Logistics Management Magazine Archives

March 2018 Logistics Management

In this Issue:

  • Evolution of E-commerce: The possibilities of tomorrow
  • Parcel express business boom
  • Modern age WMS trends
  • WDC Equipment Survey: Automation, robotics lead robust outlook
  • State of Industrial Real Estate: It's crunch time
  • Modex Show Preview: Connect and compete
March 5, 2018 · We know e-commerce is reshaping logistics, but what are the technologies savvy managers can leverage to meet evolving requirements and shifting operational constraints? We’ve rounded up insights from leading analysts to share tools that are available now as well as what’s on the horizon.
March 5, 2018 · As e-commerce flourishes, product returns have become even peskier. At the same time, those in the third-party logistics space who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty are helping shippers create new revenue streams by accommodating the booming demand.
March 4, 2018 · 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.
March 2, 2018 · Our experts offer their insight into what’s driving market trends and share practical advice for how logistics operations need to re-adjust to ever-shifting conditions—especially as business booms and new entrants loom.
March 1, 2018 · Here’s how the next generation of warehouse and inventory management systems are evolving to help logistics operations operate more efficiently and improve their bottom lines in our brave, new digital age.
March 1, 2018 · Our annual survey reveals a bullish outlook for continued material handling investments, with enthusiasm extending into newer technologies such as robotics as well as warehouse control system software and the closely related category of warehouse execution systems.
March 1, 2018 · DCs are hot, especially for e-commerce fulfillment. But with so much demand, space availability is not necessarily ready to be had. Companies examining their supply chains need to be savvy about what they’re up against in terms of site selection—and realize that an ideal location will come at a higher cost.
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Latest in Logistics Management

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index falls to lowest level since last September
For March, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI came in at- 7.25, following February’s -5.31 reading.

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed, for week ending May 11, reports AAR
Rail carloads, at 209,319, fell 7.0% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 254,429 units, rose 7.7% annually.

Cass Freight Index points to annual shipments and expenditures declines
April’s shipment reading, at 1.098, decreased 4.0% annually, and expenditures, at 3.227, were off 16.8% annually.

ALAN opens up its nominations for 2024 Humanitarian Logistics Awards
The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) has officially opened nominations for its eighth annual Humanitarian Logistics Awards.

U.S.-bound import growth remains intact in April, reports Descartes
From March to April, the report found that U.S.-bound container import volumes were up 3.0% compared to March and were up 9.3% annually, coming in at 2,208,849 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). Descartes explained that the 3.0% gain was downwardly impacted by the effects of the Chinese Lunar Year, adding that when compared to pre-pandemic April 2019, volumes increased 15.1%.

Looking at a reshoring history lesson
A three-decade expert in supply chain, the Reshoring Institute’s Rosemary Coates explains how the reshoring trend has progressed.

NTSB: Ship lost power twice before slamming into Baltimore bridge, closing port
Twice the huge container ship Dali lost power and slammed into one of the bridge's support columns, causing the Francis Scott Key Bridge to fall into the waters outside Baltimore, killing six and causing the closing to maritime traffic of one of the busiest ports on the East Coast.

ISM May Semiannual Report points to growth in 2024, at a reduced rate
As was the case in its previous edition in December, the manufacturing and services sectors remain on diverging paths, to a certain extent, in May. One common theme the sectors share, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) May 2024 Semiannual Economic Forecast, which was issued today, is that growth is expected over the balance of the year, albeit at reduced rates.

April retail sales are mixed, reports Commerce and NRF
Commerce reported that April retail trade sales were up 0.4% over March and were up 2.7% annually. And the National Retail Federation reported that NRF reported that February’s core retail sales, which it bases on Census data and excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants, fell 0.2% on a seasonally-adjusted basis compared to March and were up 3.9% on an unadjusted basis annually.

LM Podcast Series: S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Rogers assesses 2024 import landscape
In this podcast, Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviews Chris Rogers, Head of Supply Chain Research for S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Following USTR review, White House announces tariff increases on certain U.S.-bound imports from China
The impetus for the increase in tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion worth of imports from China is due to various actions China has taken, according to the White House, including unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation threatening American workers and flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports.

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Inflation continues to have a wide-ranging impact on supply chains, notes Blue Yonder survey
Blue Yonder’s annual survey finds cost of materials and transportation being impacted; disruptions remain.

National diesel average decreases for the fifth consecutive week, reports EIA
The national average, at $3.848 per gallon, dropped 4.6 cents from the $3.894 average, for the week of May 6, which was off 5.3 cents from the $3.947 average, for the week of April 29.

New Union Pacific service connects Southern California and Chicago
New route promises three-day delivery, enhancing supply chain efficiency


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Your Road Guide to Worry-Free Shipping Between the U.S. and Canada
Get expert guidance and best practices to help you navigate the cross-border shipping process with ease. Download our free white paper today!
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