Commentary

It should not take a hurricane to drive home the importance of crisis planning.

Against a favorable economic backdrop, intermodal business has made promising gains this year, and that is likely to continue.

At what point does it become imperative that a beneficial cargo owner or transportation provider get deeply embedded in the new wave of container shipping technology? And is it too late to start?

Hurricane Harvey’s devastating longer-term logistics effects, which cannot be minimized, will be felt mostly in landside capacity, with drivers and trucks diverted to what will be an extraordinary rebuilding effort likely to last well more than a year.

The stars are aligning for a big capacity crunch this autumn, and Mother Nature sure is not helping.

Few ocean carriers seem to have any interest in recovering what could easily be millions of dollars in revenue, and saving countless thousands or millions of dollars in internal processing costs.

A motor carrier cannot be held liable for things beyond its control or knowledge because of some act of the shipper in the loading and/or packaging of the goods.

Oakland effectively crossed the chasm between the old and new industries, putting it at the vanguard of a transition on the West Coast that will likely see terminal consolidation at Los Angeles-Long Beach, which has 13 terminals across the two ports, and perhaps further consolidation in the Pacific Northwest.

The wake-up call to the cost of unsustainably priced freight sent by the demise of Hanjin Shipping may be short-lived.

There are several supply chain scenarios where vehicle container shipping deserves to be a bigger part of the logistics discussion.

Port access channels are essential components of ports, dictating the size of vessels that can call there.

Creating efficient, compliant trade processes is essential for competing in today’s global economy, yet many businesses still struggle to gain control over their customs operations.

An authorized extension of credit to a shipper gives a carrier a lien on a shipment for unpaid past freight charges.

Differences of only a few percent in terms of the effect of the ELD mandate on capacity could make a big difference in the trucking environment. Even given the uncertainty, it would be a grave error for shippers to assume that warnings of ELD-related disruption are simply another false alarm.

Digitization will continue to change the container shipping landscape. If not, the next big wave of bankruptcies, mergers, and acquisitions will be on its way sooner than we think.

Instead of spending resources on uncertainty associated with getting legislative relief for heavier trucks, truckload carriers should focus on digging out of the pricing pothole.

YRC Freight and other less-than-truckload and truckload carriers are feeling pressure at more points in their networks as freight demand finally approaches truck capacity levels. That pressure will push up the price shippers pay this year to move truck freight across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Nearly seven months into the Trump presidency, it is still not clear what the administration’s trade policy is.

Will the vote be remembered as a narrow, ultimately inconsequential act, or a turning point premised on a message to the union leadership that something needs to change?

Motor carrier drivers cannot simply avert their eyes while the shipper’s loaders toss things aboard higglety-pigglety. If they see something amiss, they should say something.

The ELD mandate will give shippers and truckers unprecedented amounts of data on shipments and space utilization.

Cosco Shipping Holdings and Shanghai International Port Group’ purchase of Orient Overseas Container Line is the last apparent opportunity for container carriers wishing to grow by taking over large, well-managed, and profitable competitors.

Some words have been part of the global trade landscape for decades. Others are a bit more off the beaten path. But all are important for you and your colleagues.

The sulfur cap on marine fuel will come into force after the most intense period of consolidation in the industry’s 60-year history.

A weakening of the US dollar to other currencies is raising US exporter hopes for increased volumes in the low single-digits this year. That’s hardly spectacular growth, but it will be a welcoming change from the last five years.

A shipper procures and installs airbags to protect shipments, without carrier involvement. If an airbag proves of poor quality or insufficient strength, damaging the goods, the liability rests with the shipper.

The disparity in the degree to which SMEs in Canada and the United States make use of trade opportunities is substantial and offers some explanation as to why it was the United States that initiated the discussion over making NAFTA more accessible to small business.

Despite the hype, east-west transit shipments through the Northern Sea Route are likely to remain a niche trade.

Terminal consolidation on the US West Coast is happening even if it is not sending the tremors that the wave of carrier mergers and acquisitions has.

The relationship between a carrier and a shipper is strictly transactional in nature, with each individual transaction regarded as a separate and independent entity.

The June 27 "NotPetya" cyber attack that disrupted business at Maersk Group was a rude awakening for the shipping industry. For shippers, it's another form of supply chain disruption but unfortunately one over which they have virtually no control.

The Canadian intermodal network has been bulking up as if on steroids so far this year.

For Canadian businesses and industries looking to break their dependence on North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trade with the United States, London, and Brussels should be key focal points.

Cognitive predictive maintenance allows transportation assets to operate at peak efficiency and productivity while also improving safety and satisfaction for customers.

Technological models allowing those who wish to use the systems of one of several providers to obtain rates and space guarantees in advance of shipping is one issue to watch this year.

It took a June 27 ransomware attack on Maersk Line that crippled its terminal arm and prevented new bookings to bring home the scope of the danger posed to the container shipping industry.

Today’s logistics has hit its top speed, while e-commerce is moving at the speed of the internet.

Goods lost after they were pre-sold should be valued at the shipper’s retail price to the customer, regardless of where the loss occurred in the transportation process.

Is your supply chain strong enough to withstand a catastrophe?

Will this be a game-changer in terms of port routings?