<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">One of the big three providers of U.S. marine chassis is being sold to a new owner.</div>

One of the big three providers of U.S. marine chassis is being sold to a new owner.

<div><a>Direct ChassisLink Inc.</a>, one of the three main suppliers of marine intermodal chassis for the U.S. market, will be acquired by <a>EQT Infrastructure II</a> from private investment firm Littlejohn &amp; Co., LLC under a deal announced Thursday.Littlejohn and EQT, an infrastructure investment firm based in the Netherlands, announced that they had reached a definitive agreement for the transaction. The price was not disclosed.DCLI owns and manages approximately 120,000 marine chassis and 90,000 domestic rail intermodal containers, and has a logistics technology platform, REZ-1. It is one of the three dominant U.S. chassis lessors, along with competitors TRAC Intermodal and Flexi-Van...

Direct ChassisLink Inc. , one of the three main suppliers of marine intermodal chassis for the U.S. market, will be acquired by EQT Infrastructure II from private investment firm Littlejohn & Co., LLC under a deal announced Thursday. Littlejohn and EQT, an infrastructure investment firm based in the Netherlands, announced that they had reached a definitive agreement for the transaction. The price was not disclosed. DCLI owns and manages approximately 120,000 marine chassis and 90,000 domestic rail intermodal containers, and has a logistics technology platform, REZ-1. It is one of the three dominant U.S. chassis lessors, along with competitors TRAC Intermodal and Flexi-Van Leasing. EQT specializes in investments in infrastructure operators “that have, or have the prospect of, strong, reliable, protected cash flows and significant opportunities for value creation,” according to the company’s website. The investments typically range between 50 million and 250 million euros ($56.9 million and $285 million). Littlejohn is a private investment firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It acquired DCLI in 2012 from Maersk Inc., which formed the company in 2009. Maersk’s transfer of its chassis fleet to DCLI set off a landmark change in the U.S. chassis supply model. Container lines had provided most chassis in the U.S. market since modern containerization began in 1956 as a seagoing extension of domestic trucking. In other countries, customers or truckers supply their own chassis. After Maersk disengaged from chassis ownership, other container lines quickly followed suit in an effort to reduce costs and liability. Today the share of marine chassis owned by ocean carriers is estimated at 10 percent or less. When Littlejohn acquired DCLI, the company had 64,000 chassis. That fleet has expanded , mainly through acquisitions of equipment previously owned by ocean carriers. In 2014, DCLI acquired REZ-1 , which provides technology for intermodal equipment management and service. DCLI has used REZ-1 technology to develop reservation and billing systems and to improve tracking, reservation, allocation and forecasting of chassis usage. Competitors TRAC and Flexi-Van have also expanded through equipment purchases. TRAC, owned by Fortress Investment Group, has approximately 278,000 chassis. Flexi-Van , an affiliate of Castle & Cooke Inc., has more than 130,000. Fortress, which acquired TRAC in 2007, has offered the company for sale in recent years. Earlier this year, Fortress scrapped plans for a junk-bond issuance that would have been used primarily to pay a cash dividend. The big three chassis providers have cooperated in chassis pools in several regions, notably the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where their equipment is shared by multiple pools in the port area. Efforts to bring the three lessors together into a universal pool have stalled at the Port of New York and New Jersey , where TRAC is the dominant supplier. The lessors have been at odds with the International Longshoremen’s Association over ILA demands for a contract committing the lessors to use union mechanics. Contact Joseph Bonney at joseph.bonney@ihs.com and follow him on Twitter: @JosephBonney .

Drayage

North American ports

Rail News

Chassis lessor DCLI to be sold to infrastructure fund

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">But the largest US intermodal provider said customers have not yet meaningfully adjusted their freight forecasts, and shippers continue to tender the quantity of loads outlined in their contracts.</div>

