Supply chain

The founder of industry stalwart software provider Catapult has started a new venture aiming to provide logistics companies with a way to automate repetitive and time-consuming data entry processes.

Maersk’s latest linkup signals the carrier’s intent to continue building out its digital offerings to shippers.

WiseTech’s purchase of Depot Systems allows it to gain yard container management technology in the US.

Proposed hours-of-service reforms -- though well-intentioned -- are a “catastrophe waiting to happen” for the US trucking sector, according to one interested observer.

Monetization of TradeLens would give the largest global container line another revenue stream not tied to ocean shipping, furthering its effort to become an integrator.

The middleman role of forwarders will remain, but their survival will depend on embracing technology and providing greater value to customers in a transparent, data-driven environment.

The initial growth in volume booked via Maersk Line’s new online tool gives carriers further impetus to provide similar products that offer guaranteed contract reliability.

The containerized shipping industry was able to convince the US Trade Representative to take cranes and containers off a list of tariffs going into effect on Sept. 1 and Dec. 15.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed updates to the hours-of-service regulations covering the trucking industry to increase flexibility and safety on US highways.

New funding for freight invoicing startup BasicBlock shows investors are keen to back emerging payment technology and that carriers are struggling with liquidity in a soft rate environment.

An international freight rate marketplace provider is providing forwarders with a free quoting tool to drive adoption of instant quotes while also building capacity for its BCO customers.

Partnerships between TMS providers, digital brokers, and visibility providers are becoming commonplace, but that doesn’t mean the blurring between those models is easy for shippers to understand.

India is seeing some improvement in utilizing its inland waterways and coastal routes for freight movements, but wants to make a stronger push through incentives and infrastructure investment.

A new free trade zone created in the metropolitan area of Montreal will make it easier for manufacturers, producers, and wholesalers to make and store goods without paying taxes or excise duties on products that will eventually leave the country.

Trucking companies are warning shippers that a regulation requiring fleets to switch from automatic on-board recording devices to electronic-logging devices in December could slow productivity more than some realize.

The rise of fintech and logtech has given shippers who don’t fit the risk profile of traditional banks a new way to finance the purchase of goods.

Centralized cargo consolidation makes Mexico City dominant in industrial development, but growing port volumes may change that over time.

An Indian tech startup is luring reefer shippers with a digital platform as refrigerated cargo volumes in the country are on the upswing.

The head of the Mexican agency overseeing the country’s port system said it should be made more efficient and less expensive for shippers, reflecting shipper concerns the system is burdensome and unpredictable.

It may not be a position appreciated by shippers, but DSV’s CEO says after years of low rates, the IMO 2020-driven fuel increases will generally be limited.

The well-capitalized supply chain software provider Turvo’s purchase of sensor visibility provider Odyn is recognition that data quality, not quantity, will be a differentiator in what systems a shipper buys.

New trade and transportation dynamics are emerging in Mexico, as global trade shifts and economies slow, speakers at the JOC Mexico Trade Conference said.

Blockchain technology has the potential to improve communication across supply chain stakeholders by creating a single, immutable record of all documents and data.

With just three months to go until the UK withdraws from the European Union, business is piling pressure on the new British government to avoid leaving without a deal.

A flurry of M&A activity among freight forwarders and logistics companies in the first half of 2019 shows no signs of slowing, industry observers say.

Increased tariff levels are often not accounted for when shippers secure financing for shipments, one of a range of issues the freight forwarder Flexport plans to tackle with its Flexport Capital product.

A long-term investment in technology is helping Werner generate profits, and capacity for shipper customers.

Maersk’s investment in digital trucking marketplace Loadsmart presaged a move to offer integrated US truckload rates on its online booking platform, a move the carrier confirmed this week.

Grants awarded under the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program will support 20 projects across the United States, including the elevation of a tunnel to allow double-stacked trains get into the Port of Baltimore and the rehabilitation of a Port of Miami container terminal.

The Indian Ports Association, in conjunction with technical services provider Portall Infosystems, has been leading the collaboration project, under which users are able to process all port services electronically, instead of in hard-copy form — a process that typically involves inordinate transit delays and lacks shipment visibility.

Software partnerships are expanding the appeal of core systems like electronic rate management, symbolized by Catapult’s collaboration with Xeneta helping it to land BDP

A program that awards hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds to port and other infrastructure projects each year should do so with greater consistency and clarity, according to a coalition of ports and transportation groups.

Freight marketplaces are all the rage, but the problem of tapping into latent trucking capacity is particularly acute in India, where start-up technology provider Lobb believes it can double the number of days drivers are on the road.

It’s likely only a matter of time before antitrust regulators turn their gaze to new shipping partnerships formed in private blockchain.

A new study shows a growing percentage of the Port of New York and New Jersey drayage fleet is making its first stop close to the port, an apparent reflection of the desire by shippers and logistics providers to use near-port warehouse space. That demand continues to create a tight market, with lease rates hitting new highs in the second quarter.

Panalpina reported a stable first half performance, its last interim result as an independent entity before being absorbed into DSV later this year.

E2open has barged into the global logistics community’s consciousness on the back of acquisitions of some of the industry’s stalwart software providers, and now plans to sell shippers on the value of connectivity and harmonized upgrades.

The Traxen devices are meant to provide more reliable data about the location and condition of containers while in transit, and an associated analytics platform is designed to help shippers better understand where and when their goods hit bottlenecks, both episodic and systemic.

The prolonged rent increases over the past decade for logistics space are beginning to moderate, although growing imports and strong demand for e-commerce fulfillment space in the largest seaport cities will keep industrial real estate development robust through the end of the year.

Shippers benefit from logistics systems integrations, some of which they don’t even see, as 3PLs and software vendors develop embedded pricing and visibility functionality.