Logistics Management Magazine Archives

June 2018 Logistics Management

In this Issue:

  • Closing the Labor Gap
  • The LMS journey
  • Cross-border preparations
  • The path forward for ERP WMS
  • The Top 50 3PLs: Collaboration now paramount
  • Quarterly Transportation Market Update: Ocean Cargo, Reversal of fortune for rates?
June 7, 2018 · A tight labor market driven by the uptick in e-commerce, increased omni-channel distribution pressures, Baby Boomer attrition and the implementation of game changing technology are pushing logistics management professionals to rethink the way they hire, train and retain valued employees.
June 7, 2018 · The current labor crisis has put a new spin on how logistics professionals are leveraging their labor management systems (LMS) to work more efficiently in today’s e-commerce, omni-channel environment.
June 7, 2018 · There’s nothing static about warehouse management systems from enterprise resource planning suppliers. The user base is expanding at a notable clip, and next-generation supply chain technologies from the Cloud to data analytics and smart glasses are in their future.
June 7, 2018 · Political bluster aside, logistics professionals on all sides of the border agree that careful planning, attention to detail and good partnerships are all key to continued, efficient cross-border transit—no matter who’s in the White House.
June 6, 2018 · Over the past nine years, the number of global ocean cargo carriers operating in multiple trade lanes has dropped from 21 to 12—yet the container industry remains only marginally competitive. Shippers, meanwhile, are demanding better service in all vessel deployments.
June 6, 2018 · As the e-commerce juggernaut creates more complexity for today’s logistics managers, finding the right mix of 3PLs with the essential integrated services has never been more important. Experts agree that this is a shared journey with new rules of engagement.
June 6, 2018 · Over the past few years, we’ve used our June issue to address the importance of continuing education and the steps logistics management professionals can take to help recruit, nurture and retain the single most valuable asset of any organization—its people.
June 6, 2018 · Done right, economies of scale can lower a carrier’s average costs and the freight rates charged to their customers. Getting it right is a balance.
June 6, 2018 · Future pricing leverage worrisome
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Latest in Logistics Management

Understanding the FTC’s ban on noncompetes
Crowell & Moring law partner Stefan Meisner discussed the recent decision by the Federal Trade Commission to ban noncompete agreements.

UPS rolls out fuel surcharge increases
Earlier this week, Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider UPS announced it is increasing fuel surcharges for various service offerings, including UPS Ground Domestic, UPS SurePost, and UPS Domestic Air

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes, for week of April 20, are mixed, reports AAR
Rail carloads, at 216,945, fell 6.7% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 257,599 units, rose 8.2% annually.

Baltimore suing ship that crashed into bridge, closing port, costing jobs
The city of Baltimore is suing the owners of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and closing the Port of Baltimore for months.

Intermodal growth volume remains intact in March, reports IANA
Total March volume, at 1,464,782 units, increased 6.7% annually, below February’s 14.6% annual increase, while topping November, December, and January, which saw gains of 3.8%, 6.4%, and 5.5%, respectively.   

Descartes announces acquisition of Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments
Earlier this week, Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, continued to flex its M&A muscle, acquiring Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments, a provider of customs and regulatory compliance service.

Amid ongoing unexpected events, supply chains continue to readjust and adapt
Expecting the unexpected going back to the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 has really been a part of supply chain and logistics lexicon. As we know, there were many logistics and supply chain “lessons learned” coming out of the pandemic, which clearly still remain intact today, especially including the need for supply chain resiliency and preparedness, as well as flexible and nimble deployment of labor, assets, and technology, among others.

Shipment and expenditure decreases trend down, notes Cass Freight Index
March’s shipment reading, at 1.113, fell 3.6% annually, down from February’s 4.5% decrease and January’s 7.6% decline.

March trucking tonnage trends down, reports ATA
The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 2%, to 113.4 (2015=100), following a 4% February gain, to 115.7, and a 3.2% January decline.

FTR Shippers Conditions Index enters negative territory
For February, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading came in at -1.4, below January’s 3.4, which was 3% below December’s 6.4 reading and also below November’s 6.3.

DAT March Truckload Volume Index sees modest March gains
From February to March, the the van TVI, at 260, was up 4%, with the refrigerated TVI, at 200, up 2.6%, and the flatbed TVI, at 242, up 4.4%.

National diesel average, for week of April 22, is down for the second straight week
For the week of April 22, the national average fell 2.3 cents, to $3.922. This followed a 2.3-cent decrease, to $4.015 per gallon, for the week of April 15, which was preceded by a 6.5-cent increase, to $4.004, for the week of April 8.

UPS reports first quarter earnings decline
Quarterly consolidated revenue, at $21.7 billion, fell 5.3% annually, and adjusted earnings per share, at $1.43, saw a 35.0% annual decline. Consolidated quarterly operating profit came in at $1.6 billion, which was off 36.5% annually.

LM Podcast Series: Assessing the freight transportation and logistics markets with Tom Nightingale, AFS Logistics
During this podcast, Nightingale provided a detailed overview of the new Cowen/AFS Freight Index report and variuous market issues.

Investor expectations continue to influence supply chain decision-making
More shareholders are expecting supply chains to become resilient to protect the bottom line.


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