But the largest US intermodal provider said customers have not yet meaningfully adjusted their freight forecasts, and shippers continue to tender the quantity of loads outlined in their contracts.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">J.B. Hunt Transport Services, the largest US intermodal provider, says uncertainty around US tariffs and trade policy is the primary concern of its shippers at the outset of the second quarter. “Most of them are waiting for the dust to settle to determine how tariffs might influence and change their short- and long-term business strategies,” Spencer Frazier, J.B. Hunt’s executive vice president of sales, said late Tuesday on the company’s first-quarter earnings call. “We believe (the tariffs) have the potential to impact both supply and demand, but the magnitude and timing is difficult to predict.” Despite the concerns, J.B. Hunt said customers have not meaningfully adjusted their freight forecasts, and shippers continue to tender the quantity of loads outlined in their contracts. J.B. Hunt executives were asked on the call what the company’s exposure is to China as the number of <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trans-pacific-blank-sailings-set-to-rise-after-china-bookings-drop-sharply-5984166">blank sailings</a> and booking cancelations begin to rise in response to the tariffs. Darren Field, president of J.B. Hunt’s intermodal segment, said between 20% and 30% of intermodal volume originates on the West Coast. “Now what percentage of that originates in China? I don’t know that we’ve ever done that study,” he said. “We’re just going to keep in close contact with our customers, our rail partners, and try to understand what’s headed at the West Coast and make plans accordingly.” <h3>Current market a ‘difficult environment’ </h3>Meanwhile, J.B. Hunt said it hauled more intermodal freight during the first quarter than in any Q1 in the company’s history, but tempered that by noting current market dynamics make it difficult to raise contract rates on shippers across most lanes. “I can’t think of a single cost item that’s actually down through this freight recession, so that’s unlike anything we’ve ever experienced,” CEO Shelley Simpson said on the earnings call. “I think everyone is holding on. If that’s a thinner margin or no margin, that’s the ‘hold on’ position. It’s a very difficult environment that we’re operating in, and I think everyone’s trying to accept it.” The company’s first-quarter intermodal volumes were up 8% from a year ago, including a 4% increase on West Coast transcontinental business and a 13% gain on the East Coast. J.B. Hunt moved 521,821 loads during the quarter. Intermodal revenue increased 5% to $1.47 billion, but revenue per load was down 2%, with more growth coming from shorter-haul business in the eastern US. Field, meanwhile, said he was “mildly pleased” with early bid season activity, noting some rate increases have been secured in major headhaul markets, but other customers left for competitors who offered lower prices. While he didn’t elaborate, Field was likely referencing business out of Los Angeles-Long Beach and Oakland-Stockton where the Journal of Commerce Intermodal Savings Index shows slight rate increases in 2025 contracts. “We have achieved some rate increases, but we’ve also lost some business due to the disciplined price approach where we asked for a price increase and the customer wasn’t willing to give it to us,” Field said. “[Some] customers felt the prices that they saw from competitors would give them the service and the quality of capacity that they needed.” J.B. Hunt reported progress in reducing the costly repositioning of empty containers, a key operational focus this bid season. Volumes in its Mexico intermodal business was another bright spot in the first quarter, and Field said there are “significant opportunities” in cross-border freight. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a></div>

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, the largest US intermodal provider, says uncertainty around US tariffs and trade policy is the primary concern of its shippers at the outset of the second quarter. “Most of them are waiting for the dust to settle to determine how tariffs might influence and change their short- and long-term business strategies,” Spencer Frazier, J.B. Hunt’s executive vice president of sales, said late Tuesday on the company’s first-quarter earnings call. “We believe (the tariffs) have the potential to impact both supply and demand, but the magnitude and timing is difficult to predict.” Despite the concerns, J.B. Hunt said customers have not meaningfully adjusted their freight forecasts, and shippers continue to tender the quantity of loads outlined in their contracts. J.B. Hunt executives were asked on the call what the company’s exposure is to China as the number of blank sailings and booking cancelations begin to rise in response to the tariffs. Darren Field, president of J.B. Hunt’s intermodal segment, said between 20% and 30% of intermodal volume originates on the West Coast. “Now what percentage of that originates in China? I don’t know that we’ve ever done that study,” he said. “We’re just going to keep in close contact with our customers, our rail partners, and try to understand what’s headed at the West Coast and make plans accordingly.” Current market a ‘difficult environment’ Meanwhile, J.B. Hunt said it hauled more intermodal freight during the first quarter than in any Q1 in the company’s history, but tempered that by noting current market dynamics make it difficult to raise contract rates on shippers across most lanes. “I can’t think of a single cost item that’s actually down through this freight recession, so that’s unlike anything we’ve ever experienced,” CEO Shelley Simpson said on the earnings call. “I think everyone is holding on. If that’s a thinner margin or no margin, that’s the ‘hold on’ position. It’s a very difficult environment that we’re operating in, and I think everyone’s trying to accept it.” The company’s first-quarter intermodal volumes were up 8% from a year ago, including a 4% increase on West Coast transcontinental business and a 13% gain on the East Coast. J.B. Hunt moved 521,821 loads during the quarter. Intermodal revenue increased 5% to $1.47 billion, but revenue per load was down 2%, with more growth coming from shorter-haul business in the eastern US. Field, meanwhile, said he was “mildly pleased” with early bid season activity, noting some rate increases have been secured in major headhaul markets, but other customers left for competitors who offered lower prices. While he didn’t elaborate, Field was likely referencing business out of Los Angeles-Long Beach and Oakland-Stockton where the Journal of Commerce Intermodal Savings Index shows slight rate increases in 2025 contracts. “We have achieved some rate increases, but we’ve also lost some business due to the disciplined price approach where we asked for a price increase and the customer wasn’t willing to give it to us,” Field said. “[Some] customers felt the prices that they saw from competitors would give them the service and the quality of capacity that they needed.” J.B. Hunt reported progress in reducing the costly repositioning of empty containers, a key operational focus this bid season. Volumes in its Mexico intermodal business was another bright spot in the first quarter, and Field said there are “significant opportunities” in cross-border freight. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com

