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<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The Container Port Performance Index for 2022 showed that among large ports, China’s Yangshan ranked No. 1, while Ningbo and Guangzhou were among the top 10. 
 
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The Container Port Performance Index for 2022 showed that among large ports, China’s Yangshan ranked No. 1, while Ningbo and Guangzhou were among the top 10.

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<div>North Carolina’s Port of Wilmington took the top spot among US ports for container ships spending the fewest hours at berth in 2022, according to the latest assessment of global port performance from the World Bank and S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence. Virginia, meanwhile, slipped to the No. 2 spot in North America as larger ships spent more time at berth last year than in 2021. The release of the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2022 showed that among large ports, China’s Yangshan ranked No. 1, while Ningbo and Guangzhou were among the top 10. Likewise, three Middle Eastern ports were...

North Carolina’s Port of Wilmington took the top spot among US ports for container ships spending the fewest hours at berth in 2022, according to the latest assessment of global port performance from the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence. Virginia, meanwhile, slipped to the No. 2 spot in North America as larger ships spent more time at berth last year than in 2021. The release of the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2022 showed that among large ports, China’s Yangshan ranked No. 1, while Ningbo and Guangzhou were among the top 10. Likewise, three Middle Eastern ports were among the top 10, with Oman’s Port of Salalah ranked No. 2. The third edition of the CPPI, which combines two different rankings used in previous reports, aims to rank “the speed and efficiency with which customer assets are handled,” the report said. “The operational efficiency of how ports receive and handle container ships is critically important in a carrier’s decision to choose a port over other options,” it said. The CPPI 2022 used time stamp data for port calls and container moves from ocean carriers. Overall, the report covered 156,813 port calls involving 243.9 million container moves. The data is aggregated into rankings based on the size of ships that call a port and the number of container moves for each ship. Wilmington helped by reefer investment Wilmington achieved an overall ranking of 44 among 348 ports measured through data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Virginia came in at 52. Both ports were grouped among medium-sized ports with volume between 500,000 and 4 million TEUs annually. Rounding out medium-size US ports were Boston at 69, Jacksonville at 82 and Port Everglades at 89. Large US ports were mostly at the back of the pack for overall rankings. The Port of New York and New Jersey ranked 306, while Los Angeles ranked 336, Long Beach was at 346 and Savannah at 348. Wilmington, which had port calls last year double from the previous year to 170, saw its rankings for handling ships between 5,000 and 13,500 TEUs improve from 2021. Brian Clark, executive director of the North Carolina State Ports Authority, told the Journal of Commerce that Wilmington is currently achieving 40 crane moves per hour, up from about 38 moves at the start of 2022, as carriers bring more freight to the port. He pointed to the additional Asian origins of Singapore, Xiamen and Yantian that the 2M Alliance added to the Emerald/TP16 service, which calls Wilmington, as a sign of carrier confidence in the port’s capability. Likewise, Wilmington remained a destination on THE Alliance’s EC2 service while the Port of New York and New Jersey was dropped. “Being known for vessel productivity is something we speak regularly about with our customers and being able to turn their vessels over as quickly as possible,” Clark said. He added that Wilmington’s ability to move freight more quickly off its docks also helped its performance. Last year, the port opened a new truck gate with the advanced features seen at other ports, such as optical character readers, radio frequency identification (RFID) and weigh-in-motion scales. The port’s investment in refrigerated container storage enabled it to more quickly service the north-south services that call Wilmington, Clark said. At the end of 2020, Wilmington brought on 540 reefer plugs and will install another 700 by September, he said, adding that the port is considering a third expansion. As a result of that additional reefer storage, Wilmington is seeing a greater amount of fresh produce imports on its north-south services and pharmaceutical imports on its trans-Atlantic services, Clark said. That enables ocean carriers to better match back containers to North Carolina’s pork and poultry exporters, he added. “We’re able to provide a closed loop to ocean carriers to keep those assets moving,” Clark said. More rail service allowed Wilmington to quickly move containers off its docks, he noted. The start of CSX Transportation’s Midwest Express service from Wilmington enabled shippers to reach Chicago and other inland markets. “We’re starting to see more interest in that service,” Clark said. Virginia adapted to 2022 congestion With 1,313 vessel calls in 2022, Virginia’s second-place rank among US ports came after it reached the top US spot in the CPPI 2021 report. According to the 2022 report, Virginia saw lower index rankings for servicing neo-Panamax and larger ships. Port of Virginia CEO Stephen Edwards told the Journal of Commerce that every major port faced berthing delays last year, and “we weren’t perfect.” But he noted that Virginia was able to quickly adapt to irregular schedules and handle unexpected volumes. “We did exceptionally well in 2021, we did very well in 2022,” Edwards said. “What that demonstrates is we’ve performed to a high level in the two most stressful years.” Edwards said that as the operator of Virginia’s two largest container terminals, the port can more easily coordinate rail and truck movements that freed up the dock space to service ships more rapidly. While crane moves at the port have remained steady at 31 per hour over the last two years, other performance metrics such as rail dwell and truck turn times improved during 2022, he added. After Class I railroads began to meter containers going to inland rail ramps last year due to congestion , Edwards said the port worked with the railroads to ship containers to less-crowded ramps. He added that the addition of 3,000 more chassis to its proprietary fleet also meant truckers could more easily pull a container from the port’s yard. With irregular ship arrivals through 2022, Virginia’s semi-automated yard cranes enabled the port to easily reconfigure container stacks, Edwards said. The semi-automation in the container yard also freed up longshore labor to work on the ships. Edwards also said that Virginia worked with ocean carriers last year on stowage plans for their cargo to offer more options for offloading freight. For example, if an ocean carrier faced a delay in berthing at one port, it could go to Virginia to discharge its freight, then return to the other port once congestion cleared. “All of those levers allowed us to be in the top 15th percentile of ports,” Edwards said. He said future projects at Virginia should reduce the time it takes to handle a ship. The port’s dredging project that will make it the deepest on the US East Coast will also enable two-way ship traffic for ultra-large container vessels, Edwards said, reducing the time that a berth is sitting idle. Virginia will be taking delivery of eight ultra-large container cranes for its two terminals by the end of 2024. Likewise, it will add a berth for ultra-large container ships to the North terminal of the Norfolk International Terminals by 2025. Once completed, the new berth will add about 1.4 million TEUs of capacity to Virginia, bringing its total capability to 5.8 million TEUs. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com and follow him on Twitter at @michael_angell . 

