<div>Laos will officially <a>become the 158th member of the World Trade Organization</a> on Feb. 2.The country last week notified the WTO that it had ratified its membrership agreement, which had been approved by the WTO General Council in October. Negotiations on Laos’ accession had lasted 15 years, the WTO said.Four nations joined the multilateral trade body in 2012: Montenegro, Russia, Samoa and Vanuatu.</div>...

Laos will officially become the 158th member of the World Trade Organization on Feb. 2. The country last week notified the WTO that it had ratified its membrership agreement, which had been approved by the WTO General Council in October. Negotiations on Laos’ accession had lasted 15 years, the WTO said. Four nations joined the multilateral trade body in 2012: Montenegro, Russia, Samoa and Vanuatu.

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Laos to Join World Trade Organization

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The acquisition of a majority stake in Roadrunner by an investment group sets the stage for further growth at the carrier as the LTL sector readies for expansion in 2025. </div>

The acquisition of a majority stake in Roadrunner by an investment group sets the stage for further growth at the carrier as the LTL sector readies for expansion in 2025.

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<div class="phx-topic">An investor group led by CEO Chris Jamroz is acquiring a majority stake in less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier Roadrunner. The deal, announced Friday, sets the stage for further organic growth and acquisitions by the direct point-to-point LTL trucking company at a time when the US LTL sector is preparing for expansion, building out networks <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-ltl-carriers-laying-groundwork-for-higher-pricing-in-2025-5822094">and raising rates</a>. The deal between Prospero Staff Capital, owned by Jamroz and partner Ted Kellner, a long-time investor in Roadrunner, leaves Elliott Investment Management with a minority stake in the Illinois-based company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “After comprehensively unwinding the prior management’s roll-up strategy to get to a pure-play LTL network, Roadrunner now stands as a premium long-haul carrier,” Jamroz said in a statement. “Today marks the beginning of our growth phase, driven by new capital, strategic investments and acquisitions.” Activist investor Elliott acquired a majority stake in Roadrunner through a <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/roadrunner-gets-540-million-infusion-new-leadership-5195821">$540 million investment</a> in 2017. Jamroz joined the company in 2019; Prospero is part of his investment company, LyonIX Holdings. Roadrunner is the 20th-largest LTL provider in the US and Canada, with about $410 million in revenue in 2023, according to SJ Consulting Group data. Merger activity is picking up speed <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/smaller-us-ltl-carriers-increasingly-merging-in-sink-or-swim-market-5783875">among smaller LTL carriers</a>, which could provide several targets for Roadrunner in markets where it wants to grow. The US LTL sector as a whole is in the midst of a growth phase kicked off by the exit of Yellow, then the third-largest LTL provider, from the market in July 2023. That sharply reduced LTL capacity, which enabled carriers to raise pricing despite tepid freight demand. Yellow’s collapse also launched an ongoing land rush as LTL carriers battle for terminals. Yellow is <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/yellow-puts-remaining-112-ltl-terminals-on-the-block-5737425">preparing to sell</a> its remaining 112 terminals, including some of its largest sites, in a move that will release pent-up LTL capacity. Roadrunner played a small part in that land rush, rebuilding a terminal formerly leased by Yellow in Atlanta as a new regional hub. Roadrunner has put more focus on reducing transit times in hundreds of lanes to meet shipper demand for faster service. In October, the company accelerated shipments in more than 200 lanes and opened more than 40 new lanes. Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

