Topic: Columns

Any agreement that will ease tensions with China will be welcomed by the Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT). Indeed, the group recently released a new report that details the many industries and regions in Washington state that have a major stake in the outcome.

It’s a phenomenon that has not only fundamentally altered retail logistics operations, but has ushered in similar demands between suppliers and trading partners across manufacturing and B2B industries.

If I were to share a single observation from this year’s CSCMP conference, it would be this: Nearly every conversation I had in Nashville touched on the motor carrier capacity crisis.

The wave of laws and regulatory sunsetting that marked the 1980s seems like obscure history to the current crop of transportation managers and analysts.

When the “3PL Value Creation/North America Summit 2018” convenes in Chicago this month, shippers will hear from a diverse group of industry experts on how to drive the best deals with their lead providers in both the global and domestic arenas.

The recent capacity shortages in trucking have been felt across the nation, and if you’re responsible for shipping fresh food products or temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, you’re probably particularly anxious.

The staff of Logistics Management (LM) is honored to present the logistics and transportation community with the results of our “35th Annual Quest for Quality Survey”

While air cargo volumes continue to stage a modest uptick, shippers are now waiting to see how the introduction of larger freight aircraft might serve to sustain this growth. At the same time, shippers need to keep an eye on which domestic airports are prepared to handle more capacity and the new demands driven by e-commerce.

News emanating from the U.S. West Coast indicates that among many of the critical risks logistics managers must confront these days is that of forced labor.

Things remain on solid footing in the freight transportation and logistics market and likely will for the foreseeable future.

There are two areas where shippers will feel the effect of the growing water and air pollution problem: freight costs and various taxes and fees.

As the economy and GDP grows, so too does container volume. But some North American ports are capitalizing on their competitive advantages and growing faster than the overall market.

While tactically scrambling for coverage, shippers need to begin now to strategically build relationships that will sustain competitive cost and service metrics over many years.

Over the past few years, we’ve used our June issue to address the importance of continuing education and the steps logistics management professionals can take to help recruit, nurture and retain the single most valuable asset of any organization—its people.

Future pricing leverage worrisome

One of the most satisfying parts of covering a market over the course of many years is watching technology trends move from theory, to conference chatter, to reality. And while I’ve always been an advocate for the adoption of new technology, I’ll admit that I’ve viewed this progression with a slightly skeptical eye.

It’s safe to say that nearly every logistics professional reading this issue is feeling the pressures that digital commerce has introduced into their operations. Indeed, e-commerce has brought with it both increased opportunity and complexity.

As shippers, intermediaries and ship owners look ahead a few years to forecast trends in several areas of change, there’s one area that would be smart for everyone to put some effort into—billing accuracy.

John Wolfe, CEO of The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) sat down with Logistics Management editors.