Wilmington, Virginia top US port performers for 2022: index

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Minimal movements in industry indexes underline a constant demand for MPVs with capacity artificially reduced by Red Sea diversions.</div>

Minimal movements in industry indexes underline a constant demand for MPVs with capacity artificially reduced by Red Sea diversions.

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<div class="phx-topic">Steady breakbulk and project cargo demand and a lack of specialized multipurpose vessel (MPV) capacity are keeping MPV charter rates steady at levels well above those seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic market, and vessel operators are optimistic this will continue through the next quarter, according to two closely watched industry indexes.According to the latest Toepfer Multipurpose Index (TMI) forecast, average daily MPV charter rates will remain firm in November, slipping to $13,157 per day from $13,160 per day in October. At the same time, the One World Shipbrokers’ Market Sentiment Index (MSI) rose to a reading of 54.6 in October from 54.3 in August, signaling ongoing — and increasing — optimism from the MPV owners and operators surveyed for the index.<div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="12458372-727c-44f7-abb6-92d738a305d9"></dynamic-object></div>“There is steady demand from various cargo segments, which is just enough to sustain the current rate levels and as long as there is no significant change in demand in any of these segments, the outlook remains unchanged,” shipbroker Toepfer Transport said in its Nov. 7 TMI report.Toepfer noted, however, that the impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term is still unclear. “[W]e are sure that we are in for some exciting weeks,” the report said.But with piecemeal demand coming from multiple cargo segments, rather than a single booming cargo stream, that stability is tenuous, Yorck Niclas Prehm, head of research with Hamburg-based Toepfer Transport, told the Journal of Commerce.“We believe this situation will not change prior to Q2 of 2025, when more demand, especially from the energy sector will come in and decisions which have been postponed due to the US elections will be made.”<h3>An east-west ‘bulkhead’</h3>MPV owners and operators polled for the latest MSI remained sanguine about the medium-term forecast, acknowledging that tight vessel availability is keeping freight rates steady. Justin Archard, a sale and purchase shipbroker at Netherlands-based Friday &amp; Co. and developer of the MSI in his previous position at One World, told the Journal of Commerce that the lack of MPVs transiting through the Suez Canal is a “market shifter.””It seems right now that there is a sort of line straight down the middle from Greenwich, London, all the way down through to Cape Town, South Africa, and that’s forming a kind of bulkhead between East and West,” Archard said.Asia has been connected to Europe by the Suez Canal since 1869, bar two closures for eight years in 1967–75 and for five months in 1956–57. Trade between the two continents was mature, well-defined and taken for granted until the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November 2023. Suez Canal vessel transits that began plummeting in December 2023 averaged just 33 per day in mid-October, down 55% from the previous year, according to United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD).“And now, we’re starting to see the lagging effects of the Suez Canal problem and that bulkhead [increasing] between East and West,” Archard said.<div class="wrapper-narrow"><dynamic-object type="jocchartid" resource-id="996ede0f-a2bb-4947-8fa5-b7e91bd57171"></dynamic-object></div>Underscoring this regional dichotomy, carriers report to the MSI that Asia remains strong with vessels leaving full, while a patchier European market is creating a de facto “captive” fleet west of the Suez Canal because carriers are struggling to find sufficient backhaul cargoes to get them back to Asia. This is leading to capacity imbalances in the MPV market, Archard said.Carriers “leave Asia and they just don’t come back quickly enough,” he said. “Now, add that to all the other issues we’ve been having: delays [to projects] because of inflation, because of interest rates, because of the US election. We are always caught in the crosshairs of extraneous events.” As a result, the MPV market struggles to be “the master of its own destiny,” Archard said, adding that those dynamics make it difficult for MPV operators to plan for the coming months.“There isn’t a clear pathway forward,” he said. “Everybody seems to be being buffeted by the winds of geopolitical events.”Toepfer’s TMI is based on expected average rates for six- to 12-month time charters for 12,500 deadweight ton (dwt) “F-Type” vessels with safe working loads of 240-360 metric tons, as reported to Toepfer by owners and operators. Toepfer addresses the short sea market, as well as other markets, in separate reports.The MSI averages the responses from an anonymous group of 20 to 30 MPV owners and operators to a set of breakbulk shipping-related questions. A reading of 50 is neutral, indicating a static market. Scores below 50 show pessimism or wariness, while a score above 50 indicates optimism.Contact Carly Fields at <a href="mailto:carly.fields@spglobal.com">carly.fields@spglobal.com.</a></div>