An investor group led by CEO Chris Jamroz is acquiring a majority stake in less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier Roadrunner. The deal, announced Friday, sets the stage for further organic growth and acquisitions by the direct point-to-point LTL trucking company at a time when the US LTL sector is preparing for expansion, building out networks and raising rates . The deal between Prospero Staff Capital, owned by Jamroz and partner Ted Kellner, a long-time investor in Roadrunner, leaves Elliott Investment Management with a minority stake in the Illinois-based company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “After comprehensively unwinding the prior management’s roll-up strategy to get to a pure-play LTL network, Roadrunner now stands as a premium long-haul carrier,” Jamroz said in a statement. “Today marks the beginning of our growth phase, driven by new capital, strategic investments and acquisitions.” Activist investor Elliott acquired a majority stake in Roadrunner through a $540 million investment in 2017. Jamroz joined the company in 2019; Prospero is part of his investment company, LyonIX Holdings. Roadrunner is the 20th-largest LTL provider in the US and Canada, with about $410 million in revenue in 2023, according to SJ Consulting Group data. Merger activity is picking up speed among smaller LTL carriers , which could provide several targets for Roadrunner in markets where it wants to grow. The US LTL sector as a whole is in the midst of a growth phase kicked off by the exit of Yellow, then the third-largest LTL provider, from the market in July 2023. That sharply reduced LTL capacity, which enabled carriers to raise pricing despite tepid freight demand. Yellow’s collapse also launched an ongoing land rush as LTL carriers battle for terminals. Yellow is preparing to sell its remaining 112 terminals, including some of its largest sites, in a move that will release pent-up LTL capacity. Roadrunner played a small part in that land rush, rebuilding a terminal formerly leased by Yellow in Atlanta as a new regional hub. Roadrunner has put more focus on reducing transit times in hundreds of lanes to meet shipper demand for faster service. In October, the company accelerated shipments in more than 200 lanes and opened more than 40 new lanes. Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Surface

Investors plan to expand US LTL carrier Roadrunner after takeover

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Major retailers such as Ralph Lauren and Target say they successfully mitigated disruptions from the early October port strike and are ready for the next labor threat and the fallout from likely higher tariffs on Chinese goods. </div>

Major retailers such as Ralph Lauren and Target say they successfully mitigated disruptions from the early October port strike and are ready for the next labor threat and the fallout from likely higher tariffs on Chinese goods.

<div class="phx-topic">US retailers are telling investors that after successfully managing the three-day port strike along the East and Gulf coasts in early October, they’re prepared to navigate whatever operational challenges arise from the higher tariffs on Chinese goods that President-elect Donald Trump has promised for his second term. Ralph Lauren, Williams Sonoma and Target, during their respective third-quarter earnings calls, highlighted how they diverted cargoes to West Coast ports ahead of the Oct. 1 expiration of the labor contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and maritime employers. Ralph Lauren said it tapped air cargo transport in the days before the strike to ensure it had key products on hand. Following the tentative deal that ended the brief strike, the three retailers said they are now monitoring developments ahead of the Jan. 15 expiration of that extended pact. ILA last week announced it <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ila-breaks-off-contract-talks-accuses-usmx-of-semi-automation-push-5810392">pulled out of negotiations</a> over what it said was a desire by employers to introduce semi-automated equipment at marine terminals. The cargo diversions to the West Coast “came at a cost, but allowed us to be well-positioned for our guests through the strike and into the holiday season,” Target CFO Michael Fiddelke said during a Nov. 20 earnings call. ”Thankfully, the strike was short-lived,” he added. “We’ll continue to watch the situation closely in the lead up to continued negotiations in January.” US inventories in comparison to sales have risen this fall as shippers experience an extended peak season highlighted by frontloading linked to renewed ILA strike threats, the <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-importers-dabbling-in-frontloading-ahead-of-new-tariff-threat-5821448">anticipation of higher US tariffs</a> on Chinese retail imports and a shorter post-holiday period due to an earlier Lunar New Year. <h3>Retail inventories rising</h3>The ratio of US retail inventories to sales climbed to 1.42 in September from 1.27 in August, according to US Census Bureau data. The 1.42 level, also observed in February 2023 and February 2021, is the highest since 1.69 in April 2020 at the outset of the pandemic.Facing Trump’s threat of tariffs on Chinese goods of more than 60%, retailers took pains on earnings calls to stress the limits of their exposure to Chinese sourcing because of multiyear preparation to diversify away from the world’s largest factory. Williams Sonoma has mapped out its various product lines and will evaluate sourcing by tariffs levels and alternatives, CFO Jeff Howie told investors Wednesday. The high-end home furnishing retailer can also lean on domestic manufacturing plants in North Carolina, Mississippi and Oregon, and will considering front-loading some goods from China early next year to avoid tariffs, he said. ”I just want to remind everyone that it’s not our first time at this,” Howie said. “We’ve always been a leader and proactively responded to changes in the trade environment. ”There’s a lot of change since the last time this came up,” he added. “We’ve significantly reduced our China-sourced goods from 50% to 25% over the last few years.” Lowe’s has been working its suppliers in recent years to diversify away from China, giving it confidence that the company can handle “whatever it is that gets thrown as us,” said Bill Boltz, the company’s executive vice president of merchandising. Contact Mark Szakonyi at <a href="mailto:mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com">mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

