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

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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