Commentary

It's somewhat heartening to hear from Christina Romer, the departing chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, that she believes freight rail volume numbers are a great indicator of re

When out-of-town journalists parachute into New Orleans for a quick story on Hurricane Katrina’s impact, they tend to make a beeline for the city’s Lower Ninth Ward.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was touring the Federal Railroad Administration's Transportation Technology Center complex this summer in Pueblo, Colo., when his group approached a three-foot ratt

If you have problems with slow freight transportation, remember that someone else always has it worse.

Can trucking companies recovering from a devastating recession achieve profits that are sustainable, creating the conditions for a trucking renaissance?

Q: Last December, my company handled the forwarding of 55 FEUs from the U.S. West Coast to Australia.

A World Without Stimulus

Everyone in transportation is talking about retail inventories these days, but what’s clear from the latest earnings reports from the nation’s largest retailers is that the companies are a

As we move into the last week of August, the U.S. importing, exporting and international shipping sectors should be buzzing, almost frantic with activity.

Back in the 1960s when containerization was in its infancy, shipping executives had grave doubts about containers.

The Department of Transportation’s announcement last week to advance their marine highways initiative was arguably the biggest single boost the fledgling industry has had since everyone started

We all know trucks bring us good things, but are trucks good things? Not if they make deliveries in the early morning or at night, some New Yorkers think.

Q: We arranged with a broker to have a shipment picked up at our vendor and delivered to us about two months ago. This was shipped collect as instructed.

Was the peak season good for you?

In May, I described the latest “twists and turns” in corporate identity theft in a piece called "Reality

The first half was a crackling good start to the year, so why all the worry?

When the global economy crashed two years ago, the cold chain didn’t go with it.

Q: I’m a 3PL and I’ve attached a copy of an Over, Short and Damaged Report that was sent back to me from a consolidator.

In observing that Mexico is “sliding dangerously downward,” The Economist in July summed up the killings, lawlessness and fear that pervades the country amid the government’s war on

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said something very sharp and direct the other day about the prospects for transportation funding, even if it was only direct by Washington standards of political p

Many of us look at data, especially key indicators, on a regular basis to help form our views on business issues.

It’s easy to forget that one of America’s best-loved movies, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was built around the idea of an apparent failure.

Virginia Is for Drivers With interest, I recently read “Terminals Scramble to Beat the Peak” (July 5, page 14).

On June 23, President Obama relieved Gen. Stanley A. McCrystal of his command in Afghanistan.

Q: I filed a damage claim for $1,000 about three months ago and just received a check from the carrier. What is the average time in the transportation industry to receive a check?

Everyone talks about container and shipping capacity shortages, but is anyone actually doing anything about them?

Continued appreciation of the dollar relative to the euro and other currencies, together with a prolonged, global industrial slump and certain other factors, could trigger a massive influx of low-pric

Q: I have your “Freight Loss and Damage Claims” book, but if this question is covered in it, I can’t seem to locate the answer.

Two new documents that are expected shortly from the Department of Transportation could do a lot to shape freight infrastructure policy for the next few years.

The first thing you notice upon visiting the headquarters of Mediterranean Shipping Co. in Switzerland is how inconspicuous the place is. The global headquarters of the world’s No.

It’s broadly accepted across American industry that the Obama administration’s goal of doubling exports within five years is all but impossible to achieve.

The best-known names in our industry are those of the shipping lines, other service providers and major importers and exporters.

Two things are clear at the moment: Freight volumes are too strong given a weakening economic climate and are likely to catch up with reality later this year.

At the G-20 Summit last month in Toronto, world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to combat protectionism and promote trade worldwide.

Q: We’re a freight forwarder, licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

If the economic recovery is slowing, why are truck sales breaking speed limits?

Now that Google’s license to operate in China has been renewed, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the events preceding the renewal.

There was strong sales news in the retail sector last week, but it won’t exactly quicken the hearts of a shipping and supply chain industry looking for signs of a sustainable recovery.

The news that Maher Terminals would invest in and operate the planned Melford container port in eastern Nova Scotia makes sense on one level and raises meaty questions about how the industry will evol

While BP struggles to plug its wild well in the Gulf of Mexico, misinformation continues to flow about the alleged role of the Jones Act in delaying the spill cleanup.