US retailers are telling investors that after successfully managing the three-day port strike along the East and Gulf coasts in early October, they’re prepared to navigate whatever operational challenges arise from the higher tariffs on Chinese goods that President-elect Donald Trump has promised for his second term. Ralph Lauren, Williams Sonoma and Target, during their respective third-quarter earnings calls, highlighted how they diverted cargoes to West Coast ports ahead of the Oct. 1 expiration of the labor contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and maritime employers. Ralph Lauren said it tapped air cargo transport in the days before the strike to ensure it had key products on hand. Following the tentative deal that ended the brief strike, the three retailers said they are now monitoring developments ahead of the Jan. 15 expiration of that extended pact. ILA last week announced it pulled out of negotiations over what it said was a desire by employers to introduce semi-automated equipment at marine terminals. The cargo diversions to the West Coast “came at a cost, but allowed us to be well-positioned for our guests through the strike and into the holiday season,” Target CFO Michael Fiddelke said during a Nov. 20 earnings call. ”Thankfully, the strike was short-lived,” he added. “We’ll continue to watch the situation closely in the lead up to continued negotiations in January.” US inventories in comparison to sales have risen this fall as shippers experience an extended peak season highlighted by frontloading linked to renewed ILA strike threats, the anticipation of higher US tariffs on Chinese retail imports and a shorter post-holiday period due to an earlier Lunar New Year. Retail inventories rising The ratio of US retail inventories to sales climbed to 1.42 in September from 1.27 in August, according to US Census Bureau data. The 1.42 level, also observed in February 2023 and February 2021, is the highest since 1.69 in April 2020 at the outset of the pandemic. Facing Trump’s threat of tariffs on Chinese goods of more than 60%, retailers took pains on earnings calls to stress the limits of their exposure to Chinese sourcing because of multiyear preparation to diversify away from the world’s largest factory. Williams Sonoma has mapped out its various product lines and will evaluate sourcing by tariffs levels and alternatives, CFO Jeff Howie told investors Wednesday. The high-end home furnishing retailer can also lean on domestic manufacturing plants in North Carolina, Mississippi and Oregon, and will considering front-loading some goods from China early next year to avoid tariffs, he said. ”I just want to remind everyone that it’s not our first time at this,” Howie said. “We’ve always been a leader and proactively responded to changes in the trade environment. ”There’s a lot of change since the last time this came up,” he added. “We’ve significantly reduced our China-sourced goods from 50% to 25% over the last few years.” Lowe’s has been working its suppliers in recent years to diversify away from China, giving it confidence that the company can handle “whatever it is that gets thrown as us,” said Bill Boltz, the company’s executive vice president of merchandising. Contact Mark Szakonyi at mark.szakonyi@spglobal.com .

Supply chain

Port News

Trans-Pacific

Container Shipping News

US retailers prepare for new ILA strike threat, tariffs on China imports

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">By connecting to forwarder-customers of software vendor e2open, Freightos is continuing its push to develop electronic booking capability in the air freight industry.</div>

By connecting to forwarder-customers of software vendor e2open, Freightos is continuing its push to develop electronic booking capability in the air freight industry.

