Business

Innovators worldwide are finding new ways to simplify and disintermediate the execution layer of the supply chain.

An investigation of the former DOT secretary highlights the need to restore trust in the federal infrastructure grant process.

The United States’ infrastructure was put to the test recently when Winter Storm Uri passed through the lower half of the country. As a result, production at petrochemical plants shut down and the industry is now on the brink of a potential seat shortage.

Instacart may forgo the traditional path to public status and sell its shares directly to the public, according to a Reuters report.

This week, President Biden announced we will have enough vaccinations for every American by the end of May. For the American people, this is fantastic news. For apparel retailers, it’s euphoric news that complicates an already extremely uncertain environment. In this edition of Point of Sale, we’ll take a look at apparel inventory management through the lens of Nordstrom’s recent woes.

February generally shows an increase in the number of trucking jobs, but not in 2021

Republican lawmakers push back on Biden’s ‘big, bold vision’ ahead of infrastructure talks.

Craig Fuller reasons that if “project44 is the Visa of the industrial world, then having the greatest acceptance and connectivity will be a major differentiating factor.”

The size of the Variant fleet reached 900 this week, ahead of schedule. CEO Fuller is touting improvement in OR of 2,000 bps when fully implemented.

PowerFleet’s LV-400 allows users to remotely monitor and make changes to the reefer trailer from their PC.

Amazon-backed Deliveroo announces plans to go public less than a year after British regulators questioned the viability of the business.

J.B. Hunt believes recent winter storms will negatively impact first-quarter operating income by $15 million to $20 million. The company said it had been successful advancing its intermodal service initiatives prior to the storms.

As Amazon continues to dominate e-commerce, major retailers are stepping up their investments hoping to benefit from shifting consumer demands.

“Ocean Insights has dominated the container-tracking space, and we look forward to providing the industry not only the best ocean capabilities but also the most comprehensive end-to-end visibility platform,” says project44 CEO Jett McCandless.

We are on the cusp of a golden age of technology-led innovation in supply chain.

Several of the nation’s largest retailers say inventory positions are improving. However, retail sales continue to outpace efforts to stock up, suggesting trucking demand could stay elevated well into 2021.

Supply chain software provider Descartes Systems Group has “sold more stuff than we’ve ever sold before” in recent quarters, its CEO says as revenue and profits soar.

Tim Adams invented We Care Safety Flaps to reduce “collateral damage” from accidents involving tractor-trailers.

Flatbed transportation and logistics provider PS Logistics remains on the acquisition trail, purchasing the assets of Indiana carrier Jason Jones Trucking. The tuck-in deal allows JJT to keep operating under its own name.

The AAR released climate policy proposals encouraging partnerships and market solutions that promote competition and carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.

Ocean Audit’s Steve Ferreira and AutoZone’s Jack Conaghan discuss how beneficial cargo owners should strategize contracts and containers during 2021.

Less-than-truckload carrier Saia reported a small decline in volumes during February, reversing the more than 5% increase recorded in January. Excluding inclement weather, the carrier said trends remain consistent with January.

Brian Whitley’s airfreight business has been growing rapidly, but the events of 2020 forced him to adapt to quickly changing conditions.

You need to put yourself out there, be realistic and be patient to build a niche audience, says Tom Augenthaler, founder of 551 Media. “It doesn’t happen overnight.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the nation’s infrastructure an overall grade of C-, up from a grade of D+ four years ago, the association revealed Wednesday in […]

The asset-light warehouse startup will use the capital to expand its network, co-founder says.

HSBC global economist James Pomeroy says we won’t be buying all the one-off big-ticket items we did during the pandemic’s first year.

The Biden administration signaled on day one that it was going to roll back some late Trump administration rules; the independent contractor rule came out Jan. 7.

Growth in the supply chain came at a faster pace in February, with transportation capacity falling and prices climbing at accelerated rates.

U.S. rail operator CSX says it is investigating a “data security incident” after a ransomware gang appears to have leaked personal information of employees and retirees.

CBP seized the Hong Kong-bound corn flakes frosted with cocaine at an express consignment facility near Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Evan Efstathiou discusses why VCs are looking to invest more in maritime just as shipowners are looking to partner more with startups.

Verifai founder and CEO Jonathan Kempe chats with cybersecurity expert Rich Mason and supply chain expert Amy Broglin-Peterson on how and why companies should aim for data trustworthiness and become knowledgeable about the ethics guiding their supply chain partners.

Carrier Averitt Express said it was raising pay for its newly hired regional truckload and flatbed drivers. The company becomes the latest to increase driver pay as the industry struggles to seat tractors.

The Global Secure Shipping project began after 9/11 when the government sought increased security at ports. This fireside chat explores the customs, weight, six-sided security and visibility benefits of smart containers.