Trans-Pacific

Intermodal providers

J.B. Hunt customers waiting for ‘dust to settle’ on tariffs

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">With the door to US trade effectively slammed shut by tariffs, Chinese manufacturers are urgently looking for alternative markets in which to offload their surplus inventory.</div>

With the door to US trade effectively slammed shut by tariffs, Chinese manufacturers are urgently looking for alternative markets in which to offload their surplus inventory.

<div class="phx-topic">The European Commission is closely monitoring containerized imports from China amid growing fears that the high US tariffs will force a redirection of trans-Pacific trade flows and flood Europe with Chinese goods. While there is no evidence yet of increasing volume from China above seasonal norms, the commission is taking no chances and has deployed an “Import Surveillance Task Force” to track any irregular changes in trade. “The commission is monitoring imports closely to ensure that it detects in good time any potential increase in imports due to trade diversion,” Olof Gill, spokesperson for trade at the European Commission, told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. The US’ 145% tariffs on Chinese imports came into effect April 9, leading to significant frontloading ahead of that date and a <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/trans-pacific-blank-sailings-set-to-rise-after-china-bookings-drop-sharply-5984166">large-scale cancellation of cargo bookings</a> thereafter. Some shippers are requesting containers already in-gated at Chinese origins not be loaded on ships, while others have asked that containers be pulled completely from port, according to a trans-Pacific carrier executive. Ships leaving China for the US in the coming weeks are expected to be half-full as the cancellations continue, with significant blank sailings likely on the trans-Pacific and carriers seeking out other markets to utilize their capacity. Southeast Asian origins, for instance, are seeing a surge in ship utilization as shippers frontload exports from those nations to the US to take advantage of a 90-day reprieve on reciprocal tariffs. With the door to US trade effectively slammed shut, Chinese manufacturers are urgently looking for alternative markets in which to offload their surplus inventory. Europe’s huge consumer base is an attractive target, and the European Commission is shoring up its defenses against any incoming wave of cheap Chinese products that could displace European-made goods. Gill said if the new monitoring mechanism detected an increase in Chinese imports that could harm European Union industry, the EU “will be ready to respond appropriately.” “In such a case, the commission could deploy...its trade defense instruments, including a safeguard investigation that could be initiated in case an import surge causes, or threatens to cause, serious injury to EU industry,” the spokesman added. Such is the concern in Europe that EC President Ursula von der Leyen called Chinese Premier Li Qiang last week to urge Beijing to address possible trade diversions due to US tariffs. <h3>Record capacity deployed on Asia-Europe trade </h3>The concerns of the EC might be valid. According to Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis, carriers have announced an all-time high in capacity sailing out of Asia towards North Europe this week at 411,600 TEUs, beating the record set in early March of 2021, with very limited capacity blanked. ”Surely not a coincidence, and even though some of it should have sailed last week, it’s not canceled but set to sail this week,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst for rate benchmarking platform Xeneta. The average transit time from China to North Europe is 54 days, meaning the first shipments from any diverted trade will begin to arrive in early June. Casper Ellerbaek, global head of ocean freight at DHL Global Forwarding, said strong bookings from Asia to Europe have been sustained through recent weeks, but that was aligned with DHL’s usual book of business. "There is indeed speculation within the market that, as US demand decreases due to the Trump tariffs, China may seek alternative markets to offload its goods at competitive prices,” Ellerbaek told the Journal of Commerce, adding, however, that it was too early to definitively identify that trend. “Currently, many Chinese factories have likely manufactured products based on existing orders from US importers,” he said. “These finished goods or in-progress orders may not be easily cancellable, and some are already awaiting shipment to the US. As such, we have not yet seen a significant increase in Chinese containers destined for European ports.” Also not yet seeing a significant rise in China volume was Marc Meier, global head of ocean freight at Toll Group. But he warned that could change. ”One thing we can say is that all signs point towards China and others having to play more in other markets, so Asia to Europe will surely receive more focus,” Meier told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. Carriers shifting capacity around to mitigate the impact of US tariffs is bringing a familiar disruptive factor back into the mix — equipment imbalances. “If we do begin to see trade flow impacts from the tariffs, it is likely that shipping lines will adjust their sailing schedules, potentially omitting some or all Chinese ports on certain voyages to accommodate increased demand from other regions,” Ellerbaek said. “This adjustment will lead to an equipment imbalance, as seen in previous disruptions like the Red Sea crisis and during the pandemic, where repositioning equipment to align with new trade flows takes time,” he added. <h3>China surge would worsen persistent port congestion </h3>Another potential issue is that any surge in Chinese imports will quickly exacerbate the severe port congestion that is still causing delays across the major North Europe and Mediterranean gateways. A host of factors are responsible for the bottlenecks, including full container yards at most terminals, crane maintenance in some ports, berth congestion, rail disruption from line closures in northern Germany and low water levels on the Rhine River impacting inland connections. HMM is reporting berth waiting times of 18 days in London Gateway and 4.5 days at the Greek hub of Piraeus, where 12 feeder vessels are currently waiting to be handled. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="0e7c6c96-deff-4701-bb62-76f7f3ffef74"></dynamic-object></div>While Europe prepares for a possible wave of Chinese imports, the spot market has finally arrested its steady slide that began in late December. Xeneta data shows that China to North Europe rates are up 7% since April 1 at $2,514 per FEU. But while an increase in Chinese imports may help rising rates, it won’t last, according to Rico Luman, senior economist at global Bank ING. “It will be the first reaction because of this disruption but afterwards the massive overcapacity in container shipping will weigh on rates once again, because that is the backdrop to all of this,” Luman told the Journal of Commerce. “This tariff discussion is not good news for global trade, and I expect rates to drop again over the course of this year,” he added. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The European Commission is closely monitoring containerized imports from China amid growing fears that the high US tariffs will force a redirection of trans-Pacific trade flows and flood Europe with Chinese goods. While there is no evidence yet of increasing volume from China above seasonal norms, the commission is taking no chances and has deployed an “Import Surveillance Task Force” to track any irregular changes in trade. “The commission is monitoring imports closely to ensure that it detects in good time any potential increase in imports due to trade diversion,” Olof Gill, spokesperson for trade at the European Commission, told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. The US’ 145% tariffs on Chinese imports came into effect April 9, leading to significant frontloading ahead of that date and a large-scale cancellation of cargo bookings thereafter. Some shippers are requesting containers already in-gated at Chinese origins not be loaded on ships, while others have asked that containers be pulled completely from port, according to a trans-Pacific carrier executive. Ships leaving China for the US in the coming weeks are expected to be half-full as the cancellations continue, with significant blank sailings likely on the trans-Pacific and carriers seeking out other markets to utilize their capacity. Southeast Asian origins, for instance, are seeing a surge in ship utilization as shippers frontload exports from those nations to the US to take advantage of a 90-day reprieve on reciprocal tariffs. With the door to US trade effectively slammed shut, Chinese manufacturers are urgently looking for alternative markets in which to offload their surplus inventory. Europe’s huge consumer base is an attractive target, and the European Commission is shoring up its defenses against any incoming wave of cheap Chinese products that could displace European-made goods. Gill said if the new monitoring mechanism detected an increase in Chinese imports that could harm European Union industry, the EU “will be ready to respond appropriately.” “In such a case, the commission could deploy...its trade defense instruments, including a safeguard investigation that could be initiated in case an import surge causes, or threatens to cause, serious injury to EU industry,” the spokesman added. Such is the concern in Europe that EC President Ursula von der Leyen called Chinese Premier Li Qiang last week to urge Beijing to address possible trade diversions due to US tariffs. Record capacity deployed on Asia-Europe trade The concerns of the EC might be valid. According to Sea-Intelligence Maritime Analysis, carriers have announced an all-time high in capacity sailing out of Asia towards North Europe this week at 411,600 TEUs, beating the record set in early March of 2021, with very limited capacity blanked. ”Surely not a coincidence, and even though some of it should have sailed last week, it’s not canceled but set to sail this week,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst for rate benchmarking platform Xeneta. The average transit time from China to North Europe is 54 days, meaning the first shipments from any diverted trade will begin to arrive in early June. Casper Ellerbaek, global head of ocean freight at DHL Global Forwarding, said strong bookings from Asia to Europe have been sustained through recent weeks, but that was aligned with DHL’s usual book of business. "There is indeed speculation within the market that, as US demand decreases due to the Trump tariffs, China may seek alternative markets to offload its goods at competitive prices,” Ellerbaek told the Journal of Commerce, adding, however, that it was too early to definitively identify that trend. “Currently, many Chinese factories have likely manufactured products based on existing orders from US importers,” he said. “These finished goods or in-progress orders may not be easily cancellable, and some are already awaiting shipment to the US. As such, we have not yet seen a significant increase in Chinese containers destined for European ports.” Also not yet seeing a significant rise in China volume was Marc Meier, global head of ocean freight at Toll Group. But he warned that could change. ”One thing we can say is that all signs point towards China and others having to play more in other markets, so Asia to Europe will surely receive more focus,” Meier told the Journal of Commerce Wednesday. Carriers shifting capacity around to mitigate the impact of US tariffs is bringing a familiar disruptive factor back into the mix — equipment imbalances. “If we do begin to see trade flow impacts from the tariffs, it is likely that shipping lines will adjust their sailing schedules, potentially omitting some or all Chinese ports on certain voyages to accommodate increased demand from other regions,” Ellerbaek said. “This adjustment will lead to an equipment imbalance, as seen in previous disruptions like the Red Sea crisis and during the pandemic, where repositioning equipment to align with new trade flows takes time,” he added. China surge would worsen persistent port congestion Another potential issue is that any surge in Chinese imports will quickly exacerbate the severe port congestion that is still causing delays across the major North Europe and Mediterranean gateways. A host of factors are responsible for the bottlenecks, including full container yards at most terminals, crane maintenance in some ports, berth congestion, rail disruption from line closures in northern Germany and low water levels on the Rhine River impacting inland connections. HMM is reporting berth waiting times of 18 days in London Gateway and 4.5 days at the Greek hub of Piraeus, where 12 feeder vessels are currently waiting to be handled. While Europe prepares for a possible wave of Chinese imports, the spot market has finally arrested its steady slide that began in late December. Xeneta data shows that China to North Europe rates are up 7% since April 1 at $2,514 per FEU. But while an increase in Chinese imports may help rising rates, it won’t last, according to Rico Luman, senior economist at global Bank ING. “It will be the first reaction because of this disruption but afterwards the massive overcapacity in container shipping will weigh on rates once again, because that is the backdrop to all of this,” Luman told the Journal of Commerce. “This tariff discussion is not good news for global trade, and I expect rates to drop again over the course of this year,” he added. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Container Shipping News

