Logistics Management Magazine Archives

August 2021 Logistics Management

In this Issue:

  • 38th Annual Quest for Quality Awards: World-class service wins the day
  • 2021 Ocean Cargo Roundtable: New normal settles in
  • ERP's expansive scope
  • Lift Truck Series: Part 3
  • Special Report: Industrial real estate in short supply
August 31, 2021 · Our annual survey reveals that logistics is no longer just a cost of doing business. Today, it’s the source of strategic innovation and an essential part of how organizations are competing and preparing for an unpredictable tomorrow.
August 31, 2021 · While most of the focus on cold chain logistics has been primarily on pharmaceuticals and medical goods during the pandemic, the food logistics industry is now under increasing scrutiny and enormous pressure to improve performance.
August 31, 2021 · Why all companies should be paying more attention to what’s going on in their yards and how they can leverage technology to orchestrate this essential link in their supply chains.
August 31, 2021 · The retail leader gave new life to an existing facility that sets the standard for e-fulfillment at Gap Inc. What’s more, it brought the 1.2-million-square-foot facility online two months ahead of schedule during a pandemic.
August 31, 2021 · Known for supporting higher levels of visibility, supply chain software is taking center stage as companies adjust to a “new normal” operating environment and plan for the future.
August 30, 2021 · Despite the high hurdles facing the freight forwarding industry, positive indicators point to continued growth especially for forwarders with the resources, capability, and the culture to adapt.
August 30, 2021 · This year on the transportation performance side, many of the findings support the fact that, while disruptive, the pandemic has greatly amplified the importance of logistics operations.
August 30, 2021 · With the invention of refrigeration in the last century came new options for faster, lighter construction materials and more options for shippers both domestically and internationally.
August 16, 2021 · Which carriers, third-party logistics providers and U.S. ports reached the pinnacle of service excellence during the most complex period in modern history? Our readers have cast their votes and now it’s time to introduce this year’s winners of the coveted Quest for Quality Awards.
August 15, 2021 · Volumes and service soar to record highs.
August 15, 2021 · Resiliency now vital in keeping service levels high
August 15, 2021 · Balance achieved, service delivered.
August 15, 2021 · World-class service amid booming volumes.
August 15, 2021 · Rewarding top service as volumes get back on track.
August 15, 2021 · Exceptional service in a tough environment.
August 15, 2021 · Equal to the e-commerce challenge
August 11, 2021 · This marks the 11th year we’ve devoted a majority of our August issue to the lift truck, the steadfast workhorse of the materials handling market and the consummate backbone of nearly every warehouse and DC on the planet—no matter the level of automation being put to work inside the four walls.
August 9, 2021 · Shippers might as well forget about planning for a peak season, industry analysts contend. Due to ongoing pressures from e-commerce and post-pandemic demand, ocean carriers are operating at crisis-driven velocity for the foreseeable future.
August 9, 2021 · Enterprise resource planning software suites are sometimes referred to as “back office” solutions because they unite financials and other corporate processes. But, for small- to mid-sized businesses, ERP is much more.
August 5, 2021 · Faced with product shortages, today not only are shippers looking to replenish shelves, but the movement from just-in-time inventory management to safety stock arrangements is causing an uptick in storage needs.
August 5, 2021 · The pandemic put chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) in the vanguard of change and has empowered them to redefine resiliency and lead transformation in a responsible and sustainable way.
August 5, 2021 · In the 1980s, it was the granting of 48 state authorities by the ICC that opened the trucking and airline industry to competition. This could work for rail—not just local reciprocal switching, but national reciprocal trackage rights might enable competition over shared lines. Let’s reimagine rail.
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Latest in Logistics Management

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.

Sponsored Content
The Next Big Steps in Supply Chain Digitalization
Technology continues to advance and new developments are building on the foundation that is now in place in many supply chains. Here are five of the most significant advances shaping the next wave of digitalization.

Under-21 driver pilot program a bust with fleets as FMCSA seeks changes
The FMSCA says only 113 motor carriers have applied for its under-21 truck driver apprenticeship program since July 2022. That is a very disappointing turnout for an initiative that the government had expected to recruit up to 1,000 carriers and 3,000 drivers.

Diesel back over $4 a gallon; Mideast tensions, other worries cited
Diesel prices are back over $4 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly, on-highway survey of prices at 73,000 service stations and 9,500 truck stops around the country. Average diesel prices rose by 6.5 cents, increasing to $4.06 per gallon as of Monday, April 8. The Western states of Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington saw the highest average price increase for the period, rising 11 cents to $4.26 per gallon.

Four U.S. railroads file challenges against FRA’s two-person crew mandate, says report
Following the issuing of a final rule by the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) earlier this month, establishing establishes minimum safety requirements for train crew sizes, with the new rule requiring a second crew member on all trains, four U.S.-based railroads are calling on federal appeals courts to toss out the rule, calling it “arbitrary, capricious, and an illegal abuse of discretion,” according to an Associated Press report.

XPO opens up three new services acquired through auction of Yellow’s properties and assets
XPO opened up three of the 28 service center locations it acquired through an early December court-supervised auction, in which a dozen trucking companies bought properties that resold about three-fourths of Yellow’s properties for a total of just under $1.9 billion.

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index weakens, due to fuel price gains
For February, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI reading came in a -5.31, down from January’s -1.41, which was ahead of December’s -4.3.

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, for week ending April 6, reports AAR
Rail carloads, at 209,142, were off 4.5% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 241,000 units, increased 7.6% annually.

LM Podcast Series: Examining the freight railroad and intermodal markets with Tony Hatch
In this podcast, Tony Hatch offered up his views on various aspects of the freight railroad and intermodal sectors, including: market conditions, service levels, volumes, and nearshoring, among others. 


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