Forwarding

Fast-growing third-party logistics companies are tuning into and tapping broad trends driving logistics growth in the U.S. and globally, including increased cross-border trade and the expansion of intermodal rail. Here are seven trends picked by XPO Logistics CEO Bradley S. Jacobs.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in September and October...

Shippers and carriers are confident they will overcome the problems that plague their industry such as port congestion, equipment shortages and complexity in logistics...

Looming global requirements for low-sulfur fuel are prodding ocean carriers to consider liquefied natural gas to power container ships on long-haul international routes as well as regional feeder services.

Container lines in coming years will continue to order larger ships and switch membership in vessel-sharing alliances in a desperate game of survival...

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in September and October, although any gains achieved could be temporary as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

A long-term shift from air to ocean freight by shippers looking to cut transport costs and willing to tolerate longer transit times may be slowing, according to recent comments from transportation executives.

Container volumes from Asia to its key export destinations were up in July, anchored by growth to both Europe and North America.

Due to lower trade volumes to and from emerging markets in Asia, ports around the world overall saw weak performance in the second quarter of 2014, according to the Shanghai International Shipping Institute.

Monthly revenue at the Suez Canal hit a record $506 million in August, partly reflecting a surge of container volume in the last month.

After weeks of declining prices for both high and low sulfur bunker fuel, prices rebounded last week.

The second-quarter recovery that gave air and ocean cargo such a welcome boost looks set to continue its momentum well into the second half as the latest economic and freight indicators show some positive numbers.

North American vehicle production is on the rise amid strong demand for vehicles in the NAFTA countries and foreign markets.

NYK Line in May took delivery of the first post-Panamax car carrier built in Japan. Dubbed the Aries Leader, the new pure car carrier not only boasts a capacity of 7,000 vehicle units, but also a wide range of energy-saving technologies not found on other such vessels.

Despite the lack of a new West Coast labor contract two months after the expiration of the last agreement, the threat of work stoppages to peak-season merchandise is rapidly receding, according to a retail industry consultant.

Several container lines have planned general rate increases in trade lanes in the next two months, but any gains achieved could be fleeting as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

Robert Sappio, former longtime executive at APL, has been named chief operating officer at SeaCube Container Leasing.

The container sale and leasing business is not benefiting from rebounding trade volumes on major east-west routes as low rental yields and falling prices in a lacklustre shipping environment put the squeeze on the global market leaders.

Shipping a container from India can cost nearly double what it costs to ship the same container from China, according to a report from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.

Like a sparkling Ferrari on a showroom floor, the U.S. Southeast ports are sitting pretty when it comes to import and export automobile traffic growth.

Tiny, dirt-like egg clusters are waylaying cargo at ports in the United States, delaying thousands of containers for days at a time.

The world’s largest container manufacturer, China International Marine Containers (CIMC), does not expect the U.S. government’s antidumping and countervailing duty investigation to be resolved before May next year.

German-Russian business ties were on full display at a reception in St. Petersburg hosted by the Port of Hamburg, where politics was a main theme of discussion.

The International Maritime Bureau said the threat of cyberattacks in the maritime sector has intensified in the past few months, as shipping and supply chains become the “next playground for hackers.”

Containerized furniture imports into the United States saw growth in the first half of 2014, as a strong number of shipments in the second quarter offset weak volumes in the first quarter.

At least two ships have been quarantined and all others coming from Asia to the United States will be heavily scrutinized as officials attempt to block an invasive species from making landfall in the U.S.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in the coming months, although any gains achieved could be fleeting as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

Containerized footwear imports into the United States plummeted in the first half of 2014, although the industry is optimistic sales will pick up in the second half of the year.

Thousands of containers of agricultural products heading to Russia are still on the water, in limbo until shippers can find new destinations for their goods.

A good peak season will lead to a shortage of containers, with the inventory of new boxes standing at less than two months of the required levels, Singamas chairman Teo Siong Seng said in Hong Kong.

Singamas chairman Teo Siong Seng does not believe the antidumping and countervailing duty investigation the company is facing in the U.S. will have a lasting effect on its business.

Port Metro Vancouver is receiving a modest windfall in container volume thanks to the uncertainties surrounding longshore contract negotiations on the U.S. West Coast, but it might have profited even more if its terminals had more capacity to handle diverted cargo. Projects are planned to expand its capacity substantially over the next 10 years.

The melting polar icecap is reheating ages-old dreams of cross-Arctic shortcuts for deep-draft ships sailing between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But logistics managers shouldn’t count on it happening next year — or even in the next decade.

A shift from small container ships to fewer but larger ships could result in a decline in the number of vessels on the water this year, the first decrease in 20 years, Drewry Maritime Research said.

Nine straight weeks of steady declines in pricing of low-sulfur bunker fuel have brought the price per metric ton down to the lowest levels in more than three years.

Multiple container lines have planned general rate increases in numerous trade lanes in August, although any gains achieved could be fleeting as overcapacity and sluggish global demand continue.

Diversions related to the ongoing negotiations on the U.S. West Coast between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association continue to have an impact elsewhere.

Containerized auto parts imports into the United States continued to trend upwards in the first half of 2014, in a market that has seen growth of over 10 percent in the past two years.

The top four ports on the U.S. East Coast saw delays in both arrivals and berth times in June, partially because of a surge in traffic from cargo diversions to East Coast during peak season.

Refrigerated capacity in the container ship fleet is expected to surge around 22 percent through 2018, at the expense of a declining specialized reefer fleet, according to Drewry’s latest Reefer Shipping Market Annual Review & Forecast.