Topic: Blogs

As of July 1, only containers with a verified gross mass will be cleared to be loaded onto a ship under the International Maritime Organization’s Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Verified Gross Mass (VGM) amendment. Shippers hoping that the implementation of the ruling will be delayed or deferred are whistling in the dark, say industry analysts.

Amid the many worrisome economic indicators kicking around of late, something along the lines of good news came about this week in the form of United States new home sales data, issued by the United States Department of Commerce this week.

Regardless of the occupation of those readers that offered up their theses for the correct formula for supply chain success, there was one consistent theme across their replies: that being that there is no one definitive formula.

Even though the weather seems to be taking a positive turn, it is fair to say that the current outlook for the freight economy is not nearly as rosy at the moment.There are many reasons for that, with the majority of them based on more general, or macroeconomic, headwinds hovering about at the moment.

The relative merits of using an operating port rather than a landlord port have come into sharp relief recently as shippers confront the compliance deadline for the amendment to the International Maritime Organization’s Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention.

Industry analysts contend that the Teamsters are not declaring a strike outright, but rather, voting to give their leadership permission for such an action.

Regardless of capacity, pricing, or the economy, trucking industry regulations are never far from the freight transportation limelight. That is especially evident when it comes to the federally mandated hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. As usual, the current state of HOS remains somewhat fluid. And the reason for that has to do with legislation coming from the Senate Transportation Appropriations legislation that is currently being considered by the Senate.

Shippers and other ocean cargo carrier stakeholders should be cheering the announcement made today by The U.S. Coast Guard, as it formally notified the International Maritime Organization through a Declaration of Equivalency that the United States position on SOLAS is that there are multiple methods to submit the combined cargo and container weight (Verified Gross Mass or VGM).

Clarksons Research is reminding logistics managers that container shipping is 60 years old this week.

Analysts for Datamyne are telling logistics managers to add climate change to the factors that shape global trade.

Data published this week by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) puts the impact of being stuck in traffic, or more accurately, congestion into stark terms with a single data point: traffic congestion on the U.S. National Highway System (NHS) added over $49.6 billion in operational costs to the trucking industry in 2014.

Final thoughts on Modex 2016.

The U.S. Coast Guard may be prompted to provide more clarification on details contained in the pending Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) container weight rule soon, say maritime analysts.

The Department of Commerce this week deepened its bench of public and private sector supply chain, logistics, and freight transportation heavy hitters, announcing it has added 11 new members to its Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (ACSSC).

While everyone agrees that investment in infrastructure is key, only a handful of ports will reach "mega" proportions

WMS makes its case in a waveless world.

Supply chain transformation. Software and pouch sorters. The Internet of Things. Innovation. And, sustainability. Those were the five topics that came up in Bob Trebilcock's visits with suppliers on the MODEX floor on Monday.

In March, the NMI, hit 54.5 (a reading of 50 or higher indicates growth), which was 1.1 percent above February, while growing now for 80 consecutive months, coupled with economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector growing for 74 months through March.

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association Of America, Inc. (NCBFAA) has filed comments in response to an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) from the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regarding Discussion Agreements and vessel sharing agreements (VSAs).

The potential abuse of flags of convenience has again been brought to center stage with a feature in the Financial Times that argues that global terrorism is exploiting weaknesses in supply chain tracking and tracing.