In this Issue:
- E-commerce Effect: Change for the better
- Parcel challenges persist
- Transform reverse logistics
- 2022 Warehouse/DC Equipment Survey
- LTL Market Update: LTL carriers flex muscles
Logistics Management Magazine Archives
March 2022 Logistics Management
March 31, 2022 · Europe’s transport and logistics industry faces new challenges.
March 28, 2022 · It’s expected that the USPS will broaden its revenue base with new services, and that will offset the steady decline in first class mail volumes. It’s also expected that USPS will raise its competitive profile by delivering mail and other services to businesses and consumers.
March 28, 2022 · Here’s how to build a culture of equality.
March 7, 2022 · The impact of e-commerce on freight transportation has been profound, and it’s not restricted to any single mode—in fact, all have been affected. What’s the reality and what does it mean going forward?
March 7, 2022 · The labor crunch is a serious issue, not just for front-line employees in DC and other supply chain sites, but when it comes to higher-level supply chain talent, too. We surveyed supply chain professionals and found less than one-third feel their companies are highly prepared to handle demand with current staff, while two-thirds have increased wages to try to retain more people.
March 3, 2022 · By working in tandem with other warehouse systems, robotics and automation, WMS has positioned itself as a must-have supply chain application for companies across the board—especially in tackling the labor shortage and adapting to change.
March 3, 2022 · Three of our top parcel industry sources offer their respective takes on one of the most ubiquitous parts of freight transportation and logistics—parcel and last-mile delivery. With providers and carriers continuing to have the upper hand over shippers, they suggest to leave no stone unturned when it comes to carrier selection and leveraging partnerships.
March 3, 2022 · We use the March issue of Logistics Management to track the evolution of e-commerce and how this tectonic shift continues to make an impact on how we manage the new pressures of order fulfillment and freight transportation.
March 2, 2022 · Reverse logistics can no longer be considered a standalone capability. It should be seamlessly incorporated into the end-to-end supply chain as a standard process—contributing to the delivery of a superior customer experience while being mindful of cost and sustainability impacts.
March 2, 2022 · Warehouse and DC managers are feeling the pressure of e-commerce growth, high order volumes, as well as deep concerns around labor availability and international supply chain snarls. In response, our survey found that they’re ramping up spending for automation—but also spending more on their labor force to ensure an adequate pool of workers to keep goods flowing.
March 1, 2022 · LTL carriers are in command of a tight capacity market as the sector takes advantage of e-commerce, last-mile, and time-sensitive deliveries. Rate hikes can be expected, but savvy shippers can avoid the bulk of those increases through elimination of wasteful practices.
March 1, 2022 · The consolidation of the major logistics services continues. A.P. Moeller-Maersk, the largest ocean carrier group, recently announced the acquisition of U.S.-based Pilot and gave notice of more purchases of transport and warehousing assets to come soon.
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Latest in Logistics Management
Port Tracker report is bullish on import growth over the balance of 2024
May 8, 2024
For March, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker reported that import volume, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.93 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), down 1.4% compared to February and up 18.7% annually, a period when Asian export activity was slow on the heels of Lunar New Year shutdowns, it noted.
Varying opinions on the tracks regarding STB’s adopted reciprocal switching rule
May 8, 2024
Feedback regarding the recent adoption of the reciprocal switching rule by the Washington, D.C.-based Surface Transportation Board (STB), an independent adjudicatory and economic-regulatory agency charged by Congress with resolving railroad rate and service disputes and reviewing proposed railroad mergers, could be viewed as mixed.
National diesel average falls for the fourth consecutive week, reports EIA
May 8, 2024
The national average, at $3.894 per gallon, fell 5.3 cents, below the $3.947 national average, for the week of April 29.
New Descartes’ study examines consumer preferences, changes, and shifts in e-commerce home delivery preferences
May 7, 2024
A new study issued today by Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, showed some disparities in the intersection of online buying and home delivery processes. The study, entitled “Online Buying Grows But Too Many Customers Still Experiencing Delivery Woes,” was based on feedback from 8,000 consumers surveyed by Descartes and SAPIO Research, across Europe and North America over the first quarter. This is the third annual edition of Descartes’ e-commerce home delivery report.
Potential Canadian rail strike could damage the country’s economy
May 7, 2024
Over 9,000 rail workers poised to walk off job, disrupting critical transportation routes used by various industries.
C.H. Robinson highlights progress of its AI-focused offerings with a focus on automating shipping processes
May 7, 2024
Taking steps to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to automate various types of shipping transactions conducted over e-mail, Minneapolis, Minn.-based global third-party logistics (3PL) services provider and freight forwarder C.H. Robinson (CHR) today heralded the progress it has made on that front, calling the utilization a key step in breaking “a long-standing barrier to automation.
UPS announces CFO Newman to leave company, effective June 1
May 6, 2024
Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider UPS said that effective June 1, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brian Newman will leave the company.
Preliminary April North American Class 8 net orders are mixed
May 6, 2024
FTR reported that preliminary April net orders, at 14,400 units, were off 25% compared to March and 12.5% annually. And it added that over the last 12 months, total Class 8 orders were at 267,700 units. ACT reported that April Class 8 orders, art 15,600 units, were off 1,800 units compared to March, while posting a 30% annual gain, in what it called a very easy year-ago comparison.
Senators take a close look at Amazon with Warehouse Worker Protection Act
May 6, 2024
The proposed legislation aims to regulate the use of productivity quotas and improve safety for workers.
Despite American political environment, global geopolitical risks could be easing
May 6, 2024
While there is plenty of danger around the world, the reality of interconnected supply chains may be prevailing.
Maryland DOT: $1.9 billion and up to four years to rebuild bridge sunk near Baltimore port
May 6, 2024
It will take just over four years and up to $1.9 billion to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was hit by a cargo ship and fell into the Patapsco River, according to an estimate by the Maryland Department of Transportation. The state plans to build a new span by the fall of 2028, spokesman David Broughton said. He also said it will likely cost anywhere from $1.7 billion-to-$1.9 billion to rebuild the span after the container ship Dali lost power...
April Services PMI contracts after 15 months of growth, reports ISM
May 3, 2024
The Services PMI, at 49.4 (a reading of 50 or higher signals growth) fell 2.0%. The last time the index contracted was in December 2022, when it came in at 49 and prior to that the last month seeing contraction was in May 2020, when it came in at 45.4.
2023 industrial big-box leasing activity heads down but remains on a steady path, notes CBRE report
May 3, 2024
In the report, entitled “2024 North America Industrial Big-Box Review & Outlook,” CBRE said that Food & Beverage was the third most active occupier for big-box leasing activity, at 8.6%, with Automobiles, Tires & Parts, E-commerce Only, and Building Materials & Construction rounding out the top six, at 7.0%, 5.4%, and 5.3%, respectively.
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Comau’s Advanced Solutions Drive The Benefits Of Automation For Diversified Industries May 3, 2024
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U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed in April, reports AAR
May 3, 2024
Rail carloads, at 848,882, were down 6.5%, or 58,751 carloads, annually. Intermodal containers and trailers, at 1,018,569 units, increased 8.6%, or 80,471 units, annually.
