Articles
Ocean Shipping

Alaska: Conquering The Last Frontier
Alaska has much to offer. It encompasses nearly 600,000 square miles, is home to one of the largest oil fields in North America, and boasts breathtaking scenery. It also presents logistics challenges and requires experienced service providers to weather any storm.
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Today’s Competitive Supply Chain: Digital, Smaller, More Resilient
Historically, the supply chain and manufacturing industry has been relatively slow to embrace the opportunities presented by the digital revolution. Technology is advancing quickly, and it’s time to buck this trend. Whether it’s recognizing the crucial strategic strength and impact offered by the Internet of Things (IoT), taking advantage of the dramatic increase in automation, […]
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Georgia: Setting the Pace in the Logistics Race
An ideal location, reliable infrastructure, talented workforce, and best-of-breed technology position companies locating in Georgia to take the lead.
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Advantages of Digital Technology
Q: INTTRA recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. Can you describe how digitization in ocean shipping has evolved since 2001? A: Some carriers and shippers moved to adopt standardizing form exchanges early on; then bespoke, single-process products (e.g., rates management), and later ERP systems. Cloud-based Transportation Management Systems (TMS) allowing shippers to avoid expensive in-house implementations […]
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Global Logistics—February 2017
Mexican Border Wall Becoming Trade Barrier The battle over NAFTA renegotiation and trade between the United States and Mexico has been tied into the building of the border wall between the two nations promised by President Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto refused to discuss the idea of Mexico paying […]
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Placing a Premium on Cargo Insurance
Buckle up! Cargo insurance protects your goods if they are damaged, stolen, or lost while in transit.
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Trends—January 2017
Amazon continues to rattle nerves in the transportation sector. In 2015, the company launched a fleet of branded trucks to help shuttle cargo between facilities. In 2016, it leased 40 cargo jets, and Amazon China registered as a U.S. freight forwarder. These moves made third-party logistics (3PL) and trucking companies understandably anxious, considering that Amazon […]
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Alternative Port Strategies: Getting In With The In Crowd
Inland ports offer new global trade strategies and relief from congestion and capacity issues facing deepwater ports. Let us fill you in on what the In crowd knows.
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Global Logistics—December 2016
TPP is Dead. Is NAFTA Next? A number of important policy issues are still up in the air for the United States, but President-elect Donald Trump has made one thing clear: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is done. The TPP—a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim countries—became a target during […]
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Panama Canal Expansion: Locks and Load
The Panama Canal’s recent expansion has
widespread ramifications for global shipping.

Panama Canal Expansion Re-Routes Logistics for U.S. Businesses
Panama has completed the monumental $5.25-billion overhaul of the Panama Canal, which will have far-reaching implications for any business that employs or is part of an international supply chain. The Panama Canal can now accommodate ships that are one-third larger than before. These megaships carry 45 percent of the world’s cargo and will be able […]
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Panama Canal Expansion to Spur East Coast Shipping Boom
After nearly 10 years and $5.4 billion, worldwide shipping is in for a major shakeup. With the nearly triple-the-size expansion of the Panama Canal completed in late June 2016, a vastly increased quantity of goods will be able to easily traverse one of the world’s most important waterways. This change comes amid a slump in […]
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Global Logistics—October 2016
Overcapacity Problems Sink Hanjin Shipping Right in the middle of the peak ocean shipping season leading up to the U.S. holiday rush, South Korean ocean liner Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy protection in one dozen countries in late August and early September 2016. Hanjin is the world’s seventh-largest ocean carrier, and handles nearly 8 percent […]
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Stop the Free-Flowing Expenses of Demurrage and Detention
Q: What are the concealed costs of demurrage and detention? A: High demurrage and detention costs are rampant as ports are becoming increasingly congested and disruptive events such as labor disputes are occurring more frequently. Worse still, these fees accrue on a daily basis, so there’s little room for negotiating the final bill. "Hidden" free […]
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Amid Hanjin Backlog, Shippers Can Turn to Port Strike Strategies
While news of Hanjin Shipping’s bankruptcy dominates today’s headlines, shippers will be feeling the ripple effects for weeks or months to come. Of the nearly 100 ships listed on the company’s latest operating vessel status report, dozens carry the status of “waiting in open sea.” Others are “arrested,” “embargoed,” or “returned to owner.” A scant […]
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Houston, We’ve Got a Problem
The Intermodal EXPO, held in Houston, Texas, in September 2016 as part of IANA’s 25th anniversary, includes some particularly unique historical aspects. For example, this is the second year the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) and National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) will hold separate shows. The divorce was prompted by many issues—primarily low attendance […]
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Make Port Dray Street-turns Mainstream to Reduce Supply Chain Costs
Shipping containers used in the import and export process are the building blocks of global trade. These same containers are also one of the most underutilized assets in the supply chain. Empty container moves cost the industry over $10 billion (USD), annually. One highly inefficient part of the supply chain is container usage inland. In […]
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Cross-Border Trade is On a Roll
U.S.-Canada trade will continue to be a mutually beneficial partnership, as long as shippers keep their eye on the ball.
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Panama Canal Expansion: Four Keys to Unlocking its Potential
The Panama Canal’s new set of locks offers the opportunity to increase ocean transportation by more than twice the number of containers on one ship, creating a potential sea change in economies of scale. Here’s what shippers need to know. Today’s global macroeconomic and cross-border logistics environment is already incredibly complex, with higher U.S. domestic […]
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Import Express LCL Service
In an industry where speed of information is constantly improving, it is ironic that the actual speed of the various modes used to move cargo (airplanes, trucks, ships, and trains) has improved very little. That makes even the smallest improvement to the speed of delivery an important consideration. Improvements in speed of delivery typically involve […]
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