<div class="phx-topic">Software vendors Freightos and e2open have integrated their systems to help forwarders access dynamic air freight rates within Freightos’ rate database and make associated electronic bookings on those rates. The integration embeds Freightos’ WebCargo booking tool into e2open’s transportation management system (TMS). “It will cut down on manual entry and give our team real-time access to rates and bookings within the TMS, helping us respond faster to client needs and eliminate the back-and-forth that used to slow us down,” Megan Kelley, vice president of enterprise applications at Crane Worldwide Logistics, one of the companies that’s been trialing the integration, said in a statement Thursday. WebCargo has become a dominant player in the airfreight technology space, predominantly by enabling forwarders and air cargo airlines to connect with one another digitally to transmit rates and bookings. e2open is a widely used supply chain software provider that has acquired a number of TMS solutions over the past five years serving different modes, including air. The company has an internal ocean freight booking capability through its 2018 acquisition of INTTRA. The software provider is very partner-friendly, adding integrations to visibility providers, freight brokers, freight procurement tools and payment systems to support its planning and execution tools. Freightos CEO Zvi Schreiber said in the statement that Freightos’ goal is to “deliver better cargo pricing and booking to our global forwarders wherever they work, whether it's through our [application programming interfaces] for their own systems, with integrations to third-party solutions, or on our platform.” Freightos’ customers include shippers Electrolux and ABB, forwarders FedEx, UPS and Scan Global Logistics, as well as carriers American Airlines Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo. e2open’s customers include shippers L’Oreal and Leggett &amp; Platt and forwarders such as Geodis and Leschaco. Contact Eric Johnson at <a href="mailto:eric.johnson@spglobal.com">eric.johnson@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Software vendors Freightos and e2open have integrated their systems to help forwarders access dynamic air freight rates within Freightos’ rate database and make associated electronic bookings on those rates. The integration embeds Freightos’ WebCargo booking tool into e2open’s transportation management system (TMS). “It will cut down on manual entry and give our team real-time access to rates and bookings within the TMS, helping us respond faster to client needs and eliminate the back-and-forth that used to slow us down,” Megan Kelley, vice president of enterprise applications at Crane Worldwide Logistics, one of the companies that’s been trialing the integration, said in a statement Thursday. WebCargo has become a dominant player in the airfreight technology space, predominantly by enabling forwarders and air cargo airlines to connect with one another digitally to transmit rates and bookings. e2open is a widely used supply chain software provider that has acquired a number of TMS solutions over the past five years serving different modes, including air. The company has an internal ocean freight booking capability through its 2018 acquisition of INTTRA. The software provider is very partner-friendly, adding integrations to visibility providers, freight brokers, freight procurement tools and payment systems to support its planning and execution tools. Freightos CEO Zvi Schreiber said in the statement that Freightos’ goal is to “deliver better cargo pricing and booking to our global forwarders wherever they work, whether it's through our [application programming interfaces] for their own systems, with integrations to third-party solutions, or on our platform.” Freightos’ customers include shippers Electrolux and ABB, forwarders FedEx, UPS and Scan Global Logistics, as well as carriers American Airlines Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo. e2open’s customers include shippers L’Oreal and Leggett & Platt and forwarders such as Geodis and Leschaco. Contact Eric Johnson at eric.johnson@spglobal.com .

Air Cargo Carriers News

Logistics Technology News

Air Cargo Forwarder News

Freightos, e2open link up on airfreight e-bookings for forwarders

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Converting an existing vessel to be able to operate on methanol requires major engineering work and could cost more than building a new ship with a shorter time to depreciate the investment, according to the carrier. </div>

Converting an existing vessel to be able to operate on methanol requires major engineering work and could cost more than building a new ship with a shorter time to depreciate the investment, according to the carrier.