Steady breakbulk and project cargo demand and a lack of specialized multipurpose vessel (MPV) capacity are keeping MPV charter rates steady at levels well above those seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic market, and vessel operators are optimistic this will continue through the next quarter, according to two closely watched industry indexes. According to the latest Toepfer Multipurpose Index (TMI) forecast, average daily MPV charter rates will remain firm in November, slipping to $13,157 per day from $13,160 per day in October. At the same time, the One World Shipbrokers’ Market Sentiment Index (MSI) rose to a reading of 54.6 in October from 54.3 in August, signaling ongoing — and increasing — optimism from the MPV owners and operators surveyed for the index. “There is steady demand from various cargo segments, which is just enough to sustain the current rate levels and as long as there is no significant change in demand in any of these segments, the outlook remains unchanged,” shipbroker Toepfer Transport said in its Nov. 7 TMI report. Toepfer noted, however, that the impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term is still unclear. “[W]e are sure that we are in for some exciting weeks,” the report said. But with piecemeal demand coming from multiple cargo segments, rather than a single booming cargo stream, that stability is tenuous, Yorck Niclas Prehm, head of research with Hamburg-based Toepfer Transport, told the Journal of Commerce. “We believe this situation will not change prior to Q2 of 2025, when more demand, especially from the energy sector will come in and decisions which have been postponed due to the US elections will be made.” An east-west ‘bulkhead’ MPV owners and operators polled for the latest MSI remained sanguine about the medium-term forecast, acknowledging that tight vessel availability is keeping freight rates steady. Justin Archard, a sale and purchase shipbroker at Netherlands-based Friday & Co. and developer of the MSI in his previous position at One World, told the Journal of Commerce that the lack of MPVs transiting through the Suez Canal is a “market shifter.” ”It seems right now that there is a sort of line straight down the middle from Greenwich, London, all the way down through to Cape Town, South Africa, and that’s forming a kind of bulkhead between East and West,” Archard said. Asia has been connected to Europe by the Suez Canal since 1869, bar two closures for eight years in 1967–75 and for five months in 1956–57. Trade between the two continents was mature, well-defined and taken for granted until the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November 2023. Suez Canal vessel transits that began plummeting in December 2023 averaged just 33 per day in mid-October, down 55% from the previous year, according to United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). “And now, we’re starting to see the lagging effects of the Suez Canal problem and that bulkhead [increasing] between East and West,” Archard said. Underscoring this regional dichotomy, carriers report to the MSI that Asia remains strong with vessels leaving full, while a patchier European market is creating a de facto “captive” fleet west of the Suez Canal because carriers are struggling to find sufficient backhaul cargoes to get them back to Asia. This is leading to capacity imbalances in the MPV market, Archard said. Carriers “leave Asia and they just don’t come back quickly enough,” he said. “Now, add that to all the other issues we’ve been having: delays [to projects] because of inflation, because of interest rates, because of the US election. We are always caught in the crosshairs of extraneous events.” As a result, the MPV market struggles to be “the master of its own destiny,” Archard said, adding that those dynamics make it difficult for MPV operators to plan for the coming months. “There isn’t a clear pathway forward,” he said. “Everybody seems to be being buffeted by the winds of geopolitical events.” Toepfer’s TMI is based on expected average rates for six- to 12-month time charters for 12,500 deadweight ton (dwt) “F-Type” vessels with safe working loads of 240-360 metric tons, as reported to Toepfer by owners and operators. Toepfer addresses the short sea market, as well as other markets, in separate reports. The MSI averages the responses from an anonymous group of 20 to 30 MPV owners and operators to a set of breakbulk shipping-related questions. A reading of 50 is neutral, indicating a static market. Scores below 50 show pessimism or wariness, while a score above 50 indicates optimism. Contact Carly Fields at carly.fields@spglobal.com.

MPV stability underscored by steady cargo demand

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">CMA CGM’s group net profit rocketed to $2.7 billion in the third quarter, thanks to stronger pricing power and earlier peak seasons for North American and European importers. </div>

CMA CGM’s group net profit rocketed to $2.7 billion in the third quarter, thanks to stronger pricing power and earlier peak seasons for North American and European importers.

<div class="phx-topic">CMA CGM on Friday reported a six-fold surge in group net profit to $2.7 billion in the third quarter, as revenue increased by more the one-third on stronger container pricing power and the front-loading of US imports. The Marseille-based shipping and logistics group’s total revenue jumped 38.5% year over year to $15.8 billion during the quarter, leading to a blockbuster quarterly profit that dwarfed the $388 million it recorded in the same three-month period last year. The strong performance was propelled by an early peak season for North American and European importers, lower inflation driving retail sales, and inventory rebuilding ahead of possible port strikes on the US East Coast, the company said. CMA CGM’s volumes climbed 5.5% to 6 million TEUs in the third quarter, while average revenue per TEU rose to $1,798 from $1,322 per TEU in the prior-year period, helping to drive a 43% increase in revenue from shipping operations to $10.9 billion. Revenues from CMA CGM’s logistics business jumped 31% to $4.8 billion, thanks in part to the integration of Bolloré Logistics. Revenue from other operations, including CMA CGM Air Cargo and the group’s marine terminals business, increased 35% year over year to $749 million for the quarter. To help tackle a ballooning budget, the French government is seeking to impose a windfall profit tax that would cost CMA CGM an estimated $535 million next year and $320 million the year after. CMA CGM did not address the proposed tax in its Friday statement, but in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro on Oct. 21, Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé warned of the legislators’ “tax one-upmanship.” Maritime consultancy Drewry estimates container shipping will report a <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/scrapping-slow-steaming-demand-will-limit-capacity-overhang-clerc-5785020">profit of $50 billion this year</a>, up from $28 billion in 2023. And while it is a fraction of the $298 billion recorded in 2022, the carriers will enter an uncertain 2025 in robust financial health. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="at keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>. </div>

CMA CGM on Friday reported a six-fold surge in group net profit to $2.7 billion in the third quarter, as revenue increased by more the one-third on stronger container pricing power and the front-loading of US imports. The Marseille-based shipping and logistics group’s total revenue jumped 38.5% year over year to $15.8 billion during the quarter, leading to a blockbuster quarterly profit that dwarfed the $388 million it recorded in the same three-month period last year. The strong performance was propelled by an early peak season for North American and European importers, lower inflation driving retail sales, and inventory rebuilding ahead of possible port strikes on the US East Coast, the company said. CMA CGM’s volumes climbed 5.5% to 6 million TEUs in the third quarter, while average revenue per TEU rose to $1,798 from $1,322 per TEU in the prior-year period, helping to drive a 43% increase in revenue from shipping operations to $10.9 billion. Revenues from CMA CGM’s logistics business jumped 31% to $4.8 billion, thanks in part to the integration of Bolloré Logistics. Revenue from other operations, including CMA CGM Air Cargo and the group’s marine terminals business, increased 35% year over year to $749 million for the quarter. To help tackle a ballooning budget, the French government is seeking to impose a windfall profit tax that would cost CMA CGM an estimated $535 million next year and $320 million the year after. CMA CGM did not address the proposed tax in its Friday statement, but in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro on Oct. 21, Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé warned of the legislators’ “tax one-upmanship.” Maritime consultancy Drewry estimates container shipping will report a profit of $50 billion this year , up from $28 billion in 2023. And while it is a fraction of the $298 billion recorded in 2022, the carriers will enter an uncertain 2025 in robust financial health. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

CMA CGM profits soar on higher pricing, early peak seasons

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">A second Trump term could benefit US oil projects, but offshore wind is under threat as an early casualty of the new administration.</div>

A second Trump term could benefit US oil projects, but offshore wind is under threat as an early casualty of the new administration.

