Surface

Abilene Motor Express, based in Richmond, Virginia, operates about 450 trucks with most of its business in the dry van and refrigerated space.

The integration of several subsidiaries under Ascent Global Logistics is meant to strengthen domestic and international capabilities, as well as give shippers inroads to capacity.

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 review, led by the minister of transport and set for completion next year, also comes amid governmental consideration of privatizing Canadian ports.

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.

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.

Shippers were angered by delays over the last six months, and interim CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest has acknowledged the company's lackluster service in January and February.

From the first day of Brazil's Intermodal South America Trade Show 2018, it was clear that port, railroad, and airport privatizations were back on the agenda.

CSX service returns back to normal at the 59th Street terminal in what is a rough winter for shippers.

Shippers saw very little pricing relief last month that, although down from January, was 20 to 35 percent higher than February 2017. With produce season appearing to have begun earlier, rates on the spot and contract markets are likely to be up double digits on some lanes for the foreseeable future.

Truckers, under the aegis of the Nhava Sheva Container Operators’ Welfare Association, have also expressed concern regarding the impact on their businesses, due to lengthy turn times. They called on authorities to intervene.

The launching of an Amsterdam-China rail link this week could have implications for the nearby Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port.

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.

In what is typically the slow season for US truckload shipping, carriers are levying surcharges and rejecting shipments.

A surge in trucking traffic combined with a truck driver shortage is taxing European shippers.

Shippers will face more delays sending freight out of Chicago. CSX Transportation is overwhelmed with outbound freight and will not accept containers being dropped off at the 59th Street terminal through March 12.

Canadian Pacific Railway CEO Keith Creel says the new ONE business in Vancouver and CP’s expansion into the distribution center-rich Ohio Valley signal the Canadian railroad’s intention to growth its international intermodal freight volume.

The Mexican agency probing allegations of a lack of competition in the country's railroad sector has dropped the case, saying there is insufficient proof.

While 59 percent of the 258 truckers in the survey were satisfied with traditional brokers, 50 percent also said communication has been poor and 53 percent said the information about the load was lacking or incorrect.

For years, North American shippers were warned a truck capacity crunch was coming, but that crunch never materialized. This year, with the accelerating US economy, that crunch finally arrived. That is pushing up inland supply chain costs and transport rates across the board, and shippers should not expect relief soon.

From rising protectionism underscored by President Donald Trump’s attack on steel and aluminum imports, to a new reality regarding US surface capacity, there are new challenges for shippers and transportation providers that demand action rather than hand-wringing.

According to railroad RZD, container cargo delivery time on the new rail route will be substantially shorter than sea transport.

RoadOne has been buying regional drayage providers to add experience to its team and ensure compliance with strict electronic logging device hours-of-service rules and clean truck standards at marine ports.

A coalition of beneficial cargo owners, freight forwarders, and truckers scored a small victory, as the Federal Maritime Commission voted to investigate its petition that ocean carriers and marine terminal operators unfairly charge detention and demurrage fees — even when the delay is out of the shippers’ control.

Intermodal delays are only getting worse in Chicago as Union Pacific restricts in-gate traffic on March 5 to 6, limiting the amount of outbound containers accepted at the Global 2 terminal.

The Mediterranean port of Koper has continued to build up its intermodal links with Central Europe.

The US trucking community has officially launched a digital platform that, if successful, would quicken the supply chain by creating a network of draymen capable of moving containers in a more efficient manner.

In the announcement, CN's board admitted that customer service and operations were not up to par since autumn, due to “insufficient network resiliency” to handle the demand of shippers.

Drivers who complete 8,750 miles in a month will get a penny more. An additional cent is tacked onto the bonus for each 750 miles beyond that point.

TRAC Intermodal has moved 400 chassis into Chicago and plans to move another 1,500 over the next three months to help alleviate the backlog of containers.

US shippers are paying between 17 and 25 percent more for truckload services on average than a year ago, and higher rates are just the start when it comes to rising costs.

Shippers will have a harder time finding drayage services at the Port of New York and New Jersey if a program to ban trucks with engines age 2007 and older is revived — rendering thousands of trucks obsolete from port work.

Hub Group is levying surcharges on some shippers in Chicago, LA, Seattle, Dallas, and Atlanta on excess freight. Shippers said the fees range from $150 to $600. J.B. Hunt is also limiting the amount of excess freight accepted from shippers in certain markets but has not instituted surcharges.

Smaller less-than-truckload (LTL) players shot past larger competitors in the Top 25 rankings last year, as a stronger US economy and freight volumes benefited all LTL and truckload haulers.

Shippers concerned about the US truck capacity shortage will find some relief from intermodal, but take note: demand for intermodal service is increasing substantially, as well.

Beneficial cargo owners who contract with XPO for drayage will closely watch a class-action misclassification lawsuit in Los Angeles seeking wages, damages, and a permanent injunction preventing XPO from classifying drivers as independent contractors.

The European Union is pushing further for rail freight development. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent, facilitating the free circulation of goods within Europe is part of the European Union's DNA. And the quality of inland transportation is a key success factor regarding port development.

An end-to-end protective service for perishable, refrigerated goods and seafood in natural-water-environment containers is the cold chain railroad model, and its deployers argue they can grab reefer market share from other transport modes.

The US transportation capacity vise that is squeezing supply chains is moving end-to-end visibility and automation from shipper wish lists to priority lists.

Although not limited to Chicago, the top US freight hub has been cited for the most severe gridlock and so much drayage demand that some motor carriers will not accept new customers until April.