logistics

It wasn’t that long ago that many analysts believed the demise of Blackberry was close at hand. They were so wrong.

When capacity is tight and rates are high, to get the best deals, it pays to be a Preferred Shipper. But what is that, and how do you become one?

With all the purchasing of team apparel and snacks that takes place around the Super Bowl, it’s imperative those goods make it to retail locations on time. It takes a Big Game logistics operation to make it happen.

FedEx, in association with BiTA, is looking to create more transparency and data security in logistics operations through blockchain technology.

Two-year-old startup NEXT Trucking has secured $21 million in a Series B round of financing, led by Sequoia Capital, as it seeks to stand out in a crowded field of competitors looking to match available truck capacity with freight.

Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, is proud to announce that it has joined the Blockchain In Transport Alliance (BiTA) to help develop and set standards for blockchain technology within the transportation industry.

Global logistics giant DHL recently launched the Global Trade Barometer, a first of its kind solution that helps in predicting cross-border trade flows and growth in global trade based on logistics big data and artificial intelligence models.

Paris-based global logistics group Gefco has confirmed its acquisition of Spanish transport logistics company GLT, the Handy Shipping Guide reports.

Redwood Logistics (Redwood), a top-100 3PL provider and one of the fastest growing logistics companies in North America, announced today it has been selected as the newest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Chattanooga, TN-based Lync America has joined other transportation industry visionaries by collaborating with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), an alliance formed to ensure standardization of blockchain technology in logistics and throughout the supply chain.

Back in November, KeepTruckin launched a petition drive asking FMCSA to provide a 2-hour exemption for long-haul drivers delayed at a shipper.

Really want to guess where HQ2 will end up? Follow the tech talent pool and logistics network.

SCLogic, a leading provider of in-building logistics systems, announced today that they have joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

South Korea worked feverishly expanding roads and train services in anticipation of thousands of athletes and spectators and millions of items arriving from all over the world. Then North Korea decided it wanted to join the party. 

The recent mudslides in California have caused a number of travel concerns in California, including along Highway 101, which will likely remain closed until next week, California Department of Transportation officials said.

China’s $3B copper mining deal in Afghanistan, the largest foreign investment in the country’s history, is going nowhere. 10 years into a 30 year lease, supply chain problems are keeping any copper from being extracted at all.

FreightWaves, in partnership with the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance, will be presenting the inaugural Transparency18 Future of Freight Conference, May 22-23, 2018, in Atlanta, GA, at the Georgia International Convention Center. The event promises to be unlike any previous trucking or logistics show.

Access to quicker delivery options has boomed sales of perishable commodities like frozen pizza and ice cream, and that has led to a boom in refrigerated freight options.

While the holiday rush starts in North America a few weeks before Thanksgiving, there is a holiday rush going on already in China as well, and it impacts shipping.

Rail Delivery Services, a premier provider of intermodal drayage, dedicated trucking, and consolidation services, has joined the BlockChain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Seaford, DE-based Trinity Logistics has joined other transportation industry giants by partnering with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), a recently formed group to ensure the standardization of blockchain technology in logistics.

Chattanooga, TN-based BlockArray is one of the companies working to develop blockchain-enabled solutions, and it is looking for companies to participate in pilot studies.

With truck drivers across the country being required to have electronic logging devices in their vehicles as of Dec. 18, some have complained about the move to electronic recording of hours when paper logs work just fine. For BigRoad CEO Tony Lourakis, the rule presented an opportunity.

CSX Corp. CEO Hunter Harrison has taken a medical leave of absence from the railroad due to complications from a recent illness. Investors sold off the company stock, causing a 12% drop and $6 billion loss in company value in morning trading.

Go99, a digital freight-matching marketplace based out of Vancouver, Canada, has achieved a major revenue milestone and now it is setting its sights on expansion with the rest of Canada and busy lanes in the U.S. on its target. 

Dry van spot rates hit a 3-year monthly high in November, according to data compiled by DAT Solutions. The November rate was $2.07 per mile, the highest monthly average since December 2014, the firm said, and 5 cents above October levels.

The demands of today’s marketplace are moving in one direction: giving us exactly what we want, when and where we want it. In his 2016 Ted Talk, Alan Amling reimagines the supply chain of the future. By integrating ideas from the past with today’s most promising technologies, he paints a surprising picture of how we might manufacture and move things in the years to come.

The process of sending bills-of-lading with cargo has changed little in generations, but the problems have remained: BOLs arrive at different times than the cargo, causing delays and added cost. But blockchain could eliminate these expenses and streamline the process.

The growth in cargo volumes at London’s Heathrow Airport has created severe congestion across the region, which has the airport facing a dire situation due to long queues, which is increasing waiting times and thus delaying an already slow-moving air freight operation.

As it stands, the tax bill, as it’s currently drafted, looks to benefit the industry in general, but what it means for the individual trucker is less clear.

George Abernathy, an industry veteran, joins TransRisk as the company accelerates growth

Cowan Systems, a Transport Topics Top 100 for-hire carrier and Top 50 Logistics provider, announced it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Eastern Europe’s infrastructure lags behind Western Europe, yet the logistics industry in that region has outperformed the remainder of Europe in the past year.