<div class="phx-topic">Maersk has made its first dual-fuel, methanol-capable vessel conversion as the carrier tests the feasibility of retrofitting existing container ships as another way to accelerate the energy transformation of its fleet. The Maersk Halifax returned to trans-Pacific duty in early November after major engineering work in a Chinese yard over 88 days that saw the vessel cut in half so a 15-meter extension could be dropped in to accommodate additional fuel tanks. The ship is now 368 meters long and its capacity has increased from 15,000 TEUs to 15,690 TEUs. “Since we set the ambitious climate goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential in retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines,” Leonardo Sonzio, head of fleet management and technology at Maersk, said in a statement this week. ”In the coming year, we will take learnings from this first conversion of a large vessel,” he added. “Retrofits of existing vessels can be an important alternative to newbuilds in our transition from fossil fuels to low-emission fuels.” While Maersk did not put a price on the conversion, the carrier’s decarbonization head, Morten Bo Christiansen, told reporters in a recent press briefing that there was not yet a clear business case for retrofitting a ship to be methanol capable as it could cost more than building a new vessel. For context, Maersk’s 16,592-TEU Alexandra Maersk that was launched in August, the fifth such vessel in an 18-ship order, was built at a cost of $150 million. <h3>Effective greenhouse gas framework </h3>Christiansen said the business case for retrofitting to methanol would depend on whether ongoing International Maritime Organization (IMO) negotiations resulted in an effective greenhouse gas framework. There is <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/crunch-time-for-regulators-as-shipping-seeks-clarity-on-net-zero-ambitions-5221524">growing urgency for global regulatory support from the IMO</a> that is essential to drive an accelerated and large-scale shift to zero-emission fuels. The IMO is currently considering mid-term measures that include a pricing mechanism to tax carbon emissions and the establishment of a fuel standard. The measures are aimed at narrowing the price gap between fossil fuels and the green alternatives and must be approved at the MEPC 83 meeting in April if they are to be implemented by the October deadline. “If the outcome of the ongoing IMO negotiations is an effective greenhouse gas framework, then I think the business case of retrofitting for methanol will be good,” Christiansen told reporters. “Otherwise, a retrofit will always be more expensive because it costs more than a newbuilding and there is a shorter time to depreciate the investment, so it will always be cheaper to build a new ship,” he added. “But in a good IMO scenario, retrofits for methanol will be a pretty good business case, and for LNG ships.” Maersk Halifax is one of 11 Hong Kong-class vessels in the carrier’s fleet. During the conversion process, besides extending the length of the vessel, the retrofit operation at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China involved adding the new fuel tanks, a fuel preparation room and a fuel supply system. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="1a054077-7728-4ffd-abb8-b7aff17c3235"></dynamic-object></div>All the top 10 ocean carriers, which operate a combined 84% share of the world’s container ship capacity, have now committed to vessels with alternative propulsion options, according to Alphaliner. The carriers have procured the tonnage both through direct ownership and via long-term charter contracts. In August, Maersk placed an order for newbuilding and time charter vessels <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersks-lng-order-hedges-bet-on-green-fuel-technology-ceo-5703200">with a total capacity of 800,000 TEUs</a> as part of a fleet renewal program. The vessels will be dual-fuel — capable of running on conventional bunkers and LNG if required, and on bio-LNG, a cleaner version of the fuel.Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Maersk has made its first dual-fuel, methanol-capable vessel conversion as the carrier tests the feasibility of retrofitting existing container ships as another way to accelerate the energy transformation of its fleet. The Maersk Halifax returned to trans-Pacific duty in early November after major engineering work in a Chinese yard over 88 days that saw the vessel cut in half so a 15-meter extension could be dropped in to accommodate additional fuel tanks. The ship is now 368 meters long and its capacity has increased from 15,000 TEUs to 15,690 TEUs. “Since we set the ambitious climate goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential in retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines,” Leonardo Sonzio, head of fleet management and technology at Maersk, said in a statement this week. ”In the coming year, we will take learnings from this first conversion of a large vessel,” he added. “Retrofits of existing vessels can be an important alternative to newbuilds in our transition from fossil fuels to low-emission fuels.” While Maersk did not put a price on the conversion, the carrier’s decarbonization head, Morten Bo Christiansen, told reporters in a recent press briefing that there was not yet a clear business case for retrofitting a ship to be methanol capable as it could cost more than building a new vessel. For context, Maersk’s 16,592-TEU Alexandra Maersk that was launched in August, the fifth such vessel in an 18-ship order, was built at a cost of $150 million. Effective greenhouse gas framework Christiansen said the business case for retrofitting to methanol would depend on whether ongoing International Maritime Organization (IMO) negotiations resulted in an effective greenhouse gas framework. There is growing urgency for global regulatory support from the IMO that is essential to drive an accelerated and large-scale shift to zero-emission fuels. The IMO is currently considering mid-term measures that include a pricing mechanism to tax carbon emissions and the establishment of a fuel standard. The measures are aimed at narrowing the price gap between fossil fuels and the green alternatives and must be approved at the MEPC 83 meeting in April if they are to be implemented by the October deadline. “If the outcome of the ongoing IMO negotiations is an effective greenhouse gas framework, then I think the business case of retrofitting for methanol will be good,” Christiansen told reporters. “Otherwise, a retrofit will always be more expensive because it costs more than a newbuilding and there is a shorter time to depreciate the investment, so it will always be cheaper to build a new ship,” he added. “But in a good IMO scenario, retrofits for methanol will be a pretty good business case, and for LNG ships.” Maersk Halifax is one of 11 Hong Kong-class vessels in the carrier’s fleet. During the conversion process, besides extending the length of the vessel, the retrofit operation at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China involved adding the new fuel tanks, a fuel preparation room and a fuel supply system. All the top 10 ocean carriers, which operate a combined 84% share of the world’s container ship capacity, have now committed to vessels with alternative propulsion options, according to Alphaliner. The carriers have procured the tonnage both through direct ownership and via long-term charter contracts. In August, Maersk placed an order for newbuilding and time charter vessels with a total capacity of 800,000 TEUs as part of a fleet renewal program. The vessels will be dual-fuel — capable of running on conventional bunkers and LNG if required, and on bio-LNG, a cleaner version of the fuel. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

