Logistics Management Magazine Archives

July 2016 Logistics Management

In this issue:

  • State of Logistics: Pursue mutual benefit
  • Truckload brokerage roundtable
  • 5 overlooked WMS functions
  • State of voice technology
July 8, 2016 · New value proposition needed
July 8, 2016 · Ocean shippers to keep expectations in check
July 7, 2016 · New trade agreements may drive long-term recovery
July 7, 2016 · Volumes dip, service recovers
July 7, 2016 · TL carriers hammered on rates in soft, mid-year freight environment
July 7, 2016 · LTL carriers adjusting to “more competitive” pricing environment
July 7, 2016 · While it’s currently a shippers market, the authors of this year’s report contend that we’ve entered a “period of transition” that will usher in a realignment of capacity, lower inventories, economic growth and “moderately higher” rates. It’s time to tighten the ties that bind.
July 7, 2016 · Use of voice picking systems continues to grow to help distribution operations keep up with e-commerce driven “each” picking. Now, besides order picking of items, voice is expanding into other possible use cases, while vendors focus on gleaning workforce optimization insights from all the data being gathered.
July 6, 2016 · Supporting the day-to-day operations within the four walls of a warehouse is no easy task, but it can get particularly onerous when your hands are tied behind your back.
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Latest in Logistics Management

Understanding the FTC’s ban on noncompetes
Crowell & Moring law partner Stefan Meisner discussed the recent decision by the Federal Trade Commission to ban noncompete agreements.

UPS rolls out fuel surcharge increases
Earlier this week, Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider UPS announced it is increasing fuel surcharges for various service offerings, including UPS Ground Domestic, UPS SurePost, and UPS Domestic Air

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes, for week of April 20, are mixed, reports AAR
Rail carloads, at 216,945, fell 6.7% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 257,599 units, rose 8.2% annually.

Baltimore suing ship that crashed into bridge, closing port, costing jobs
The city of Baltimore is suing the owners of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and closing the Port of Baltimore for months.

Intermodal growth volume remains intact in March, reports IANA
Total March volume, at 1,464,782 units, increased 6.7% annually, below February’s 14.6% annual increase, while topping November, December, and January, which saw gains of 3.8%, 6.4%, and 5.5%, respectively.   

Descartes announces acquisition of Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments
Earlier this week, Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, continued to flex its M&A muscle, acquiring Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments, a provider of customs and regulatory compliance service.

Amid ongoing unexpected events, supply chains continue to readjust and adapt
Expecting the unexpected going back to the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 has really been a part of supply chain and logistics lexicon. As we know, there were many logistics and supply chain “lessons learned” coming out of the pandemic, which clearly still remain intact today, especially including the need for supply chain resiliency and preparedness, as well as flexible and nimble deployment of labor, assets, and technology, among others.

Shipment and expenditure decreases trend down, notes Cass Freight Index
March’s shipment reading, at 1.113, fell 3.6% annually, down from February’s 4.5% decrease and January’s 7.6% decline.

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.


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