Latest news

Brooklyn marine terminal operator Red Hook Container Terminal lost its bid to collect a $13 million demurrage bill that it claimed was due from an ocean carrier under a Federal Maritime Commission tariff.

Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen will hand over the reins to Amazon logistics vet Dave Clark, a move that shows the forwarder’s lure for heavyweight talent — and possibly an acknowledgement of slower-than-expected market share gains.

US retailers are forecasting near-record imports through the peak shipping season as back-to-school goods that have already begun landing are followed quickly by holiday season merchandise.

US container shipping regulators are signaling measured moves aimed at providing more structure to commercial exchanges without stepping directly into them, writes JOC Executive Editor Mark Szakonyi.

China’s rolling COVID-19 lockdowns and significant disruption linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have left the global air freight market to face a difficult second half of the year.

The cooling of trucking’s transactional spot market signals a “realignment,” not a contraction, as shippers cement contractual agreements and freight demand rises, albeit more slowly.

Canada’s Class I railroads have been dealing with a surge of freight from Vancouver that has taxed a shrinking pool of available truckers across the country in Ontario.

The chassis shortage is affecting Norfolk Southern despite a 5.1 percent decline in volumes handled by the railroad between January and May compared with the same period in 2021.

Forwarders say they expect an earlier-than-usual peak season that will lift trans-Pacific spot rates that have been easing, but the trimming of retail orders and front-loading of cargo cloud the longer-term outlook for the health of Asian imports.

Clothing imports rose in 2021, but shippers are struggling to get time-sensitive fashion items onto store shelves due to delays getting into US ports and inconsistent intermodal rail service.

The Global Shippers Forum is warning about a planned global carbon tax, arguing its members shouldn’t have to foot the bill particularly given record shipping costs.

The Federal Maritime Commission hopes to increase its team to 160 full-time staff to boost enforcement capabilities and deepen its monitoring of shipping alliances.

A new working arrangement that for the first time allows pilots from Hong Kong and Shenzhen to navigate in each other’s waters aims to mitigate delays stemming in part from a pilot shortage in Yantian.

Maersk’s Performance Team subsidiary said it will open its fourth US cold-storage warehouse near the Port of New York and New Jersey as it seeks to add refrigerated cargo handling to its growing suite of integrated logistics services.

Despite strong demand both in the US and overseas, actual US vehicle production and sales remain restrained by parts shortages that forced automakers to halt production several times in 2021.

Trans-Pacific container lines are adding capacity ahead of an expected early peak season, but blank sailings will continue to challenge North American importers even as Shanghai reopens.

CMA CGM revealed significant gains in revenue and profits for the first quarter, but was quick to point out the challenges it will face through the balance of the year.

Gartner’s annual examination of the real-time visibility market changed little from 2021 to 2022, with the analyst identifying standalone visibility providers as continued leaders for the in-demand market.

The addition of 22,500 trucking employees in May after a 14,900-gain in real jobs in April reveals a trucking sector confident in continuing freight demand as markets realign in 2022.

The Port of Houston’s two container terminals will be open on Saturdays through at least the rest of 2022 as an import wave continues to tie up capacity at the gateway.

Agricultural shippers are bracing for another year of COVID-related disruptions that will add further costs and delays during the 2022–23 marketing season that begins in the fall.

Carriers have attempted to improve the supply/demand scenario across Indian trades by scaling up empty container repositioning and adding new services.

The US Department of Transportation awarded Georgia $6 million to improve tracks that connect Savannah with the state’s first inland port.

Demand for long-haul ro/ro services is strong, but COVID lockdowns and growing global economic uncertainties are constraining vehicle volumes, executives say.

The second service to call on Charleston’s year-old Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal arrived last weekend amid an ongoing labor dispute that has other carriers steering clear.

Union Pacific Railroad and Schneider National have engaged intermodal shippers in recent weeks to discuss their new partnership and attempt to dispel any concerns about service disruptions during the transition from BNSF.

Persistent supply chain disruptions, along with a slight return to spending on entertainment outside of the home, contributed to a cooling of consumer demand for electronic devices in 2021.

Air cargo capacity is flooding back into the trans-Atlantic market via below deck belly space as travel increases and airlines ramp up their summer schedules.

The Port of Baltimore will receive almost $16 million in additional federal funds that will complete on-dock rail improvements needed as part of the project to raise the Howard Street Tunnel for double-stack service.

Cold chain market leader Lineage Logistics has continued its 2022 acquisition spree with the purchase of TMS provider Turvo, a move that furthers Lineage’s vertical integration ambitions.

Logistics software provider Freightos is being taken public on the Nasdaq, a move that will be closely scrutinized by the founders and investors of growth-stage technology providers in the logistics industry.

The acquisition of Smith Transport by Heartland Express points to continued strong freight demand as the shipping market seeks a new balance between contract and spot freight.

Contract negotiations between the ILWU and West Coast marine terminal employers started up again on Wednesday after an unexpected halt in late May.

A backlog of vessels is building off Savannah, but the Georgia Ports Authority says it’s in a better position to handle the heavy volumes now than it was when delays hit last fall.

The only real option at present for rail cargo from China to Europe is the so-called “middle corridor,” even though the transit is often longer than ocean and 30 percent more expensive than the largely out-of-bounds northern alternative through Russia.

Customs software provider KlearNow has added a drayage service to its product in order to sync cargo availability to capacity from its network of dray providers.

Despite double-digit percentage increases in exports of ferrous scrap, aluminum, and copper, the US saw an overall decline in US recyclables exports due to limited markets for paper waste.

After a two-year investigation, the Federal Maritime Commission has determined that demand surpassing available vessel capacity is the driving force behind the market’s record freight rates. 

A new multi-year agreement will allow Canadian Pacific to handle the majority of CMA CGM’s freight through Canada, underscoring the railroad’s aggressive approach to gaining international intermodal volume.

A new report on marine terminal automation found that while reducing labor costs is a major driver, multiple benefits throughout the operation must be considered in order to justify the large capital expenditure involved.