<div class="phx-topic">If President-elect Donald Trump delivers his agenda as promised, the breakbulk and project cargo sector could experience dramatic shifts related to offshore energy — from a push to ramp up oil and gas production to an all-out halt to offshore wind development — along with uncertainties surrounding import tariffs and shipbuilding efforts. But those working within the sector are tempering expectations for what a second Trump term might mean.At the Port of Beaumont in Texas, LNG plant construction on the US Gulf Coast has kept breakbulk and project cargo near capacity, and that’s likely to remain the same under Trump, Ernest Bezdek, senior director of trade development for the Port of Beaumont, told the Journal of Commerce.“We do not believe the change in administration will affect our business, as we have been busy now for several years,” Bezdek said.Bezdek said there could be opportunities for increased volumes of crude oil moving through terminals and refineries in and around Beaumont, along with more construction of new heavy industry in southeast Texas. “If the new administration makes positive changes with regards to the oil industry, then that is always good for Texas ports, and we will benefit,” Bezdek said.Trump’s pledge to tighten rules on goods imported from all countries presents a potential challenge for cargo moving across US docks, Bezdek said. “But those effects may not be felt for years. And we have experienced that when that happens, other opportunities arise,” he said.Bezdek also cited the federal Port Infrastructure Development Program for providing grant money to US ports to fund infrastructure improvement projects. “We are hopeful the new administration will see value in programs such as this,” he said.Charlie Papavizas, head of the maritime practice in the Washington, DC, office of Winston &amp; Strawn, told the Journal of Commerce that a new administration could mean uncertainty for efforts to advance US shipbuilding. He cited the bipartisan “Ships for America Act,” sponsored by Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), that aims to rebuild and expand the US-flag fleet engaged in foreign commerce.“Will the Trump administration look kindly on this effort? That’s a big question, but it’s a question that would have faced anyone who’s the president because our industry, our shipyards, our maritime academies have atrophied to the point that some attention needs to be paid to this as a national security imperative,” Papavizas said.<h3>Offshore wind in crosshairs</h3>One looming question for the sector is the future of the fledgling US offshore wind industry, a key source of breakbulk and project cargo. In May, Trump pledged to write an executive order to end offshore wind projects “on day one” of his return to the White House.“It’s hard to imagine that it’s a positive,” Papavizas said. “And, therefore, we have to wait and see how much of a negative it will be.”Jeremy Slayton, a spokesman for Dominion Energy, noted that the developer’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project has “overwhelmingly” won bipartisan backing under multiple past state and federal administrations. The project, which is nearly halfway complete, is fully permitted at the federal level and is within budget and on schedule for completion in 2026, he said.“President Trump, Gov. Youngkin and leaders from both parties agree on the importance of American energy dominance, maintaining our technological superiority and creating good-paying jobs for Americans,” Slayton told the Journal of Commerce. “We’re confident Virginia’s clean energy transition will continue with bipartisan support for many years to come.”Following his election to a second term, US offshore wind groups pledged to work with Trump while highlighting the industry’s progress and voicing hope for continued development.“With President Trump in office, we have the opportunity to harness even more investment and measurable economic benefits for communities across the country,” Oceantic Network President and CEO Liz Burdock said in a Nov. 6 statement.Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), noted that offshore wind installations grew by double-digit percentages in each year of Trump’s first administration.“ACP looks forward to working with the Trump-Vance administration to unleash American-made energy, deliver reliable power to the grid, grow the economy and enhance our national security,” Grumet said in a statement Nov. 6.Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at <a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com">autumn@autumngiusti.com</a>.</div>

If President-elect Donald Trump delivers his agenda as promised, the breakbulk and project cargo sector could experience dramatic shifts related to offshore energy — from a push to ramp up oil and gas production to an all-out halt to offshore wind development — along with uncertainties surrounding import tariffs and shipbuilding efforts. But those working within the sector are tempering expectations for what a second Trump term might mean. At the Port of Beaumont in Texas, LNG plant construction on the US Gulf Coast has kept breakbulk and project cargo near capacity, and that’s likely to remain the same under Trump, Ernest Bezdek, senior director of trade development for the Port of Beaumont, told the Journal of Commerce. “We do not believe the change in administration will affect our business, as we have been busy now for several years,” Bezdek said. Bezdek said there could be opportunities for increased volumes of crude oil moving through terminals and refineries in and around Beaumont, along with more construction of new heavy industry in southeast Texas. “If the new administration makes positive changes with regards to the oil industry, then that is always good for Texas ports, and we will benefit,” Bezdek said. Trump’s pledge to tighten rules on goods imported from all countries presents a potential challenge for cargo moving across US docks, Bezdek said. “But those effects may not be felt for years. And we have experienced that when that happens, other opportunities arise,” he said. Bezdek also cited the federal Port Infrastructure Development Program for providing grant money to US ports to fund infrastructure improvement projects. “We are hopeful the new administration will see value in programs such as this,” he said. Charlie Papavizas, head of the maritime practice in the Washington, DC, office of Winston & Strawn, told the Journal of Commerce that a new administration could mean uncertainty for efforts to advance US shipbuilding. He cited the bipartisan “Ships for America Act,” sponsored by Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), that aims to rebuild and expand the US-flag fleet engaged in foreign commerce. “Will the Trump administration look kindly on this effort? That’s a big question, but it’s a question that would have faced anyone who’s the president because our industry, our shipyards, our maritime academies have atrophied to the point that some attention needs to be paid to this as a national security imperative,” Papavizas said. Offshore wind in crosshairs One looming question for the sector is the future of the fledgling US offshore wind industry, a key source of breakbulk and project cargo. In May, Trump pledged to write an executive order to end offshore wind projects “on day one” of his return to the White House. “It’s hard to imagine that it’s a positive,” Papavizas said. “And, therefore, we have to wait and see how much of a negative it will be.” Jeremy Slayton, a spokesman for Dominion Energy, noted that the developer’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project has “overwhelmingly” won bipartisan backing under multiple past state and federal administrations. The project, which is nearly halfway complete, is fully permitted at the federal level and is within budget and on schedule for completion in 2026, he said. “President Trump, Gov. Youngkin and leaders from both parties agree on the importance of American energy dominance, maintaining our technological superiority and creating good-paying jobs for Americans,” Slayton told the Journal of Commerce. “We’re confident Virginia’s clean energy transition will continue with bipartisan support for many years to come.” Following his election to a second term, US offshore wind groups pledged to work with Trump while highlighting the industry’s progress and voicing hope for continued development. “With President Trump in office, we have the opportunity to harness even more investment and measurable economic benefits for communities across the country,” Oceantic Network President and CEO Liz Burdock said in a Nov. 6 statement. Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), noted that offshore wind installations grew by double-digit percentages in each year of Trump’s first administration. “ACP looks forward to working with the Trump-Vance administration to unleash American-made energy, deliver reliable power to the grid, grow the economy and enhance our national security,” Grumet said in a statement Nov. 6. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

