Logistics Technology News

Shreyas Shipping and Logistics, one of India’s fast-growing short-sea ship operators, and Japan logistics group Suzue Corp. have reached a 50-50 joint venture arrangement in an effort to capitalize on growth opportunities in the wake of strengthening trade and investment ties between the two nations.

Despite all the talk about 'big' or 'smart' data, few shippers are diving into business analytics, a long-time industry consultant warns. Businesses that don't plan to use new technologies and tools could fall far behind competitors as those technologies disrupt traditional business processes, Tech Mahindra's Greg Smith says.

Freight brokers are in a unique position to take advantage of the weak economy, BB&T Capital Markets says.

IT platforms are transforming China’s less-than-truckload market, with a flood of Uber-like apps for trucks being used within cities and in the intra-city business, according to a Goldman Sachs logistics report.

DHL has named Mike Parra, a long-time logistics professional, to the position of CEO DHL Express Americas, replacing Stephen Fenwick, who is retiring Dec. 31.

Today’s automated freight payment and audit systems offer businesses flexible tracking and financing programs that accelerate cash flow without impacting balance sheets.

Half a year after acquiring Australia logistics giant Toll Holdings Ltd., Japan Post Holdings Co.'s mail and logistics unit is in a better financial position than it was at the same time a year ago, but still finds itself bleeding red ink.

C.H Robinson, the largest U.S. non-asset third-party logistics provider, has appointed Robert Biesterfeld, a long-time employee, as president of North American Surface Transportation.

CEVA Logistics' third-quarter earnings jumped 27 percent as the company continued to reap the benefits of a new business model and its ocean and air business continue to earn strong returns despite volume loss.

Deutsche Post DHL’s operating profit slumped by over 70 percent in the third quarter due mainly to continuing problems at its global forwarding and freight unit.

Gateway Distriparks recorded a sharply lower net profit in the second fiscal quarter through the end of September, as India’s leading port-based logistics provider was hit by slowing container volumes.

Logistics operators at the U.S.-Mexican border are handling more transloaded truck freight, as rising volumes clash with the weak peso and imbalanced capacity.

Kintetsu World Express Inc.’s group net profit surged 40 percent year-over-year in the first half of the fiscal year on the back of solid revenue growth driven by a weaker yen and brisk overseas cargo movements, especially in the U.S.

Mallory Alexander International Logistics is expanding in China, both through new authority from the Chinese government and a partnership with trucking firm Old Dominion Freight Line.

A look at how the Top 50 Global Transportation Providers break down by continent and regional revenue.

A 2 percent gain by the world's Top 50 largest transportation service providers in 2014 marked a turnaround after the group’s combined revenue slipped 0.1 percent in 2013.

UPS assumed the top spot on the JOC-SJ Consulting Group list of Top 50 Global Transportation Providers in terms of 2014 revenue, pushing Deutsche Post DHL to the No. 2 position. Of the Top 50, 13 companies are located in North America, 19 in Europe, 16 in the Asia-Pacific region, and one each in India and Australia.

Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder, saw its group net profit decline in the fiscal first half on the back of sluggish revenue growth and extraordinary charges.

Damco’s recovery gathered pace in the third quarter with the Maersk Group’s freight forwarding and logistics unit swinging to a $20 million profit from a $68 million loss a year ago.

Allcargo Logistics Ltd., India’s leading international freight forwarder and port-based logistics provider, reported a 14 percent increase in consolidated net profit for the second fiscal quarter, despite flat revenue, the company said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Friday.

Orbcomm swung to a $1.6 million profit in the third quarter after the asset tracking provider's revenue doubled to $46 million on growth from acquisitions and organic gains.

Yusen Logistics Co.’s fiscal first-half net profit more than tripled thanks to robust revenue growth driven by solid cargo volumes, a weaker yen and the end of an antitrust lawsuit-related extraordinary loss in the United States.

Riding a flurry of acquisitions, XPO Logistics’ third-quarter earnings this year exceeded company targets and Wall Street expectations.

Revenues were down 3 percent to $1.7 billion and operating income was up 21 percent to $192 million year-over-year at Expeditors International of Washington in the third quarter.

Sojitz Corp., a major trading house in Japan, has acquired Illinois, U.S.-based MET Logistics Inc., commonly known as Juno Logistics, for an undisclosed sum.

Geodis has completed the $800 million acquisition of Ozburn-Hessey Logistics that gave Europe’s fourth-largest logistics and transport firm a strong U.S. presence.

Despite flat revenue, Transport Corporation of India’s net income increased 9 percent year-over-year in the second fiscal quarter to $3.6 million, aided by tight cost controls and growing express cargo demand driven by e-commerce growth in the country.

Australia logistics firm Qube Holdings' $1.2 billion raid on Asciano, whose Patrick subsidiary is the country’s largest stevedore, has the blessing of shipping industry players and sounds the death knell to Canada management group Brookfield’s $6.4 billion takeover bid.

Deutsche Post DHL has written off 345 million euros ($380 million) of costs after deciding to abandon Net Forwarding Environment, a customized IT restructuring program aimed at turning around its troubled global forwarding unit.

Even though global trade growth has slowed, there’s still plenty of opportunity out there as the list of the fastest-growing global transportation providers shows.

Despite softer demand in the North American truckload and ocean shipping markets, C.H. Robinson Worldwide increased freight volume, net revenue and net profit in the third quarter.

DSV, the Danish transport and logistics company acquiring U.S.-based rival UTi Worldwide, raised its 2015 earnings outlook after posting strong third-quarter results.

UPS is expecting a short-term revenue bump from a double-digit increase in holiday shipments this year and a longer-term boost, to the tune of some $100 million, from its recent acquisition of freight broker Coyote Logistics, the company said Tuesday.

TNT Express, the Dutch parcel delivery company being acquired by its larger U.S. rival FedEx, almost halved its third-quarter operating loss but remained under pressure from economic volatility in Australia, Brazil and China.

XPO Logistics Chairman and CEO Brad Jacobs spoke with Alessandra Barrett, senior content editor, at the JOC Inland Distribution Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, about his company’s fast growth through about $7 billion in acquisitions this year. Jacobs, a keynote speaker at the conference is close to completing the acquisition of U.S. trucking and logistics company Con-way for $3 billion.

Blue Dart Express, India’s leading express air and logistics service provider, posted a 74.5 percent jump in net earnings in the second fiscal quarter, as operating revenue grew robustly, helped by lower fuel costs and new business strategies.

Gati Ltd., India’s leading express distribution and supply chain solutions provider, reported its group net profit in the second quarter of fiscal 2015-16 fell 16.5 percent year-over-year to $892,000 from $1.07 million.

China’s logistics and courier services are preparing for Alibaba’s annual Singles Day online shopping frenzy on Nov. 11 that last year saw 278 million orders placed in just 24 hours and sorely tested the mainland’s distribution network.

Intermodal logistics giant Container Corporation of India reported its net income surged 21 percent in the second fiscal quarter from a year earlier to $36 million.

European Union antitrust regulators will not challenge FedEx’s 4.4 billion euros ($5 billion) acquisition of TNT Express, the companies said.