Commentary

The term "artificial intelligence" (AI) conjures up images of futuristic, all-knowing, all-powerful artificial beings. So far, however, in global trade AI already is being put to work in a much more prosaic, less-perilous arena.

In launching a joint venture company with IBM, with whom it has had a relationship going back to the 1950s, Maersk would seem to be in the pole position to exploit blockchain’s potential in container shipping. And that move also highlights the factor that is at the core of what happens next in the industry.

Goods of almost any description have more than an intrinsic worth; they also have time-and-place value. Transportation serves to help realize that time-and-place value.

Blockchain interest, to a considerable degree, has been buoyed by bitcoin — the most famous application of blockchain. But it is important to consider what will happen to blockchain interest if the bitcoin bubble bursts.

US shippers, truckers, and intermediaries finally have secured a federal hearing on their effort to make it easier for them to challenge port congestion-related fees that are not their fault. Even so, aside from complexity and little middle ground, there are other reasons for shippers to be skeptical of any dramatic, federal, regulatory action.

A writer poses a question regarding a shipment made on what he classified as "on an ex-works basis."

The North American supply chain is now coping with inadequate truck capacity. The question is whether the driver shortage is just a typical, cyclical event or a fundamental, structural change in the US trucking sector.

A key component to promoting trade facilitation is having a single window. Simultaneous submission of customs and other government agency information enables the approving officials to clear an entry in a shorter time frame.

Besides the usual rate issues, what other variables in 2018 will affect shippers and carriers?

It is certain that 2018 will be yet another exciting, but also challenging, year in the trucking sector. Here are the main trends to keep an eye on.

Several topics, in their own way, impact US trade policy, some more immediately than others, some more emphatically than others, and still others less so.

There is a real-world reason to have a bill of lading; it is the contract of carriage for the shipment to which it relates.

From air freight to ocean to trucking, e-commerce is exerting palpable influence on the various transport markets.

Using predictive analytics, the Port of Montreal this year will alert drayage drivers when it looks as if truck turn times will be long, and use data collected on terminal gate movements to lessen the impact of rail switching on trucks.

It is crucial that intermodal continue to explore non-traditional ways to knit together an ever-growing network of dispersed terminals in order to meet the challenge of this new, more demanding supply chain era.

To capture growth and stay afloat, ocean freight companies must harness the power of predictive analyitcs and data-driven insights in each of the five anchors of ocean freight commercial decision making.

The intermodal sector has the feel of a certain US film, which is fine, if a disrupter follows a longtime tactic that led to sector innovation.

When it comes to predictive analytics, there are literally countless ways to arrive at predictions, but not all predictions are the same.

The very idea that NAFTA could be dramatically altered or terminated has been cause for trepidation. And perhaps even more unsettling is a so-called 'zombie NAFTA.'

The parcel industry until recently was operating on the past premise of weekday deliveries with a surcharge and only with express delivery on Saturdays.

That bullish economic condition has affected the negotiating equation between shippers and carriers.

Carriers have little track record of self-policing in pursuit of overall industry gains. Can carriers change their operational stance? And can a different industry emerge?

In his Nov. 16 tweet promoting the rollout of Tesla’s new electric semi-truck, Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised, “This will blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension.”

To cut through the confusion and determine whether a broker or an LSP meets your needs, you need to ask several key questions.

It's clear that a world-class infrastructure improves a nation's efficiency and attracts business. And post-Brexit Great Britain must implement several infrastructure improvements to achieve both.

A customer poses the question: can one forbid a shipper from using a certain carrier for goods?

Although Uber Freight can certainly have a major impact on freight brokering, there are many factors that show the standards in the industry cannot be switched that easily.

Are shippers prepared for the effect the electronic logging device mandate will have on their supply chains?

What are the real differentiators that will make cargo interests select one carrier over another?

A closer look at contract extension talks for the US East and Gulf coasts suggests less cause for alarm.

To avoid the dreaded stockouts while meeting customer expectations for fast delivery and product variety, shippers are steadily consuming more air freight capacity.

We simply cannot begin to have a meaningful dialogue about throwing out the billions of dollars in technology investment made over the past 20 years if we cannot measure the benefits of doing so by embracing a new technology.

The problem is growing especially now because the logistics industry is changing.

The trucking capacity crunch is revealing the extent to which available capacity is out of reach for many shippers who need it.

A survey of the history of the Journal of Commerce through the 190-year backdrop of shipping and global events grounds the whirl of the present.

If a shipper bars the driver from observing the loading and seals the trailer without giving him or her a chance to check the load, the shipper is going to be legally liable if defective loading, stowage, or securement results in a highway accident.

In September, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made clear how far the consequences for failure of CBP bills can reach.

It can be easy to ignore the long, winding road that lies ahead before driverless vehicles and predictive alerts to shippers on potential disruptions are the standard.

Ocean carriers’ vision to end the practice of providing chassis to customers in the US market has not succeeded.

Opinions on digital forwarders range from “industry disruptor” to “tempest in a teacup.”