can successfully manage their ocean freight transportation by adhering to some sound rules of thumb, while embracing new best practices for the current market dynamic.
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Gaining Vision in Ocean Freight’s Murky Depths
What you don’t know can hurt you. Half of ocean freight stakeholders responding to a recent report released by FourKites say they have zero visibility into their ocean freight. More than 20% still rely on manual track-and-trace processes to locate their ocean freight in the supply chain. Once that cargo hits land, the numbers get […]
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War in Ukraine Squeezes Shipping
More than one year after Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, global supply chains are feeling the impact. In the months after the invasion, total vessels moving in and out of Ukraine dropped from 109 in January 2022 to just two in June 2022, according to data tracked by project44. Combine the lack of vessel movement […]
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Container Shipping Shifts Balance
The East Coast is back in fashion for import supply chains that rely on containerized ocean freight. However, for many small and mid-sized shippers with historic dependency on Southern California distribution hubs, old habits will be hard to break.
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U.S. Ports: New and Notable Developments
At a time when simply staying the course could be considered an achievement, ports across the country are making significant advancements in their capabilities to serve shippers.
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The Evolution of Container Chassis Provisioning
When Malcom McLean introduced the world to container shipping in 1956, it not only touched off a seismic shift in the way cargo was handled but also the equipment and infrastructure needed to support containerized operations.
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Shipping Containers: What Do the Cans Tell Us?
What can we learn from the movements of shipping containers, or cans? Plenty. Here’s how they provide clues about future global trading patterns.
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How You Can Respond to Lingering Port Congestion Problems
We’re not experiencing a traditional peak retail shipping season this year. If you’re a shipper and hoped the decreased volumes would transfer to the ports, hopes are fading that you’ll see relief there.
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Full Steam Ahead, Don’t Let Ocean Costs Detain You
With rising ocean and detention costs, controls and analysis are more important than ever to protect profitability.
Read MoreShipping Lines Skip a Beat
Global ports lost more than one-third of their expected capacity to ship containers in 2021, causing economic trouble for some smaller developing nations, among others, finds research commissioned by the Global Shippers Forum (GSF). The study, which was conducted by MDS Transmodal, identifies the extent of capacity restriction in 2021 that resulted from scheduled port […]
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Alaska: Inspiring Awe and Innovation
In this 10th edition of our Alaska supplement, we explore the state’s beauty, resources, and the challenges presented by its location, geography, and climate. The logistics providers that excel in this state rely on grit, dedication, and expertise to move products to, from, and within the state safely and efficiently.
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions
Transportation ZIM Integrated Shipping Services introduced the ZIM Ecommerce Baltimore Express (ZXB) service, which offers a fast transit time to Baltimore from Asia, calling on Yantian, Cai Mep, New York, and Boston. Starting as a bi-weekly service, it will become weekly within a few months, offering shippers dedicated out-of-gate lanes to avoid queues in Baltimore; […]
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Wave 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 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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Take Control of Your Imports – Save Time and Money
Importers can mitigate supply chain disruption and the resulting escalation of costs by taking control of their shipments at origin and moving their goods more strategically.
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Bullwhip or Just Bull?
Are shipping lines pricing themselves out of business? Blame the bullwhip effect, a distribution channel phenomenon in which demand forecasts yield increasing swings in inventory. Let’s take that idea a bit further. Financial pressures on publicly traded companies drive short-term policies that please The Street analysts to satisfy investor expectations. Yielding to those pressures sometimes […]
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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 […]
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National Security Starts With Individual Manufacturers
Shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical supplies like pharmaceutical ingredients and materials used in key technologies during the earliest days of the pandemic prompted the Biden-Harris Administration in 2021 to outline steps strengthening critical supply chains. It’s a long-overdue move that to some transportation experts may not go far enough in protecting national security.
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