This fireside chat about logistical trends in artificial intelligence and automation highlights a variety of misconceptions. “Almost immediate ROI” might be enough to steer logistics companies toward AI, said Kate Curtin, head of marketing at Deep Cognition.

The company’s 2020 sales gains were higher than in the past 11 years combined.

Gordon Downes, CEO of New York Shipping Exchange, joins Ocean Audit’s head Steve Ferreira to chat about structural changes in container shipping and the place two-way committed contracts have in the industry.

The bankruptcy filing by Hertz threatened to dump a glut of trucks and cars onto the used vehicle market if the company did not find a way to survive.

Other athletes may look at sports-related or media-related investments. But Kelvin Beachum, an offensive tackle, is deep into tech startups.

Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion reported Tuesday that February results were impacted as inclement weather took hold on parts of its network during the month. However, the carrier noted that the deceleration from January’s robust growth rate lasted for only one week.

Some people think the B2B exception is almost hopeless, but others see it as difficult but still the only way the independent contractor mode can survive in the Golden State.

Amazon may get the headlines for promising fast deliveries, but if it can’t get the product from overseas, the efficiency of trucks and delivery vans won’t make a difference.

KeepTruckin is petitioning the National Transportation Safety Board to rescind its recommendation that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration remove the company’s logging devices from its list of self-certified vendors following a fiery crash that killed seven motorcyclists.

Logistics provider ArcBest Corp. reported that the positive trends in its asset-based segment during January were derailed by poor weather in February. Overall, less-than-truckload fundamentals “remain generally positive,” according to one analyst.

Suvrat Joshi joins logistics software-as-a-service platform FarEye as chief product officer.

Philip Damas, managing director at Drewry Shipping Consultants, and Andy Gillespie, director of global logistics at Ansell Healthcare Products, chat about the current port congestion and how the situation can be corrected.

Shipping experts chat about the COVID-19 supply chain and how consumer e-commerce demand has impacted seasonality and congestion in freight.

Supply chain digitization strategies impact shippers, carriers, 3PLs and consumers. Christian Piller, vice president of value engineering at project44, and Dolly Wagner-Wilkins, chief technology officer at Worldwide Express, discuss the benefits and challenges that digitization strategies bring.

Lower fuel expenses helped privately held BNSF’s net income grow by 5% in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Duncan Wright, president at UWL, shares advice for shippers navigating difficult challenges, from port congestion to carrier contracts.

In a wide-ranging keynote during the FreightWaves Global Supply Chain Week, former U.S. Senator Bob Corker expressed concern for America’s global status.

After a disruptive year, Mexico’s automotive industry hopes to revive a manufacturing sector depressed by the pandemic, along with shortages of vital components and energy for factories.

The owners of defunct Westfield Transport Inc. of West Springfield, Massachusetts, were indicted on federal charges of falsifying driving logs on Friday. Prosecutors assert the Gasanov brothers hired Volodymyr Zhukovskyy two days before his involvement in a fatal crash that killed seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire in June 2019,

“Ordering a truck in Poland is completely different than shipping something in Greece or Portugal.”

Life cycle management and recycling expert Lauren Roman dives into what it takes to responsibly recycle electric vehicle batteries.

In the oil patch, a significant share of logistics activity is highly repetitive. Blockchain can automate the payment processes.

Allyn International experts discuss how a 4PL control tower acts as the nervous system in a global supply chain.

Tesla has shut down production of its California assembly plant for two weeks due to a variety of supply chain problems. Should there be concerns over the true demand for Tesla vehicles?

FreightWaves is bringing back its in-person events this year with the F3: Future of Freight Festival in November, celebrating all things freight in a communitywide celebration throughout the city of Chattanooga.

Penn State professor Justin Goldston explains how technology such as blockchain can be used to create an ethical international supply chain.

There is no definitive end for this freight bull market in sight. Consumers continue to spend on goods, driving freight and diminishing already depleted inventories. Even if consumer spending diverged from its current trajectory (which I see as unlikely, especially given the additional stimulus, accelerating vaccine rollout and strong consumer balance sheet), the mass inventory restocking ahead will be sufficient to keep freight flowing from a consumer perspective.

An Illinois firm, Lions Logistics 1, which specialized in perishable foods and other time-sensitive loads, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, reporting a 96% drop in revenue in 2020.

The owner of two defunct California trucking companies, Royal Flush 89 Transport and Cuevas Transport, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Wednesday.

Nikola reports a lower-than-expected loss in Q4 as it drops its Powersports division to focus on Class 8 electric trucks and hydrogen fueling stations. Federal probes ongoing.

The truckstop operator, in the midst of a makeover, saw its diesel sales far exceed any recent quarter.

Revolution Acceleration Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company, combines with Berkshire Grey to tap into the red-hot industrial robotics market.

