Logistics Technology News

The new system, which begins in August, pending Federal Maritime Commission approval, assesses a flat fee on all day and night container moves, requires an appointment, and is a response to complaints from beneficial cargo owners and truckers about the high price of the traffic mitigation fee and truck bunching at certain times of the day.

Can deep, wide, sophisticated supply chain visibility help shippers ‘create’ capacity and control rising costs?

Increasing customer demands and the need for more flexible supply chains means the warehouse of the e-commerce era will do much more, and also achieve more for businesses.

In 2017, the strengthening global economy increased business volumes and freight rates — boosting Top 50 third-party logistics providers’ revenue, while fueling niche mergers and acquisitions.

Despite a 28 percent increase in container volume in the first quarter, Prince Rupert today is fluid. The port predicts continued fluidity through peak season even with continued double-digit growth, but beneficial cargo owners are taking a wait-and-see attitude.

Shippers tracking the Maersk-IBM blockchain project to see if it yields real benefits in helping them monitor cargo movement could soon get a glimpse of whether it does. But they can also expect trucking rate increases and no near-term resolution to the problem of getting truck capacity.

Full enforcement of the electronic logging device mandate began April 1, but inspectors issued a slew of violations in early 2018, federal data show.

Regarding international logistics, it is clear and easy to note that new digital forwarders have several advantages. But what is often overlooked is that legacy forwarders have certain advantages too.

Dubbed an Uber-like, on-demand operation, the new, streamlined logistics solution will have digital capabilities and will involve well-defined standard operating procedures at each terminal to ensure efficiency.

Digitalizing the forwarding business will improve efficiency and automate repetitive functions, but transporting containerized cargo across continents will always require a human touch, key industry decision makers argue.

By partnering with digital marketplace NEXT Trucking, MOL Consolidation Services looks to link Asian vendors with scarce US truck capacity.

US truck capacity may get worse before it gets better, as electronic logging device enforcement begins this month with anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of drivers not having the required device in their cabs. Even so, shippers can use tips described here to keep their freight moving with minimal disruption.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust finished fiscal year 2017-2018 with record volume, but it will have to increase productivity more and deploy an enhanced shipper outreach effort to take full advantage of the 2.4-million-TEU capacity addition from PSA International’s new Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals.

Shippers worried that the launch of the US Customs and Border Protection bureau’s (CBP's) much-delayed Automated Commercial Environment system could disrupt cargo flow can take comfort from the CBP’s conclusion that the launch went off without a major incident, and is operating as it should.

West Coast ports have taken the lead in breaking down the barriers to information sharing by establishing information portals that will allow all port users to access the shipment data they need in a secure environment. This development promises to accelerate productivity.

The central portal is designed to handle delivery orders, transport orders, gate open cut-off times, delivery gate schedules, gate-in bookings, and pre-gate schedules electronically, instead of in hard-copy form — an existing system that entails long delays and lacks shipment visibility.

As the electronic logging device mandate enforcement deadline looms, Trucker Path and Convoy have introduced new features to help truckers and shippers manage driver time in the digital era.

In theory, blockchain has the potential to enable global container carriers to create a universal, standardized, ledger system with many more efficient processes. The question is whether carriers who are fierce competitors and who do not trust each other can use a system in which trust is integral.

Here is a directory of more than 175 warehousing service providers across the United States.

PierPass has its supporters and detractors, but port users agree that the largest US gateway could not handle 17 million TEU per year without a regular schedule of night and weekend gates.

Water projects to supply drinking water, hydroelectric power, and sewage treatment are major sources of global shipments for engineering, procurement, and construction companies, and for forwarders and breakbulk carriers that deliver materials, including pipes, turbines, and modules for water treatment plants.

The actual ‘Uber for trucking’ is offering a series of perks to draw new truck drivers to its brokerage and technology platform.

The latest LA-LB metrics show that extended gates, appointments, and improved cargo-delivery processes are working despite record volumes.

The heads of the IBM/Maersk joint venture said 24 companies are being onboarded with roughly 70 more in the pipeline, and are seeking to allay forwarders’ fears that the initiative is encroaching on their end-to-end supply chain services.

A reporter’s notebook from this week’s Transportation & Logistics Council meeting shows shippers and their suppliers grappling with big trends and fine details, from e-commerce to freight claims.

Three new simulators at the Port of New York and New Jersey enable crane operator trainees to get hands-on experience, as well as guidance from nearby trainers, rather than taking up valuable time on a real crane.

Shippers at a US Transportation and Logistics Council conference say catering to drivers and improved planning are keys to finding much needed capacity.

Trucking and, in fact, all US surface transportation capacity is tight in early 2018. Shippers are finding it challenging to move freight within North America, and transportation rates are rising. The questions are: Why? How long will this last? What can shippers and exporters and importers do about it?

Attendees made the case that Brazil has turned a corner, with trade picking up, and the economy growing, despite Brasilia’s political problems.

Shipper logistics managers are trying to educate their C-suite executives regarding the needs of logistics and supply chain departments in case of an emergency or disruptive situations. But trying to engage the C-suite on what seems like an obscure new technology or unlikely event is easier said than done.

Shippers hoping that US Customs and Border Protection's Automated Commercial Environment system will soon operate without the kind of problems that have plagued it for years should not count on that happening for a while longer.

The Nhava Sheva Container Operators’ Welfare Association, representing the local trucking community, Thursday reiterated its deep concern regarding “heavy traffic” outside terminal DP World Nhava Sheva.

The bulk of regional economic fundamentals indicate a strong year is ahead for container trade, GDP growth, earnings growth, and job creation — with all of the positives that implies for lateral sectors and society.

The latest blockchain solution has been tested by a consortium comprising a shipper, forwarder, carrier, and tech services company.

Have freight forwarders and transportation companies heard the “wake up call” of the fourth industrial revolution — one that will transform supply chains? The world has changed and the evidence argues it is time to invest in technology and people development.

Air cargo is in catch up mode as it slowly drags itself into the digital world.

Agricultural shippers, especially livestock owners, and truckers will get some relief this produce season via an extension of a temporary waiver of the ELD mandate. Other groups are pressing for longer waivers, as the rollout of the ELD mandate throws supply chains out of whack.

Mounting competition from startups is keeping traditional global forwarders on their toes.

The intermodal model is complex, requiring a coordinated ballet in which various inputs — including rail line capacity, railcar supply, terminal capacity, chassis supply, container supply, and drayage capacity — all need to be in balance. That is not the case this year.

The LA and Oakland information portals are expected to spread to other US ports.