Container lines

Forwarding

Asia-Europe

International ports

Maritime

Europe on alert to track any wave of diverted Chinese imports

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">US tariffs are forcing shippers in Mexico to rethink global sourcing and logistics strategies as complying with the USMCA becomes more complex. </div>

US tariffs are forcing shippers in Mexico to rethink global sourcing and logistics strategies as complying with the USMCA becomes more complex.

<div class="phx-topic">For logistics manager Yuri Garcia, the confusion surrounding US trade disputes with Mexico, China and the rest of the globe increasingly resembles the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Every day back then, we were turning on our TVs in the morning to see where we were going, what are they saying now, right?” Garcia said during a panel discussion at the Redwood Mexico Cross-Border Logistics Council in Monterrey last week. Today, she’s tuning into the news each morning to find out which nations and what goods are being hit with US tariffs, how high duties are going to go, and what may come next. “Are the tariffs on China going to be 125% or 145%?” Garcia said. The total tariffs imposed on China reached 145% as of April 10, the date she spoke at the conference. “You know tomorrow it’s going to be something else, so you’ve got to be prepared.” Being prepared for the unknown in terms of tariffs and trade was the crux of many discussions at the logistics conference in Monterrey, where Garcia works for Japan-based Nidec Motor Corp. Nidec produces industrial motors and generators, moving about 800 shipments a month across the US-Mexico border in both directions. Nidec also imports goods to Mexico from Europe and Asia, including China. So, knowing precisely what products and nations are being affected or targeted by tariffs is critical to planning and preparation for shippers with suppliers and customers in several international markets, not just the US and Mexico. Goods produced in Mexico typically contain components from several countries. Measuring the exact percentage of inputs from each international source is key to knowing whether a shipment will enter the US duty-free or be hit with a 25% import tax. “Right now, we have a lot of suppliers in Asia, so we have to have some other sources,” said Garcia. Nidec isn’t looking to drop any suppliers, she said, but the company needs to add some alternative vendors in the US and in Mexico to its portfolio. <h3>Diversifying sourcing </h3>The same issue is hitting manufacturers in Mexico across industrial sectors, speakers and sources at the Redwood Mexico event told the Journal of Commerce. “We’ve done a little more exploring to give ourselves more options,” said Bill Fogt, senior vice president at Dometic, a maker of outdoor products, including Igloo coolers. Based in Sweden, Dometic has 23 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries, with two factories in Mexico. Expecting change in the “supply chain climate” to accelerate, Dometic is leaning into its existing supplier relationships. “We want to be very close to our suppliers, whether in logistics or raw materials,” Fogt said. Maintaining close communications with suppliers, partners and customers is key to making sure US imports are <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/tariff-uncertainty-pushing-up-transportation-costs-at-us-mexico-border-5984698">compliant with the rules of origin</a> in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to avoid the Trump administration’s 25% tariff. “You need to keep your paper trail carefully, and make sure you’re adjusting for any changes” in components and global supply, said trade attorney Luis Martinez, a partner at Abogados Martinez Serna S.C. and a board member of the US Mexico Bar Association. Martinez urged shippers to audit the procedures they use to verify USMCA compliance. “A lot of companies do it yearly, but I know companies that do reviews every month,” he said. Daikin, a maker of air conditioners and refrigeration equipment, is in the midst of planning for potentially abrupt transportation and sourcing changes caused by tariffs, said Joe McAbee, the company’s vice president of domestic and international transportation. “We have manufacturing around the world, and so we can, to some degree, shift our production, although not quickly,” McAbee said in Monterrey. But he advises caution. “Every day is a new dynamic,” he said. “Every time a new tariff drops, your strategy changes. I think it’s important to let this play out and see where it’s going to go, because at some point it has to level out. We can't live in this continual chaos forever.” Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

