Topic: Blogs

Even if there's a turnaround, don't expect the growth rates that we saw in the 1990’s or the 2000’s

Even though the ELD deadline is not until December 2017, shippers and carriers need to be sure they are compliant and ready when the time comes.

Exactly one year after the devastating West Coast port dispute concluded, the Washington Council on International Trade has released a study that finds Washington state lost $769.5 million in economic activity during that approximately six month period.

From its inception as an online book retailer, to being the world’s biggest e-commerce company, Amazon’s influence and control over the sector has been almost absolute.

When Congress passed the overwhelmingly-supported and bipartisan Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA) in 2014, it established annual incremental increases for Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) funded work.

The NRF is calling for 2016 retail industry sales, excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants, to see a 3.1 percent annual increase.

The U.S. Customs & Border Protection announced earlier this week that it will delay the implementation of some parts of its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) electronic document single window platform beyond the current February 28th deadline.

While the PMA-ILWU dispute was settled last spring, a new port-related labor issue popped up on the East Coast last week, when a labor dispute on Friday, January 29 occurred when union members of the International Longshoremen Association (ILA), the largest union of maritime workers in North America, walked off the docks at the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest East Coast port and second largest U.S. port.

With the Super Bowl coming to the San Francisco Bay Area this week security is bound to be top of mind that weekend, and you can expect a heightened level of vigilance on the waterfront.

Logistics managers seeking yet one more forecast as the year gets underway, may wish to check in with Rodger Howell, PwC’s Strategy& Principal, specializing in strategy and operations. He sees a few key areas that should be central to corporate efforts during 2016.

While the investments are beyond impressive, 2016 capital expenditure investments rolled out by Class I railroads in recent weeks paint a picture of lower annual spending levels compared to past years.

Despite the many peaks and valleys freight flows saw in 2015, one mode that collectively saw more of the former was intermodal. That was especially clear in December and full-year 2015 volumes from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).

Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle will share his vision for 2016 and beyond at the annual “State of the Port of Oakland” luncheon sponsored by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and Women in Logistics this Thursday.

Various economic headwinds are standing in the way of true retail sales growth, even though the numbers show modest gains.

The advent of the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays, but can also be disruptive to U.S. supply chains.

Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said in a Reuters report this week that railroad mergers are not in the best interests of the industry, adding that UP is working behind the scenes to make sure industry M&A does not occur, as well as talking to other railroads about the potential impact of a merger.

Over the last several years, there has been heightened attention on the Chinese economy and for good reason, too, what with booming GDP numbers, consumer demand, and overall growth.

2015 holiday season deliveries saw solid forward momentum and efficiency.

Intermodalism is set to grow even faster as more business is conducted in cross-border commerce.

If recent stories are any indication, transportation, sourcing, inventory management and supply chain resilience will dominate supply chain projects next year.