Earlier debt concerns raised by ratings agencies should be eased by the 3PL paying back all the revolving funds pulled down at the start of the pandemic.

John Godfrey, executive supply chain consultant at Pirelli, discusses challenges the company has faced with different shipping modes and difficulties finding the capacity to meet increased demand.

With recent financing from major fleets, TuSimple eschewed the blank check company frenzy to chart its own course to public trading.

The founder of autonomous driving company Locomation talks about the future of that technology and the challenges it needs to overcome to make significant progress in reaching its promise.

Several significant steps on the road to electric vehicles have occured just in the past few months.

From brick-and-mortar locations to online ordering Richard Simons oversees a vast empire with a goal of 12-hour delivery.

Berkshire Grey, which provides AI-enabled integrated robotic solutions for the supply chain, will get $413 million in cash.

MOBI CEO Chris Ballinger highlights the vast potential to be derived from vehicle information on distributed ledgers under shared standards.

Rak-Joon Choi, a vice president with American Tire Distributors, explains how blockchain technology can bring more efficiency and transparency to tire distribution and the larger supply chain during a Global Supply Chain Week fireside chat.

TruckLabs founder and CEO Daniel Burrows joins Kevin Hill, executive publisher at FreightWaves, to discuss fuel efficiency for trucks and post-COVID changes in the automotive supply chain.

It appears Google and J.B. Hunt envision that their joint effort will become an innovation platform to support the J.B. Hunt 360 marketplace.

Lower battery prices and extraordinary technological innovation will change the driving relationship forever, Ken Washington says during FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

Agent-based MODE will add a growthy in-house operation.

Trucking fleets that conduct only yearly reviews of driver records may miss signs of risky driver behavior that ultimately could put lives in jeopardy.

George Washington Bridge approach in New Jersey tops the American Transportation Research Institute’s trucking bottleneck list for the third year in a row.

Although market conditions are improving for Trinity Industries (NYSE: TRN), the railcar lessor and rail equipment manufacturer anticipates persistent headwinds through the first half of 2021 as prospective customers take […]

Redwood’s Eric Rempel and Mike Reed shed light on the digital freight platforms and tools that will transform how shippers plan and execute their routing guide strategy in 2021.

Gary Berger and Patrick Jones speak with Fab Brasca regarding the hurdles and essential elements of successful digital transformations.

Ernie Manansala Jr., chief marketing officer at BRÈINFÚEL, talks about the obstacles facing startup CPG brands and the need for flexible warehousing space with Grant Langston, CEO of Warehouse Exchange.

Matt Waller, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, and Kathy Wengel, executive vice president and chief global supply chain officer for Johnson & Johnson, discuss key trends that have emerged in the global supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic as suppliers, manufacturers and distributors collaborated to ensure critical supplies were deployed all over the world.

Zeta Smith, CEO of the seniors division in North America at Sodexo, explores some of the challenges leaders face during the pandemic and how COVID-19 has impacted senior communities.

John Hoffman, senior research fellow, Food Protection & Defense Institute, discusses ways to successfully navigate the complex food and agriculture supply chain.

The Rochelle Park, New Jersey-based company posted revenue of $63.8 million during the fourth quarter, an 8% decline from the same period last year.

Fuel card provider WEX Inc. continues to see gradual sequential improvement but at a pace below analysts’ expectations. The company’s fourth-quarter result was slightly below expectations and its first-quarter revenue guidance disappoints. Shares are off 4% in early trading.

Jonathan Kingsman wrote a book that uses as its jumping-off point the view of the market first published in 1979 in the classic book “The Merchants of Grain.” He talks about how much agricultural markets have shifted since then.

COVID altered the way CPG retailers and manufacturers interacted with, and delivered products to, consumers, and it is unlikely to ever return to the old ways.

Controlant helped Iceland reduce its pharmaceutical waste to 0.5% after the H1N1 pandemic.

John Tyson, fourth-generation Tyson family member and chief sustainability officer at Tyson Foods, discusses sustainability strategies in protein systems and food supply chains.

A legal battle is brewing in Texas over an insurance payout to the mother of one of the victims killed in a fatal truck crash involving the truck driver for Josiah’s Trucking of Edinburg, Texas.

Susy Schöneberg, the founder and head of Flexport.org, discussed monetary and time-saving benefits of sustainable operations as well as customer loyalty.

Kevin Walker, president of Accentrics Home, and Doug Ladden, co-founder and CEO of Deliveright Logistics, talk about challenges and best practices for the heavy-goods logistics industry.

CFI’s facility in Laredo, Texas, has 6,000 square feet of office space on a 40-acre lot, including a staging and transloading area for cross-border Mexico freight.

National Retail Federation’s Jon Gold and CNBC’s Lori Ann LaRocco discuss the impact of empty containers and port congestion and how retailers can protect themselves from future supply chain vulnerabilities.