Container lines

Trans-Atlantic

Asia-Europe

Maritime

Maersk’s methanol ship conversion tests retrofitting business case

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">General rate increases ranging from 4.9% to 7.9% are setting expectations for higher contract pricing as less-than-truckload carriers attempt to recoup the costs of network expansion. </div>

General rate increases ranging from 4.9% to 7.9% are setting expectations for higher contract pricing as less-than-truckload carriers attempt to recoup the costs of network expansion.

<div class="phx-topic">US less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers are laying the groundwork for higher pricing in 2025, well before higher freight volumes hit their docks. Several of the largest LTL carriers in recent weeks have released average general rate increases (GRIs) for 2025 ranging from the mid- to upper single digits. The GRIs are for non-contract business, but they set expectations for contract pricing in 2025. Old Dominion Freight Line set the base with a 4.9% GRI announced Monday that will take effect Dec. 2. FedEx Freight earlier announced a 5.9% GRI effective Jan. 6, while TForce Freight, the former UPS Freight, raised its LTL rates 5.9% on average in October. <div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="4a956aa9-0f8d-4079-ab21-88b58ab2775a"></dynamic-object></div>The biggest GRI came from Saia, which raised rates 7.9% on average in October. That GRI matched the average rate increase Saia claims it is getting in contract renewals. “We’ve got to really continue to focus on pricing,” Saia President and CEO Frederick J. Holzgrefe told Wall Street analysts during Saia’s third-quarter earnings call last month. “The rates have got to go up across the board in all elements of the business.” Higher rates and revenue are needed to support the <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/yellow-puts-remaining-112-ltl-terminals-on-the-block-5737425">ongoing expansion of terminal networks</a> and to keep pace with operating costs, carrier executives say. Saia, for example, will spend $1 billion this year on real estate, employees, equipment and technology. Shippers have told the Journal of Commerce they expect LTL costs to rise in 2025, but not as steeply as some carriers anticipate. But shippers may be surprised. <h3>Costing, pricing discipline </h3>Before the 2008-2009 Great Recession, GRIs often were whittled down in contract negotiations, especially in years when the market was soft. That’s less likely to happen today. “Now it’s all about measuring profitability, not just putting freight on trucks” to gain market share, said Dean Jones, chief commercial officer of AFS Logistics, a third-party logistics company that offers LTL cost management and other services.LTL carriers are not only disciplined when it comes to pricing, resisting rate discounting, but they’re also more disciplined in their approach to costing, Jones said in an interview. “The carrier pricing teams are way more sophisticated than they’ve ever been,” he said. “All their costing models for every contractual customer will be run with their GRIs. They know exactly what they need to make the margins they want lane by lane.” The GRIs, he pointed out, are averages, which means some shippers will pay less and others more. “They know who’s a good client and who’s a bad client, who delays shipments and who expedites them,” Jones said. In many ways, LTL carriers are taking pages from the playbook of Old Dominion, which pioneered a cost- and profitability-based <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/qa-david-congdon-old-dominion-freight-line-5196932">approach to LTL pricing</a>. Companies that didn’t adopt some version of that approach and relied on lower rates to draw shippers and freight have failed, from Yellow to <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/central-freight-shutdown-adds-to-ltl-pressure-5206107">Central Freight Lines</a>. <h3>Looking beyond rates </h3>But LTL trucking companies aren’t relying on higher rates alone to grow revenue. They’re expanding their use of accessorial charges, tinkering with fuel surcharges, adding premium-priced services and using technology to reach new customers. They’re also using dimensioning equipment on docks and forklifts to check and double-check shipment dimensions to ensure freight is correctly classified and priced. The LTL sector is cribbing pages from the playbook used by parcel companies, Jones said. “We never used to see remote delivery charges in LTL, and now LTL carriers are doing that,” he said. “Like the parcel carriers, if it costs them more to deliver, they’re going to charge more.” Accessorial charges are also being used to change shipper behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LTL carriers with congested terminals introduced higher surcharges for shipments that exceeded length limits; those surcharges remain in place. FedEx Freight, for example, has an extreme length surcharge that runs from $672 to $1,430 per shipment depending on the length of the shipment. “At first people thought it was a fad, but today every LTL carrier doesn’t want anything over 8 feet in length,” Jones said. What they do want is palletized, stackable freight that will efficiently fill trailers. Shippers have told the Journal of Commerce that LTL carriers are increasingly willing to turn away freight that doesn’t match their requirements — or charge much higher rates to haul it. The cumulative result of all these strategies will be higher LTL costs to shippers, but also pricing that is more closely based on the actual cost to move freight. And while accessorial fees may be added or raised, “the place to move the needle the most is the base rates,” Jones said. “The carriers that are more focused on the larger picture are going to go after the line-haul rates.” Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

