Supply chain

The matter of empty containers highlights the dizzying complexity of the modern supply chain, wherein gains for drayage truckers and marine terminals can be interpreted as a loss for exporters.

Two members of the Federal Maritime Commission say ocean carriers need to tread lightly when assessing per diem container fees that are related to the cyber-attack on forwarder Expeditors.

The Intermodal Association of North America said that it has an effective dispute resolution process for per diem container bills that could be disrupted if new federal rules are adopted.

Lineage’s latest acquisition expands the global food chain logistics company’s reach across Canada.

Shipment tracking device maker Tive has landed a $54 million cash infusion to build its global footprint and target more categories of shippers with location and condition monitoring solutions.

CMA CGM has made another major acquisition, bringing Europe’s main automotive logistics service provider under the wing of CEVA Logistics.

Forwarding software provider Magaya is wading into the less-than-truckload technology market with an automated pricing tool meant to help its customers quote faster to shippers.

Fresh off a seed funding round in February, truckload pricing intelligence provider Greenscreens.ai has built connectivity with procurement technology partners FreightFriend and 3Gtms.

The strong likelihood of continued growth in the reefer trade creates questions about supply meeting demand given recent world events and the potential upstream production dependencies linked to raw material sourcing.

ONE is using Google Cloud to further its ability to automate back office and customer-facing solutions, a sign that the cloud infrastructure giant sees container shipping as a key vertical to target.

Freight marketplace Emerge has designs on reshaping the truckload procurement space in North America, with an ambitious target of $20 billion in freight spend through its platform this year.

Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) took advantage of 2021’s roaring rate environment to expand their net revenue, with rapid growth among the largest forwarders further compounded by merger and acquisition activity.

Shippers are bidding for freight more frequently due to supply volatility, driving growth in European procurement startup Shipsta that has led to a new funding round from investors.

Spot pricing highs for the eastbound trans-Pacific and truckload rates may be over, but so-called normalization is not around the corner.

project44 is aiming to provide non-traditional customers, like small shippers, consultants, and financial institutions with a high-level port congestion dashboard.

Greater network efficiency and profits will be priorities for new FedEx leadership as e-commerce reshapes global markets.

Import volume from China has been increasing since late last year, and combined with the severely disrupted supply chains is leading to a deteriorating cargo storage situation across Europe.

New complaints to the US Federal Maritime Commission over the alleged failure of carriers to move volumes committed in ocean freight contracts suggests shipper frustration with capacity availability and rates remains high.

BlueX Trade is providing an extended credit product to small shippers and forwarders to help them manage working capital in the wake of historic ocean freight and ancillary fee costs.

The Federal Maritime Commission is adding the availability of export capacity to its ongoing scrutiny of how ocean carriers are operating in the US.

Already elevated fuel prices are increasing across freight transport modes in the wake of oil market volatility related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, shifting shippers' focus back to costs after two years in which speed of delivery has been paramount.

Exporters struggle to get access to trade finance tools due to technology and regulatory limitations, a gap that startup provider Fishtail is aiming to fill with a new $4.5 million venture investment.

Aircon, a technology provider aiming to bring a software-based co-loader approach to the air freight industry, has been backed by early-stage investors to drive planned aggregation of air cargo.

Democratic senators took the opportunity of a recent committee meeting to drill FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei on sky-high freight rates charged by ocean carriers amid declining service levels.

German startup Flowfox is working with Kuehne + Nagel to pilot its platform that automates import clearance and container re-use at European ports with an eye toward global expansion of the solution.

Payment technology options continue to grow for freight intermediaries, with Los Angeles-based Freightpay the latest to get funding to build its early-stage payment platform.

The need to share data among supply chain participants has become a priority amid record volumes of US imports that have resulted in vessel backlogs, terminal congestion, and a stressed inland logistics sector.

Prompt, which works with many of the top 25 global forwarders to automate integrations and data entry, is breaking out of its stealth nature of operating with an expansion of systems into which it connects.

Insurance technology provider Loadsure plans to use an $11 million funding round to expand in the US freight market and serve forwarders managing international shipments.

Lineage Logistics is acquiring MTC Logistics, a cold storage operator with warehouses at the ports of Baltimore, Wilmington, Delaware, and Mobile.

The FMC has temporarily exempted Expeditors International from tariff filing obligations to allow the beleaguered forwarder to recover following a ransomware attack on its systems two weeks ago.

Drayage provider NEXT Trucking is piloting a peel pile program in Southern California that links vessel stowage at origin with quick unloading of containers at warehouse destinations to narrow total transit times for shipments.

A digitally oriented forwarder tied to the Bolloré Group has opened a North America office to tap into burgeoning US demand as the race to attract online-oriented shippers gathers steam.

Digital forwarder Forto has smashed through the $2 billion valuation barrier with a new round of funding that it will use to grow its presence in Europe and Asia.

The Port of Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance have lent support to a Long Beach initiative designed to capture and make available container milestone information.

Speakers at TPM22 and TPM Tech made clear that although US import growth may have peaked last year, the resulting supply chain challenges aren’t letting up, and port congestion and disruption could bleed into 2023.

E2open has made its fifth acquisition since 2018 with the addition of parcel fulfillment provider Logistyx as it seeks to ride e-commerce and small shipment growth for its customers.

The supply of new chassis this year in the US will be insufficient to support the ongoing surge in container shipping demand, the CEO of Flexi-Van Leasing told TPM22.

Wayfair was able to navigate the COVID-disrupted supply chain due to earlier moves to build an in-house end-to-end logistics offering, its co-founder and CEO told TPM22.

The millions of open jobs that US employers are struggling to fill has led to significant wage inflation in the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived on US shores, the former director of the National Economic Council told TPM22.