For logistics manager Yuri Garcia, the confusion surrounding US trade disputes with Mexico, China and the rest of the globe increasingly resembles the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Every day back then, we were turning on our TVs in the morning to see where we were going, what are they saying now, right?” Garcia said during a panel discussion at the Redwood Mexico Cross-Border Logistics Council in Monterrey last week. Today, she’s tuning into the news each morning to find out which nations and what goods are being hit with US tariffs, how high duties are going to go, and what may come next. “Are the tariffs on China going to be 125% or 145%?” Garcia said. The total tariffs imposed on China reached 145% as of April 10, the date she spoke at the conference. “You know tomorrow it’s going to be something else, so you’ve got to be prepared.” Being prepared for the unknown in terms of tariffs and trade was the crux of many discussions at the logistics conference in Monterrey, where Garcia works for Japan-based Nidec Motor Corp. Nidec produces industrial motors and generators, moving about 800 shipments a month across the US-Mexico border in both directions. Nidec also imports goods to Mexico from Europe and Asia, including China. So, knowing precisely what products and nations are being affected or targeted by tariffs is critical to planning and preparation for shippers with suppliers and customers in several international markets, not just the US and Mexico. Goods produced in Mexico typically contain components from several countries. Measuring the exact percentage of inputs from each international source is key to knowing whether a shipment will enter the US duty-free or be hit with a 25% import tax. “Right now, we have a lot of suppliers in Asia, so we have to have some other sources,” said Garcia. Nidec isn’t looking to drop any suppliers, she said, but the company needs to add some alternative vendors in the US and in Mexico to its portfolio. Diversifying sourcing The same issue is hitting manufacturers in Mexico across industrial sectors, speakers and sources at the Redwood Mexico event told the Journal of Commerce. “We’ve done a little more exploring to give ourselves more options,” said Bill Fogt, senior vice president at Dometic, a maker of outdoor products, including Igloo coolers. Based in Sweden, Dometic has 23 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries, with two factories in Mexico. Expecting change in the “supply chain climate” to accelerate, Dometic is leaning into its existing supplier relationships. “We want to be very close to our suppliers, whether in logistics or raw materials,” Fogt said. Maintaining close communications with suppliers, partners and customers is key to making sure US imports are compliant with the rules of origin in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to avoid the Trump administration’s 25% tariff. “You need to keep your paper trail carefully, and make sure you’re adjusting for any changes” in components and global supply, said trade attorney Luis Martinez, a partner at Abogados Martinez Serna S.C. and a board member of the US Mexico Bar Association. Martinez urged shippers to audit the procedures they use to verify USMCA compliance. “A lot of companies do it yearly, but I know companies that do reviews every month,” he said. Daikin, a maker of air conditioners and refrigeration equipment, is in the midst of planning for potentially abrupt transportation and sourcing changes caused by tariffs, said Joe McAbee, the company’s vice president of domestic and international transportation. “We have manufacturing around the world, and so we can, to some degree, shift our production, although not quickly,” McAbee said in Monterrey. But he advises caution. “Every day is a new dynamic,” he said. “Every time a new tariff drops, your strategy changes. I think it’s important to let this play out and see where it’s going to go, because at some point it has to level out. We can't live in this continual chaos forever.” Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Supply chain

Trucking News

Surface

In Mexico, global shippers seek new logistics options amid shifting US tariffs

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Virginia continues to add infrastructure to its marine terminals as part of the port’s plan to handle mega-max vessels once dredging is finished late in 2025. </div>

Virginia continues to add infrastructure to its marine terminals as part of the port’s plan to handle mega-max vessels once dredging is finished late in 2025.

<div class="phx-topic">The Port of Virginia has boosted crane capacity at one of its main marine terminals as the port prepares to handle more ultra-large container ships. The new cranes are one of several capital projects timed to ongoing dredging at the port that will allow it to handle more large ships. The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) said Tuesday that four new, super post-Panamax cranes have come into service at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG). With a maximum outreach width of 26 containers, the cranes can handle ultra-large container vessels up to 21,000 TEUs. VIG will be capable of working three ultra-large vessels at once, the port said in a statement. Across both VIG and the port’s larger Norfolk International Terminal (NIT), Virginia will have 26 cranes for ultra-large container ships. The new cranes are now in place, while the Port of Virginia expects to complete a nearly five-year dredging project that will bring Norfolk Harbor and its main shipping channels to a 55-foot depth for ultra-large ships. Portions of the shipping channel have already been widened to 1,400 feet to allow bidirectional navigation of large container ships. “When the dredge work is complete, multiple ultra-large container vessels, loaded to their absolute limits, will be able to call the port of Virginia without restrictions at the berth, on water depth or for vessel traffic,” VPA Chief Executive Stephen Edwards said in the statement. March was one of VIG’s strongest months for big ship calls, according to vessel tracking data from Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. VIG handled 20 ships above 10,000 TEUs, the most in 12 months, totaling almost 283,000 TEUs in container capacity. The NIT saw 18 big-ship calls in March, totaling just over 234,000 TEUs, Sea-web data shows. It, too, is undergoing upgrades that will allow it to handle more big ships. The VPA plans to install four new cranes at the NIT in the coming months that will allow it to simultaneously handle three ultra-large container ships. Along with the larger ship-to-shore cranes, the port took delivery of the first batch of 36 rail-mounted gantry cranes for stacking and moving containers for a northern extension of the NIT, with the second batch set for June delivery. The NIT’s northern extension will bring its total lift capacity to 3.6 million TEUs per year by 2027, up from 2.2 million TEUs currently. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

The Port of Virginia has boosted crane capacity at one of its main marine terminals as the port prepares to handle more ultra-large container ships. The new cranes are one of several capital projects timed to ongoing dredging at the port that will allow it to handle more large ships. The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) said Tuesday that four new, super post-Panamax cranes have come into service at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG). With a maximum outreach width of 26 containers, the cranes can handle ultra-large container vessels up to 21,000 TEUs. VIG will be capable of working three ultra-large vessels at once, the port said in a statement. Across both VIG and the port’s larger Norfolk International Terminal (NIT), Virginia will have 26 cranes for ultra-large container ships. The new cranes are now in place, while the Port of Virginia expects to complete a nearly five-year dredging project that will bring Norfolk Harbor and its main shipping channels to a 55-foot depth for ultra-large ships. Portions of the shipping channel have already been widened to 1,400 feet to allow bidirectional navigation of large container ships. “When the dredge work is complete, multiple ultra-large container vessels, loaded to their absolute limits, will be able to call the port of Virginia without restrictions at the berth, on water depth or for vessel traffic,” VPA Chief Executive Stephen Edwards said in the statement. March was one of VIG’s strongest months for big ship calls, according to vessel tracking data from Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. VIG handled 20 ships above 10,000 TEUs, the most in 12 months, totaling almost 283,000 TEUs in container capacity. The NIT saw 18 big-ship calls in March, totaling just over 234,000 TEUs, Sea-web data shows. It, too, is undergoing upgrades that will allow it to handle more big ships. The VPA plans to install four new cranes at the NIT in the coming months that will allow it to simultaneously handle three ultra-large container ships. Along with the larger ship-to-shore cranes, the port took delivery of the first batch of 36 rail-mounted gantry cranes for stacking and moving containers for a northern extension of the NIT, with the second batch set for June delivery. The NIT’s northern extension will bring its total lift capacity to 3.6 million TEUs per year by 2027, up from 2.2 million TEUs currently. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

Marine terminals

Port of Virginia readies more cranes for ultra-large container ships

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Sources at some of the big liners say there’s been a noticeable decline in their traditional India-Mediterranean volumes due to the new competition taking advantage of Red Sea-linked shipping dislocations that have created a “new normal” operating environment. </div>

Sources at some of the big liners say there’s been a noticeable decline in their traditional India-Mediterranean volumes due to the new competition taking advantage of Red Sea-linked shipping dislocations that have created a “new normal” operating environment.