US less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers are laying the groundwork for higher pricing in 2025, well before higher freight volumes hit their docks. Several of the largest LTL carriers in recent weeks have released average general rate increases (GRIs) for 2025 ranging from the mid- to upper single digits. The GRIs are for non-contract business, but they set expectations for contract pricing in 2025. Old Dominion Freight Line set the base with a 4.9% GRI announced Monday that will take effect Dec. 2. FedEx Freight earlier announced a 5.9% GRI effective Jan. 6, while TForce Freight, the former UPS Freight, raised its LTL rates 5.9% on average in October. The biggest GRI came from Saia, which raised rates 7.9% on average in October. That GRI matched the average rate increase Saia claims it is getting in contract renewals. “We’ve got to really continue to focus on pricing,” Saia President and CEO Frederick J. Holzgrefe told Wall Street analysts during Saia’s third-quarter earnings call last month. “The rates have got to go up across the board in all elements of the business.” Higher rates and revenue are needed to support the ongoing expansion of terminal networks and to keep pace with operating costs, carrier executives say. Saia, for example, will spend $1 billion this year on real estate, employees, equipment and technology. Shippers have told the Journal of Commerce they expect LTL costs to rise in 2025, but not as steeply as some carriers anticipate. But shippers may be surprised. Costing, pricing discipline Before the 2008-2009 Great Recession, GRIs often were whittled down in contract negotiations, especially in years when the market was soft. That’s less likely to happen today. “Now it’s all about measuring profitability, not just putting freight on trucks” to gain market share, said Dean Jones, chief commercial officer of AFS Logistics, a third-party logistics company that offers LTL cost management and other services. LTL carriers are not only disciplined when it comes to pricing, resisting rate discounting, but they’re also more disciplined in their approach to costing, Jones said in an interview. “The carrier pricing teams are way more sophisticated than they’ve ever been,” he said. “All their costing models for every contractual customer will be run with their GRIs. They know exactly what they need to make the margins they want lane by lane.” The GRIs, he pointed out, are averages, which means some shippers will pay less and others more. “They know who’s a good client and who’s a bad client, who delays shipments and who expedites them,” Jones said. In many ways, LTL carriers are taking pages from the playbook of Old Dominion, which pioneered a cost- and profitability-based approach to LTL pricing . Companies that didn’t adopt some version of that approach and relied on lower rates to draw shippers and freight have failed, from Yellow to Central Freight Lines . Looking beyond rates But LTL trucking companies aren’t relying on higher rates alone to grow revenue. They’re expanding their use of accessorial charges, tinkering with fuel surcharges, adding premium-priced services and using technology to reach new customers. They’re also using dimensioning equipment on docks and forklifts to check and double-check shipment dimensions to ensure freight is correctly classified and priced. The LTL sector is cribbing pages from the playbook used by parcel companies, Jones said. “We never used to see remote delivery charges in LTL, and now LTL carriers are doing that,” he said. “Like the parcel carriers, if it costs them more to deliver, they’re going to charge more.” Accessorial charges are also being used to change shipper behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LTL carriers with congested terminals introduced higher surcharges for shipments that exceeded length limits; those surcharges remain in place. FedEx Freight, for example, has an extreme length surcharge that runs from $672 to $1,430 per shipment depending on the length of the shipment. “At first people thought it was a fad, but today every LTL carrier doesn’t want anything over 8 feet in length,” Jones said. What they do want is palletized, stackable freight that will efficiently fill trailers. Shippers have told the Journal of Commerce that LTL carriers are increasingly willing to turn away freight that doesn’t match their requirements — or charge much higher rates to haul it. The cumulative result of all these strategies will be higher LTL costs to shippers, but also pricing that is more closely based on the actual cost to move freight. And while accessorial fees may be added or raised, “the place to move the needle the most is the base rates,” Jones said. “The carriers that are more focused on the larger picture are going to go after the line-haul rates.” Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

