Logistics Management Magazine Archives

October 2020 Logistics Management

In this Issue:

  • 2020 Intermodal Roundtable: Switching to pre-pandemic track
  • The new transportation management playbook
  • The future of inventory management
  • Leveraging FTZs
  • Top 30 Ocean Carriers: Higher profits as demand ramps up
October 7, 2020 · Three leading intermodal analysts take a deep dive into how the sector has turned the corner, as service levels and volumes are now showing strong signs of recovery.
October 6, 2020 · The shiny new technology may be autonomous lift trucks, but the driverless truck is far from the only trend—and may not be the best step for some operations. Other technologies, including fleet management and telematics, cameras and virtual reality training present a spectrum of technologies that can make lift truck operations more efficient.
October 6, 2020 · 2020 marks the 15th year that we’re offering our readers a line up of educational sessions (going live on Dec. 10) designed to prepare logistics and supply chain operations for the year to come.
October 6, 2020 · Although a fleet’s power source is often taken for granted, the benefits of adding, changing or replacing power sources can have far-reaching operational impacts.
October 5, 2020 · While shippers work to overcome the challenges introduced by COVID-19 and settle into this new world, a focused approach bridged by digital capabilities will help bring some semblance of order out of the uncertainty. Here are three areas to consider on your way to stabilization.
October 5, 2020 · RTLS technology combined with the continued evolution of WMS user interfaces promises to take inventory management to a new level by allowing improved visibility and control. Here’s how RTLS may end up helping inventory management, alongside proven methods like vigorous bar code data collection and validation of moves within WMS.
October 5, 2020 · By utilizing foreign trade zones this year, U.S. shippers can save time, money and lower their risk window when doing business with manufacturers in Mexico and Canada.
October 5, 2020 · Industry experts maintain that ocean carriers may have finally figured out how to make money this year, as sluggish demand last summer made sustainable pricing more important than ever. Shippers now can’t afford to miss vital bookings this peak season, thereby committing to contracts early.
October 5, 2020 · Make the business case for transportation management.
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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
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