<div class="phx-topic">Mainline operators predominant on the India-Mediterranean trade lane are being challenged for market share by a new crop of regional or secondary carriers differentiating themselves with direct Suez Canal sailings and lower rate asks. Leading that charge are Turkon Line and Arkas Line, two Turkish carriers that recently began a vessel-sharing agreement (VSA) between West India and the Red Sea region with relay options for other larger sourcing markets, including North Europe and North America. The joint loop has had a stronger-than-expected start, with its recent sailings reporting 90%-plus capacity utilization, industry sources say. The vessels have an average combined space allocation of 2,200 TEUs per call out of the Indian ports of Nhava Sheva and Mundra, port data shows. Local sources at some of the mega lines who spoke with the Journal of Commerce agreed that there has been a noticeable decline in their traditional India-Mediterranean volumes due to the new competition amid Red Sea-linked shipping dislocations that have created a “new normal” operating environment. “Our pre-and post-Red Sea trade assessment [between the latter parts of 2023 and 2024] indicates a 33% dip in the overall export market hold for the lead carriers,” a regional executive at a European liner who didn’t want to be identified told the Journal of Commerce. “The entry of more opportunistic Red Sea-centric operators and [non-vessel-operating common carriers] has refueled this shift into 2025.” <h3>Rate variance near $500 per container </h3>Forwarder sources in Mumbai have reported an average variance of up to $500 per container between spot rates quoted by mega carriers and those offered by newcomers for Indian loads to the Mediterranean, dependent on the ports of discharge. For Nhava Sheva-Alexandria (Egypt) bookings, Turkon/Arkas rates are in the range of $1,400 per TEU and $1,800 per FEU, compared with $2,083 and $2,341 for CMA CGM sailings through April, sources say. “So-called Red Sea players trying to exploit a disruption have used aggressive pricing and other commercial strategies to take business away from established liners continuing to reroute vessels around the southern Africa axis,” an industry observer said. Most carriers since late 2023 have diverted their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea launched by Houthi militants operating from Yemen. The source also noted that major carriers are now generally selective about the freight they haul, concentrating on lightweight commodities instead of heavy loads that are more regular in 20-foot container bookings. Anecdotal industry data puts Indian containerized exports to the Mediterranean at between 600,000 and 700,000 TEUs annually, with the India-Turkey trade accounting for about 100,000 of those TEUs. By normal pattern, Mediterranean Shipping Co. has held a 20% share of that market, followed by Maersk at 18%, CMA CGM at 12% and Hapag-Lloyd at 11%, recent estimates reveal. Contact Bency Mathew at <a href="mailto:bencyvmathew@gmail.com">bencyvmathew@gmail.com</a>.</div>

Mainline operators predominant on the India-Mediterranean trade lane are being challenged for market share by a new crop of regional or secondary carriers differentiating themselves with direct Suez Canal sailings and lower rate asks. Leading that charge are Turkon Line and Arkas Line, two Turkish carriers that recently began a vessel-sharing agreement (VSA) between West India and the Red Sea region with relay options for other larger sourcing markets, including North Europe and North America. The joint loop has had a stronger-than-expected start, with its recent sailings reporting 90%-plus capacity utilization, industry sources say. The vessels have an average combined space allocation of 2,200 TEUs per call out of the Indian ports of Nhava Sheva and Mundra, port data shows. Local sources at some of the mega lines who spoke with the Journal of Commerce agreed that there has been a noticeable decline in their traditional India-Mediterranean volumes due to the new competition amid Red Sea-linked shipping dislocations that have created a “new normal” operating environment. “Our pre-and post-Red Sea trade assessment [between the latter parts of 2023 and 2024] indicates a 33% dip in the overall export market hold for the lead carriers,” a regional executive at a European liner who didn’t want to be identified told the Journal of Commerce. “The entry of more opportunistic Red Sea-centric operators and [non-vessel-operating common carriers] has refueled this shift into 2025.” Rate variance near $500 per container Forwarder sources in Mumbai have reported an average variance of up to $500 per container between spot rates quoted by mega carriers and those offered by newcomers for Indian loads to the Mediterranean, dependent on the ports of discharge. For Nhava Sheva-Alexandria (Egypt) bookings, Turkon/Arkas rates are in the range of $1,400 per TEU and $1,800 per FEU, compared with $2,083 and $2,341 for CMA CGM sailings through April, sources say. “So-called Red Sea players trying to exploit a disruption have used aggressive pricing and other commercial strategies to take business away from established liners continuing to reroute vessels around the southern Africa axis,” an industry observer said. Most carriers since late 2023 have diverted their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea launched by Houthi militants operating from Yemen. The source also noted that major carriers are now generally selective about the freight they haul, concentrating on lightweight commodities instead of heavy loads that are more regular in 20-foot container bookings. Anecdotal industry data puts Indian containerized exports to the Mediterranean at between 600,000 and 700,000 TEUs annually, with the India-Turkey trade accounting for about 100,000 of those TEUs. By normal pattern, Mediterranean Shipping Co. has held a 20% share of that market, followed by Maersk at 18%, CMA CGM at 12% and Hapag-Lloyd at 11%, recent estimates reveal. Contact Bency Mathew at bencyvmathew@gmail.com .

Mega carriers ceding market share to new entrants on India-Med trade

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The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

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Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

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Filling the Supply Chain Education Gap with LTL Education Courses

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