Second Trump term fears blow through breakbulk sector

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">US retailers plan to significantly increase imports in November and December compared with projections from just one month ago following Donald Trump’s election to a second term. </div>

US retailers plan to significantly increase imports in November and December compared with projections from just one month ago following Donald Trump’s election to a second term.

<div class="phx-topic">US retailers in November and December plan to import 350,000 TEUs more than they had expected a month ago as they rush to bring merchandise into the country ahead of a possible strike in January by East and Gulf coast dockworkers and billions of dollars in new tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump. Retailers revised their import projections for November to an increase of 13.6% year over year from the previous forecast of a 0.9% increase just one month ago, according to the latest Global Port Tracker (GPT) report, published monthly by Hackett Associates and the National Retail Federation (NRF). The November GPT report forecasts a 6.1% increase in US imports in December, up from a projected 0.2% increase in the previous report. The <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ila-usmx-say-to-resume-talks-on-new-master-contract-in-november-5778794">possibility of a second strike</a> by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) when its tentative contract extension expires on Jan. 15 and huge tariff increases promised by Trump bode ill for the US economy, according to Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the NRF. “Neither of these developments is good for retailers, their customers or the economy,” Gold said in the November GPT report. US imports from China have been strong all year, rising 15.4% in the first nine months of 2024, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. Retailers have frontloaded imports for much of the year in anticipation of a possible strike by the ILA during the union’s contentious contract negotiations with employers at East and Gulf coast ports. The ILA struck for three days in October before reaching a tentative settlement on wages. Both sides agreed to extend the contract until Jan. 15 to address thorny issues such as automation. Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs of as much as 200% on US imports from China turned real with his election to a second term earlier this week. Because it takes several months from the placement of purchase orders with factories in China until the arrival of the cargo at US ports, retailers are expected to fast-forward imports of spring merchandise ahead of the Lunar New Year on Jan. 29, when many factories in China will close for a week or two. GPT upgraded its January forecast for US imports to a 2.5% increase from last month’s forecast of a 0.8% gain and its February projection to a 9.3% year-over-year decline from the previous forecast of an 11.2% drop. Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at <a href="bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com">bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

US retailers in November and December plan to import 350,000 TEUs more than they had expected a month ago as they rush to bring merchandise into the country ahead of a possible strike in January by East and Gulf coast dockworkers and billions of dollars in new tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump. Retailers revised their import projections for November to an increase of 13.6% year over year from the previous forecast of a 0.9% increase just one month ago, according to the latest Global Port Tracker (GPT) report, published monthly by Hackett Associates and the National Retail Federation (NRF). The November GPT report forecasts a 6.1% increase in US imports in December, up from a projected 0.2% increase in the previous report. The possibility of a second strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) when its tentative contract extension expires on Jan. 15 and huge tariff increases promised by Trump bode ill for the US economy, according to Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the NRF. “Neither of these developments is good for retailers, their customers or the economy,” Gold said in the November GPT report. US imports from China have been strong all year, rising 15.4% in the first nine months of 2024, according to PIERS, a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. Retailers have frontloaded imports for much of the year in anticipation of a possible strike by the ILA during the union’s contentious contract negotiations with employers at East and Gulf coast ports. The ILA struck for three days in October before reaching a tentative settlement on wages. Both sides agreed to extend the contract until Jan. 15 to address thorny issues such as automation. Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs of as much as 200% on US imports from China turned real with his election to a second term earlier this week. Because it takes several months from the placement of purchase orders with factories in China until the arrival of the cargo at US ports, retailers are expected to fast-forward imports of spring merchandise ahead of the Lunar New Year on Jan. 29, when many factories in China will close for a week or two. GPT upgraded its January forecast for US imports to a 2.5% increase from last month’s forecast of a 0.8% gain and its February projection to a 9.3% year-over-year decline from the previous forecast of an 11.2% drop. Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com .

