Logistics Management Magazine Archives

August 2022 Logistics Management

In this Issue:

  • 39th Annual Quest for Quality Awards: Winners announced
  • Navigating ocean cargo unpredictability
  • ERP gains ground
  • Risk assessment tools
August 31, 2022 · Focused on resiliency and adaptability, companies are increasingly turning to software platforms that help them tackle their current supply challenges and also plan for the future.
August 31, 2022 · While there have been recent changes in temperature-controlled logistics, known as “cold chain,” there are many of the same players remaining in the sector, but with some new people skills, processes and technologies.
August 15, 2022 · 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.
August 15, 2022 · Less than Truckload (LTL) is equal to the e-commerce task.
August 15, 2022 · Again this year, winners in this TL category posted some of the strongest overall weighted scores of our survey.
August 15, 2022 · While rail freight and intermodal volumes waver, service stays steady.
August 15, 2022 · Infrastructure vital to service success.
August 15, 2022 · Ocean freight carrier service stars on the high seas.
August 15, 2022 · Third Party Logistics (3PLs) providing world-class service through highly-uncertain conditions
August 15, 2022 · Air cargo companies provide world-class service despite strong headwinds.
August 12, 2022 · Managing lift truck safety is daunting in today’s hectic materials handling environments, but safety-related technology is advancing rapidly, with sensor-driven solutions available that promise to avoid incidents before they happen.
August 8, 2022 · The entire staff of LM would like to thank the thousands of readers who took the time to respond this year. It’s your time and insight that drives the Quest for Quality and keeps it the purest snapshot of carrier and service provider quality available in the market.
August 8, 2022 · Shippers now need to reconsider how they position operations in a changing ocean market, how to plan and secure capacity, and how to develop long-term relationships with the most reliable ocean carriers. These are discussions focused on balanced, mutual commitments from all parties in an effort to mitigate future shipping chaos.
August 8, 2022 · On track to hit $78.4 billion in revenues by 2026, the global enterprise resource planning market is increasingly making its way into the supply chain management sector, where companies are leveraging their ERPs to both manage the current uncertainty and plan for the future.
August 8, 2022 · Now that the worst of it seems to be over, it’s time to take action to mitigate any future risk of supply chain disruptions. Developing a tool or using an existing software tool for assessing risk will help identify the weak links in your supply chain—but a tool alone is not enough.
August 8, 2022 · U.S. agencies are getting wake-up calls from Congress and shippers.
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Latest in Logistics Management

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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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. 

Supply Chain Stability Index sees ‘Tremendous Improvement’ in 2023
While 2023 proved to be a comeback year, there's still a ways to go before a return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

TD Cowen/AFS Freight presents mixed readings for parcel, LTL, and truckload revenues and rates
The new edition of the TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index, which was recently released by New York-based investment firm TD Cowen Inc. and Shreveport, La.-based 3PL and freight audit and payment company AFS Logistics LLC, was somewhat mixed, with less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload rates steady, and parcel rates being impacted by fuel surcharge increases and various accessorial charges amid lower demand.

Descartes March Global Shipping Report highlights ongoing steady volume momentum
From February to March, the report observed that U.S.-bound container import volumes eked out a 0.4% increase, to 2,145,341 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), while posting a 15.7% annual gain, ahead of pre-pandemic 2019 by 20.6%. Descartes explained that the timing of the week-long Lunar New Year in Asia, which commenced on February 11 may have held import growth back, as the subsequent impact on U.S. import numbers was not realized until the last two weeks of March.

U.S.-bound import growth track remains promising, notes Port Tracker report
Amid various supply chain issues, United States retail container ports are expected to see imports top the 2-million mark in May for the first time since October, according to the new edition of the Port Tracker report, which was issued today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates.

Norfolk Southern announces preliminary $600 million agreement focused on settling East Palestine derailment lawsuit
NS officials said that should this agreement be approved by the court, it will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment.


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