A recent study of American shoppers revealed that online shoppers from 20 years old into their mid-thirties expect to have same day shipping as an option when they make purchases online. While veterans of the e-commerce world probably are not surprised at these numbers, they do point to a large gap between what many online shoppers want and what giant, traditional retailers are used to. Online giants like Amazon have changed the playing field with expeditious picking and shipping of orders from a network of geographically placed warehouses, and next day small parcel shipping options.
Australia’s domestic freight task is expected to triple from its current size by 2050. There is a concerted industry push to increase rail’s share of the growing freight transport task through productivity and customer focused initiatives. As a result, major additions to the inland transportation hub are being planned to accommodate the uptick in rail volumes.
Often, shipping managers are quick to pick the lowest priced carrier for an LTL shipment. While price is certainly a big factor, there are some other things that should be considered in addition to price. Factors such as transit time, carrier safety records, and on-time performance are key elements in making sure that you pick the right carrier for a given shipment. Frequency with which shipments are damaged by each carrier should also be given priority in the decision making process.
Are you making any of the following 5 common international shipping mistakes that are more costly than Tom Brady's actions in Deflategate?
If you’re a sports fan, you know that everyone is talking about the punishment the NFL is doling out to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for breaking rules by deflating footballs in the AFC Championship game last season.Tom Brady has been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming NFL season, among other team related penalties.
New international and domestic air trade policies are being devised, by many governments, to increase air cargo services at both domestic and international airports. The objective is to attract air cargo carriers that offer various services for the export and import of all types of domestic and international air cargo.
Due to fewer loads available and increasing truck capacity, rates on the spot freight market continued falling the past week.
From Jan. 18 through Jan. 24 flatbeds posted the biggest decline, compared to the previous week. This decline caused them to shed 1.8%, for an average of $2.21 per mile. A decline in the line haul portion of the rate caused about three quarters of this drop, while the rest was due to a lower fuel surcharge. This is compared to a rate of $2.31 per mile for the seven-day period ending Jan. 3.
A record number of courier and trucking businesses collapsing last year led to a raise of insolvencies in the logistics industry. Insolvencies jumped from 20% to 221 in 2014, which is more than double the 2010 figure. Overcapacity in the sector drove prices down.
Lade AS, a Norwegian ship designer, has revealed a new, futuristic design for cargo ships. The new vessel will be using the ships’ hulls as the sail. The ‘Vindskip’ is inspired by sailboats and aerospace technology. The hull is a symmetrical air foil designed to use wind for propulsion, which will generate aerodynamic lift, pulling in the ship’s direction.
New vessels are being built bigger than ever and shipping lines are forming bigger alliances to make the most of them. Shipping lines are utilizing larger ships by allowing other alliance members' cargo on their vessels. However, the past few months have left container stacking areas in the quays full and overflowing. In particular Los Angeles and Long Beach have been citing struggles in handling the massive volume of empty containers during this past peak shipping season.
The U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service gave a statement that it will aid in resolving the still unsolved negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. These groups represent employers and up to 20,000 dockworkers respectively at over twenty ports along the western coastline. Federal mediators are seeking to put an end to these stalled negotiations that have filled the freight shipping news for the past few months.