US retailers ramping up year-end imports ahead of strike, tariff threats

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Coast-to-coast work stoppages at Canadian ports have ground container operations to a halt, with port employers saying their best offers for new dockworker contracts are on the table.</div>

Coast-to-coast work stoppages at Canadian ports have ground container operations to a halt, with port employers saying their best offers for new dockworker contracts are on the table.

<div class="phx-topic">Canadian port employers are hopeful that what they’ve called their final wage offers and the renewed participation of federal mediators in contract talks will end work stoppages that have halted container operations across British Columbia and Montreal as soon as this weekend. Most vessels have been waiting out the closures, but diversions are occurring as the work stoppages continue. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) will hold talks Saturday with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, which represents longshore foremen, with the assistance of Canada’s Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the employers group said in a statement Thursday. The latest talks come one week into <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ships-waiting-out-bc-port-closures-in-hopes-of-quick-deal-with-longshore-union-5786677">a lockout the BCMEA initiated against members of Local 514 following a strike vote by the union</a>. The lockout has forced container terminals at the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert to shut down. Whether the participation of the FMCS in the meetings will end the work stoppage, however, is far from clear as both sides seem to be digging in further. The BCMEA said it is holding firm to a 19.2% wage increase over four years for longshore foremen, who have been without a contract since March 2023. The BCMEA has said that while it’s not asking for any concessions from Local 514, it could eliminate a proposed signing bonus and/or reduce wage increases in subsequent offers if the union rejects this offer. The union has also been upset over the potential for <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ilwu-canada-illegal-strike-ruling-averts-vancouver-shutdown-5192250">staffing changes at Vancouver’s DP World Centerm facility following the introduction of semi-automated rail cranes</a>. Local 514 tried to stage a limited strike against Centerm but stood down when a federal labor board ruled the action was illegal. The BCMEA said Local 514 has also filed a complaint against employers with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Although BCMEA did not share the nature of the complaint, the union has criticized employers for the lockout, saying it was a drastic step for what the union said was originally a limited labor action involving a refusal to work overtime. The ongoing shutdown of British Columbia container ports is roiling various Canadian industries. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which sent a letter Friday on behalf of 116 industry and trade groups, said agriculture, forestry, mining and manufacturing have been negatively impacted, along with retail and consumer good importers. “<a href="https://www.joc.com/article/western-canada-port-strike-ends-after-deal-reached-on-tentative-four-year-contract-5202113">Last year’s 13-day strike</a> resulted in exports from British Columbia ports falling 23% in July, hitting their lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” the letter said. “Canadians cannot afford another labor disruption involving our critical infrastructure.” Ocean carriers are holding off on any major operational changes due to the British Columbia ports closure. Maersk, for example, said it’s still taking cargo bookings for its Asia-West Coast Canada TP1 service, as well as for a loop connecting Canada with Oceania. The 6,350-TEU Marcos V in the TP1 service is at anchorage outside of Vancouver waiting for the reopening of DP World Centerm, Maersk said. The 8,714-TEU San Felipe, also in the TP1 service, is at anchorage outside of Prince Rupert awaiting its reopening to container traffic. Other vessels in the TP1 rotation are also scheduled to call through next week, Maersk said. The 9,950-TEU CMA CGM Orfeo, deployed in the Columbus-Pacific Northwest service, is also at anchor outside Vancouver, according to Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&amp;P Global. Maersk said it would waive any administrative fees for cargo being diverted at origin to other ports. But it’s highly unlikely that Maersk or other carriers would divert vessels destined for Canada to US ports due to customs issues, as well as the tradition of West Coast longshore workers refusing to handle cargo diverted from other ILWU ports during labor conflicts. <h3>Montreal ‘practically closed’ </h3>Separately, Montreal’s Maritime Employers Association (MEA) said Thursday that it too has submitted a final wage offer to members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 375, who have been working without a contract since the end of 2023. The MEA said the offer would increase wages for all longshore workers at the port by more than 20% over six years. The employers group set a Sunday evening deadline for Local 375 to accept the wage increase; if the union refuses, “only essential services and activities unrelated to longshoring will continue at the Port of Montreal,” the MEA said in a statement. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/montreal-warns-of-vessel-diversions-as-strike-against-msc-terminals-begins-5783311">Local 375 voted to strike against two Montreal container terminals operated by Termont</a>, but the strike is also severely impacting container operations at Montreal’s other international marine terminals. Montreal has already been hit this year with <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/port-of-montreal-to-face-three-day-strike-against-two-terminals-next-week-5737483">port-wide strikes</a> and <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/montreal-dockworkers-to-refuse-overtime-in-latest-salvo-against-port-employers-5745362">dockworkers across all terminals refusing overtime work</a>. “[T]he port is practically closed to containers at the moment due to the pressure tactics targeting its terminals,” Montreal Port Authority CEO Julie Gascon said in the MEA statement. The MEA added that it only needed to call up 45 longshore workers this week because “volumes have dropped significantly.” Class I railroads Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have stopped moving exports and empty containers into two facilities operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals, along with the Termont terminals. Currently, the only container ship at Montreal is the 4,043-TEU Ontario Express, operated by Hapag-Lloyd, according to Sea-web. Another Hapag-Lloyd ship, the 4,664-TEU Mombasa Express, appears to be heading now to the Port of Saint John after sitting at anchorage in the Saint Lawrence River on its way to Montreal. The MEA also said it is “calling on the federal government to intervene quickly to end the impasse in current negotiations with Port of Montreal longshore workers.” Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Canadian port employers are hopeful that what they’ve called their final wage offers and the renewed participation of federal mediators in contract talks will end work stoppages that have halted container operations across British Columbia and Montreal as soon as this weekend. Most vessels have been waiting out the closures, but diversions are occurring as the work stoppages continue. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) will hold talks Saturday with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, which represents longshore foremen, with the assistance of Canada’s Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the employers group said in a statement Thursday. The latest talks come one week into a lockout the BCMEA initiated against members of Local 514 following a strike vote by the union . The lockout has forced container terminals at the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert to shut down. Whether the participation of the FMCS in the meetings will end the work stoppage, however, is far from clear as both sides seem to be digging in further. The BCMEA said it is holding firm to a 19.2% wage increase over four years for longshore foremen, who have been without a contract since March 2023. The BCMEA has said that while it’s not asking for any concessions from Local 514, it could eliminate a proposed signing bonus and/or reduce wage increases in subsequent offers if the union rejects this offer. The union has also been upset over the potential for staffing changes at Vancouver’s DP World Centerm facility following the introduction of semi-automated rail cranes . Local 514 tried to stage a limited strike against Centerm but stood down when a federal labor board ruled the action was illegal. The BCMEA said Local 514 has also filed a complaint against employers with the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Although BCMEA did not share the nature of the complaint, the union has criticized employers for the lockout, saying it was a drastic step for what the union said was originally a limited labor action involving a refusal to work overtime. The ongoing shutdown of British Columbia container ports is roiling various Canadian industries. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which sent a letter Friday on behalf of 116 industry and trade groups, said agriculture, forestry, mining and manufacturing have been negatively impacted, along with retail and consumer good importers. “ Last year’s 13-day strike resulted in exports from British Columbia ports falling 23% in July, hitting their lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” the letter said. “Canadians cannot afford another labor disruption involving our critical infrastructure.” Ocean carriers are holding off on any major operational changes due to the British Columbia ports closure. Maersk, for example, said it’s still taking cargo bookings for its Asia-West Coast Canada TP1 service, as well as for a loop connecting Canada with Oceania. The 6,350-TEU Marcos V in the TP1 service is at anchorage outside of Vancouver waiting for the reopening of DP World Centerm, Maersk said. The 8,714-TEU San Felipe, also in the TP1 service, is at anchorage outside of Prince Rupert awaiting its reopening to container traffic. Other vessels in the TP1 rotation are also scheduled to call through next week, Maersk said. The 9,950-TEU CMA CGM Orfeo, deployed in the Columbus-Pacific Northwest service, is also at anchor outside Vancouver, according to Sea-web, a sister company of the Journal of Commerce within S&P Global. Maersk said it would waive any administrative fees for cargo being diverted at origin to other ports. But it’s highly unlikely that Maersk or other carriers would divert vessels destined for Canada to US ports due to customs issues, as well as the tradition of West Coast longshore workers refusing to handle cargo diverted from other ILWU ports during labor conflicts. Montreal ‘practically closed’ Separately, Montreal’s Maritime Employers Association (MEA) said Thursday that it too has submitted a final wage offer to members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 375, who have been working without a contract since the end of 2023. The MEA said the offer would increase wages for all longshore workers at the port by more than 20% over six years. The employers group set a Sunday evening deadline for Local 375 to accept the wage increase; if the union refuses, “only essential services and activities unrelated to longshoring will continue at the Port of Montreal,” the MEA said in a statement. Local 375 voted to strike against two Montreal container terminals operated by Termont , but the strike is also severely impacting container operations at Montreal’s other international marine terminals. Montreal has already been hit this year with port-wide strikes and dockworkers across all terminals refusing overtime work . “[T]he port is practically closed to containers at the moment due to the pressure tactics targeting its terminals,” Montreal Port Authority CEO Julie Gascon said in the MEA statement. The MEA added that it only needed to call up 45 longshore workers this week because “volumes have dropped significantly.” Class I railroads Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have stopped moving exports and empty containers into two facilities operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals, along with the Termont terminals. Currently, the only container ship at Montreal is the 4,043-TEU Ontario Express, operated by Hapag-Lloyd, according to Sea-web. Another Hapag-Lloyd ship, the 4,664-TEU Mombasa Express, appears to be heading now to the Port of Saint John after sitting at anchorage in the Saint Lawrence River on its way to Montreal. The MEA also said it is “calling on the federal government to intervene quickly to end the impasse in current negotiations with Port of Montreal longshore workers.” Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

BC, Montreal ports look for federal assistance to end longshore impasses

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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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