Defining a common set of standards is critical to ensuring the mainstream adoption of blockchain-enabled technologies. That’s according to the CEO of Marine Transport International, a UK logistics technology provider that specializes in blockchain-enabled products.

Natilus, a startup based out of California, is looking to provide a drone solution that allows it to transport freight multiple times faster than when it is shipped across the ocean, at half the price of regular air freight.

LoadDelivered, a leading temperature-controlled third-party logistics (3PL) provider in North America, announced today that it has become a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Sheer Logistics, a 3PL and transportation services provider headquartered in St. Louis, MO, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance.

A combination of slowing economic growth, burdensome tax policy, and weak infrastructure is crippling Brazil’s transportation and logistics industries. 

Amazon has written a provision into the National Defense Authorization Act that could funnel huge amounts of Department of Defense procurement through their platforms, giving them even more leverage over suppliers.

Unlike in the United States or Europe, shipping across Brazil is a hassle since there aren’t a lot of comprehensive cross-country providers with transparent processes for pricing, standards and tracking mechanisms. Intelipost is set to change that by providing SaaS solutions for managing logistics providers under one roof.

One of the early pioneers of aerial drone use in agriculture is now looking to grow his business in more ways than one. Steve Edgar, founder of Empire Unmanned, is investigating the Pocatello Regional Airport in Pocatello, Idaho, for future use as the first-ever unmanned air-freight hub.

The EPA is preparing to formally rescind the requirements that glider kits comply with Phase 2 greenhouse gas emissions rules.

While not new to the supply chain, technology is lowering barriers and offering new opportunities for 4PLs to move in and control entire supply chains, creating greater efficiency for all involved.

Bitcoin is super-hot and has fended off any real threat to its meteoric rise. We examine what has fueled this factor and how it impacts the viability of blockchain in the logistics sector. 

One of the primary problems plaguing the conventional freight industry today is the lack of affordable track-and-trace providers in the market that can provide real-time visibility to shipments. FreightTracer, a startup from Texas, is providing its customers real-time visibility into all their shipments – anytime and anywhere across any carrier.

The deadly wildfires raging in Northern California regained their vigor on Wednesday as winds picked up and helped spread fires, threatening historic Sonoma County wineries. The fires have left at least 17 people dead and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed. They are also impacting shipping in the region.

With the freight marketplace widening exponentially every year, the growing communication divide in the community is also significantly felt. Fr8Hub, a digital freight marketplace startup is looking to improve peer-to-peer interaction by creating transparency and injecting efficiency in freight hauling.

Blockchain is predicted to radically change the financial services sector. Deloitte Tweeted that 10% of global GDP will be stored in blockchain. For companies like Deloitte, staying ahead of the curve in blockchain technology is paramount. But what about for logistics companies?

The time has arrived as the Texas coast braces for the nation’s first major hurricane landfall in 12 years. Hurricane Harvey was upgraded this afternoon to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph. According to Riskpulse, the forecast track has remained consistent, with landfall later tonight near central Texas.

After Hurricane Harvey departs Texas, the area will likely be in need of relief supplies. Trucks will haul those supplies. but how are the logistics of moving relief supplies handled? Someone who was involved in that process explains. 

Talk about disruptive companies. Every startup in the transportation space these days is touting itself as a disruptive company. A few will become just that. Many, if not most, will not. But few are also introducing a technology, let alone a service, that is disruptive.

In recent years, disruption to routes along the Gulf Coast and East Coast because of hurricanes – which can spread hundreds of miles wide and leave widespread flooding and infrastructure damage in their wake – has been minimal. That could change this hurricane season.

Echo Global Logistics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECHO) on Friday announced a rise in revenue for the second quarter, but the resulting $245,000 loss for the quarter and a tough environment for supply chain logistics companies led to a sell-off of its stock on Friday.

Amazon Prime day yesterday represented a real test for the e-commerce giant’s logistics and supply chain. In addition to its contracts with FedEx, USPS and UPS – which all will have a busy couple of days to meet all these Prime orders – Amazon’s fleet of planes will be busy moving goods around the country.

According to research from KPMG and HfS Research, more companies than ever are outsourcing their supply chain and logistics services as the job of moving product becomes more complicated. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed in a Bloomberg interview on Tuesday that the company is working on autonomous technology, further fueling speculation that the software giant is developing a self-driving Apple car.

Kenco Group is known for its logistics services, but it is also becoming known for its innovation. Inside the Kenco Innovation Lab, next-generation solutions are being developed for today’s logistics companies.

J.B. Hunt is investing $2.75 million in the University of Arkansas for creation of the J.B. Hunt Innovation Center of Excellence. The center will allow students to work with J.B. Hunt employees to solve real-word supply-chain problems. Also, tips on surviving a ransomware attack, consumer spending rises, and if there are so many jobs available, where are the workers?

The transportation industry is ripe with startups hoping to be the one that disrupts a $726 billion industry, but without help, most don’t last. Dynamo is a Chattanooga-based venture capital firm that specializes in the logistics space and is helping a few of these startups gain a solid foothold in transportation.

Amazingly, there’s one area of the country where more than 80% of the nation’s freight travels through on its way to its final destination. It’s not Chicago, New York or Dallas. It’s not even in the center of the U.S. Meet Freight Alley.