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There’s growing concern among some US exporters that outbound container spot rates are too low, recalling memories of when unprofitable cargo was left on the docks and service levels fell in parallel with the bottom lines of ocean carriers, writes Journal of Commerce Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

Even though port congestion has cleared and a longshore labor deal has been reached, ag shippers say intractable problems still plague their ability to move goods easily through the West Coast.

Persistent demand from existing customers and expected growth in global demand for heavier electric vehicles are spurring fresh investment in ro/ro newbuildings from Sallaum Lines.

William Doyle’s departure after three years, announced to Maryland Port Administration employees Friday according to local news reports, came less than a week after he received three traffic citations.

A report claiming that the lifetime fuel costs of achieving net-zero emissions through LNG will be approximately half those of other fuels does not present the full picture, according to climate campaigners.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS say they’ve made progress on non-economic issues, but there’s still heavy lifting ahead for the largest labor pact in the US private sector.

The merger of wind installation vessel operators Cadeler and Eneti, which already have a combined project backlog worth $1.75 billion, was driven by an expected surge in offshore wind farm projects through 2030, Cadeler CEO Mikkel Gleerup told a webinar Friday.

Louisiana’s state legislators made a surprise cut to funding the Port of New Orleans planned to use for the design and planning of a new $1.5 billion mega-terminal.

Leaders within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have endorsed a tentative contract reached with ABF that would set a high bar for other unionized carriers in the largely non-union less-than-truckload sector.

In addition to a 32% increase in dockworker wages over the life of the six-year deal, the tentative US West Coast longshore labor agreement includes a one-time $70 million bonus for staying on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some inland logistics services have resumed, but vessel movements at the ports of Pipavav and Mundra remain suspended due to disruption stemming from Cyclone Biparjoy.

With demand in ports and rail hubs weak, chassis providers are turning their attention to refurbishing older, less-reliable units, a process that is expected to take years to complete.

Despite a sharp decline in rates amid slowing demand and higher costs, total revenue for truck transportation companies remains elevated, and that could keep capacity in the market longer, writes Professor Jason Miller.

After 13 months of contentious negotiations that spawned numerous job actions by dockworkers, the ILWU and waterfront employers will engage in a ratification process expected to take several months.

Labor woes along the West Coast over the past year highlighted a stark difference: Shippers on the East and Gulf coasts are customers whose business is valued, while West Coast shippers are not customers in the traditional sense, but more like helpless bystanders, writes Peter Tirschwell.

Most big US ports are closing out the first half of 2023 with year-on-year double-digit volume declines as retail sales falter, but the West Coast labor deal may spark a seasonal uptick.

Despite disagreement over Yellow’s restructuring plans, the Teamsters union is taking a first step toward opening contract talks by surveying 22,000 union members online.

While demand for domestic rail freight in the UK grows, the network’s ability to handle the more complex smaller shipments has been criticized by cargo owners.

Refrigerated warehousing construction is “exploding” in the US Southeast, as one port executive put it, thanks to a growing population and increased demand for imported produce and other food products.

The deal, subject to ratification by both parties, ends 13 months of contentious negotiations marked by on-again, off-again job actions that disrupted port operations on the West Coast and diverted growing volumes of cargo to the East and Gulf coasts.

Minor progress in West Coast longshore talks came as ports operated without significant disruption on the first shift Wednesday, but were not completely spared some measure of labor action by workers.

Air conditioning, heat shields and air intake vents are coming to UPS package cars as the Teamsters and their largest employer move closer to a tentative five-year labor agreement. 

Tiger Cool Express was an innovator in the intermodal industry, one of the first to fully embrace containerized reefer intermodal when it began ramping up operations in late 2013.

More supply chain disruptions are imminent for Indian containerized trade as Cyclone Biparjoy, a storm that is expected to make landfall Thursday, has now forced major ports on the western coastline to shut.

Flexible transactional pricing is helping ArcBest LTL subsidiary ABF Freight increase shipment volumes and attract new shippers despite reduced demand from core customers. 

Two major chassis lessors have committed to spending hundreds of millions of dollars to inject high-quality equipment to haul containers in five southern states.

Norfolk Southern is a step closer to consolidating its Michigan intermodal business at one site after receiving a grant from the state for improvements at the Livernois yard.

The two sides will attempt to use the apparent truce brokered by Labor Secretary nominee Julie Su to reach agreement on the highly contentious issue of wages, which triggered disruptive job actions by ILWU locals over the past week.

Rising auto and heavy equipment sales are keeping roll-on/roll-off vessels at maximum utilization, and the CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen warns the market will remain tight for years.

A proliferation of visibility vendors amid increased demand for container status events is putting pressure on the websites of carriers to support multiple requests for the same data.

The container shipping market is well down the path toward normalcy, and if current conditions continue for another few months, the surge-related volume overhang will be worked off, writes analyst Larry Gross.

The vote to authorize a strike at Vancouver and Prince Rupert comes as negotiations between the ILWU and maritime employers on the US West Coast appeared to hit a new low over the weekend.

Disruption flared at West Coast ports as the Biden administration’s nominee for Labor Secretary flew to San Francisco in a bid to break the impasse in contract negotiations that some fear are rapidly deteriorating.

The Pacific Maritime Association hopes Labor Secretary nominee Julie Su can get ILWU negotiators to move closer to a level of wage increases that puts an agreement within reach.

The deal made by the carrier highlights the challenges of securing the supply of green methanol from a global market that is in its infancy.

Sentiment is more positive in the longer term, with industry observers predicting a rebound in rates from 2024 onwards due to stronger cargo volumes and tight tonnage supply.

Talks between the ILWU and maritime employers continued Friday for a third straight day, which sources called a positive indicator with negotiations hitting the 13-month mark this weekend.

Data from analysts and carriers shows less-than-truckload providers are staying disciplined when it comes to pricing despite a freight recession and softer US economy.

Changes at Maersk and Combi-Lift reveal interest in capturing a larger share of the project forwarding market.

Legislation now in Congress would put commercial shipping under the oversight of the US Clean Air Act and set increasing targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions.