Growing e-commerce demand is likely to require higher inventories for timely fulfillment. That means a congested supply chain could become the new norm.
Long known as an aerospace and defense technology leader, multinational conglomerate Honeywell sees opportunity in retail spaces.
Retail inventories jump ahead of the holiday buying season but the need for restocking will extend well into 2022, which bodes well for freight demand.
The White House has begun monitoring container volume at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to measure progress in clearing supply chain bottlenecks.
Americans are spending more on services. Contrary to predictions, this has yet to curb demand for containerized goods.
There was a fair amount of “feel-good” talk regarding inventory build during the fiscal first-quarter retail earnings season. But for several chains, the year-over-year comparisons were easy. Further, sales have continued at an elevated clip, suggesting the massive merchandise restocking is far from over.
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.
Recent data points as well as updates from retailers suggest this inventory restocking cycle may take a few quarters to fix, meaning the current supply-demand dynamic in trucking could linger.