US LTL carriers laying groundwork for higher pricing in 2025

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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

SSA Marine Mexico has made significant strides in modernizing its infrastructure at the Port of Manzanillo, investing $15 million to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability at its facilities. This move is part of the company's broader strategy to remain at the forefront of the shipping and logistics industry. •	Strengthening Sustainability with Advanced Technology <figure class="joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left"><img src="/content-assets/1730488295264_Cranes%20arrival%20to%20TEC%20I.png" alt="Cranes arrival to TEC I" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"></figure> In July, SSA Marine Mexico added seven state-of-the-art E-RTG (Electric Rubber-Tired Gantry) cranes to its fleet, valued at $14 million. These advanced cranes were distributed across its two terminals: four cranes were assigned to the Multipurpose Terminal, and three to the Specialized Container Terminal I. What sets these cranes apart is their dual-operation capability, allowing them to function either on electric power or diesel fuel. This innovation plays a critical role in reducing the environmental impact of operations, contributing to a 7% increase in energy efficiency. This efficiency improvement is equivalent to eliminating nearly 4,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, underscoring SSA Marine Mexico's commitment to sustainability. Through this acquisition, SSA Marine Mexico not only enhances its cargo-handling capabilities but also reinforces its leadership in integrating cutting-edge, eco-friendly technology in the maritime industry. The company continues to push the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability, ensuring long-term value for both its customers and the environment. •	Upgraded Facilities to Meet Growing Demand <figure class="joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left"><img src="/content-assets/1730488350634_Multipurpose%20terminal.png" alt="Multipurpose Terminal" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"></figure> In addition to the new cranes, SSA Marine Mexico has completed crucial modernization and repair work across its Multipurpose Terminal and Specialized Facility at the Port of Manzanillo. This $1 million investment targeted critical infrastructure enhancements, focusing on both structural integrity and operational functionality. Key improvements included leveling approximately 12,000 square meters in the dock area, along with the removal of outdated concrete curbs and asphalt layers. The upgraded space now features high-resistance pavers designed to optimize water drainage and prevent pooling, ensuring safer and more efficient operations. Moreover, the Specialized Facility saw significant upgrades, including the leveling of key warehouse areas to facilitate smoother cargo handling processes. These infrastructure improvements directly enhance the handling of TEUS (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit containers), further demonstrating SSA Marine Mexico's unwavering commitment to continuous modernization, operational safety, and efficiency. With these initiatives, SSA Marine Mexico is well-positioned to meet the growing demands of the global shipping industry while setting new standards in sustainable port operations. LINK:<a href="https://www.ssamarine.mx/ssa-ing/index" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link"> https://www.ssamarine.mx/ssa-ing/index</a>

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SSA Marine Mexico Modernizes Facilities with $15 Million Investment 

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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