Supply chain disruption

The World Shipping Council warns of too much government intrusion while taking heat for sky-high carrier profits.

Industry cooperation removing containers from the docks has convinced port officials to hold off imposing penalties for excess storage.

COVID exposed underlying chinks in the supply chain, especially at the ports. The White House has lit a fire under the industry’s feet to improve the container shipping system.

With order backlogs exceeding 14 months, manufacturers are accepting few new orders, frustrating fleet demand.

Officials are creating unrealistic expectations that supply chains will be unplugged within weeks or months.

ATRI research on truck driver motivations and satisfaction The American Transportation Research Institute released results on its analysis on what motivates truck drivers to become company drivers or owner-operators/independent contractors […]

Major retailers and suppliers reassured the White House they have a handle on supply chain volatility and can meet consumer demand.

The Federal Trade Commission will investigate whether large companies have taken advantage of the supply chain chaos at the expense of consumers or smaller competitors.

Southern California ports and private operators are using carrots and sticks to help eliminate a massive pileup of cargo.

Innovation and investment are the watchwords at the Georgia Ports Authority, where officials are rushing to deal with supply chain constraints.

House Transportation Committee hearing on truck driver shortages In remarks to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, MIT Professor David Correll recently outlined yearslong research conducted by the MIT […]

Cargo is moving a bit more smoothly at the Southern California ports, giving officials reason to hold off assessing stiff storage fees.

Air Canada is adding cargo capacity equivalent in weight to 860 adult moose in and out of Vancouver.

Eight California Republicans are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend or eliminate regulations and declare a state of emergency to address the supply chain crisis.

The Bay Area-based unicorn is investing in repairing America’s broken food supply chain.

October data from Cass shows supply chain bottlenecks and capacity shortages continue to subdue shipment growth. However, the condition led to another jump in rates.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Georgia port officials are pulling every lever possible to reduce shipping delays that are having a national impact.

“The shipping industry as a whole has become increasingly reliant on using AIS data for operational purposes,” says VesselsValue’s Charlotte Cook.

President Biden was Professor Biden at the Port of Baltimore, explaining Supply Chain 101 to the American people.

A top Washington policymaker explains why lawmakers have to look beyond politics to make federal funding work for freight.

President Biden got input Tuesday from express carriers and large retailers on the supply chain crisis.

The Biden administration is racing to cut red tape so the government can expedite port and freight transportation infrastructure investments.

Supply chain disruptions in 2021 have wreaked havoc on businesses, but smart CPG companies are leveraging data science to get ahead of the issues.

Motor Carrier Act of 1980, OTR driver shortage, consumer confidence falls

Air cargo is typically unaffordable for most shippers. With ocean rates off the charts, air doesn’t look so bad. If you can find a booking, why wouldn’t you fly?

October was another month of “why bother” as fleets desperate for new Class 8 trucks held off adding bookings to a morass of back orders.

Trucking companies dispute the widely reported message that a driver shortage is largely to blame for the port congestion issues in California. In fact, drayage companies are laying off drivers because of port delays.

Federal regulators have vastly improved the ability to keep unsafe drivers off the road but the trucking industry is scrambling to make up the shortfall.

Governments at the G20 meeting are pulling together to address supply shortages caused by freight transportation backlogs.

The Port of Los Angeles is hoping to scare the freight community into more efficient behavior with big fines for the slow retrieval of containers.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are turning to heavy-handed tactics to address a container logjam that is gumming up supply chains.

Traton Group is optimistic for future quarters as it posts solid nine-month results with recently acquired Navistar included for the first time.

The Port of Long Beach is trying to innovate its way out of container gridlock. The latest move is regular shuttle trains to Utah to reduce less efficient truck moves.

Many media outlets are reporting that a Long Beach city order will allow bigger container stacks at the port. Not true. It’s for container yards outside the harbor district.

With supply chain delays hitting retailers hard, Modern Shipper spoke with Kwontified CEO Elaine Kwon to figure out what that means for consumers.

Lawmakers hear testimony on how smaller shippers are disproportionately hurt by supply chain disruptions.

FMCSA’s Meera Joshi is taking on multiple trucking issues.

Some are questioning President Biden’s pick to lead the Maritime Administration for a lack of commercial shipping experience.

The Biden administration is pushing industry to take immediate and long-term steps to get ports and intermodal transport working smoothly.

As freight congestion weakens transportation links, AskWaves looks at potential federal funding options for supporting a move to 24/7 operations.

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services jumped 10% Friday as the company navigated supply chain challenges during the third quarter to beat analysts’ forecasts.

P.A.M. Transportation Services sees earnings surge during the third quarter even as supply chain disruption accelerates.

Supply chain constraints are keeping a lid on freight volumes while rates continue to reach new highs, according to September data from Cass Information Systems.

Big-box retailers, FedEx and UPS have detailed plans to speed up container processing at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

New forecasts from the National Retail Federation call for retail imports to stay high through at least February.

If you thought President Joe Biden would quickly reverse Trump’s controversial trade policy toward China, guess again. U.S. importers aren’t happy.

As more Americans begin their holiday shopping earlier than ever, port backups and worker shortages could leave shoppers disappointed and brands with excess inventory in January.

“There are significant inventories of already produced vehicles where essential parts are lacking.”

“Tires, fuel and labor are your three biggest costs, and with tire prices continuing to go up, fleets have to really figure out ways to maximize their tires and assets,” said IMI’s Bob Bortner.

Costco is going boating. Unwilling to wait for space on commercial vessels, it is now renting its own ships to haul exports from Asia.

Echo’s Sean Burke advises building as much flexibility as possible into the planning process this fall.

Craig Fuller explains why supply chains are so messed up!

Nike shoes may symbolize speed on the track, but its business has been slowed by shipping and production delays.

The Department of Transportation seeks “practical solutions” from the freight industry to alleviate container shortages and supply chain chokepoints.

August data from Cass shows freight expenditures extend their torrid pace. Freight demand remains high but a lack of capacity is constraining shipment growth.

The maritime meeting among trade partners comes as container shipping remains hot.

Supply chain backups and pandemic-weary consumers mean that gifts are in short supply and high demand.

The pandemic has spun off disruptions similar to falling dominoes, creating issues that strain freight movement globally.

The White House is trying to unleash the domestic economy by removing supply chain shackles.

With limited manpower because of COVID, the main cargo terminal at Shanghai airport can’t process many freighter flights.

It costs $1.2 million to charter a cargo jet from Vietnam as air exports slow because of the government’s response to a wave of COVID infections.

Despite the significant drop in price, lumber remains an expensive commodity. Whether the price will continue to fall is uncertain.

Ocean carriers adjust to the partial port closing in Ningbo, China, with minimal disruption so far. Operations could soon return to full speed if COVID remains at bay.

Order books are open, but demand planning for 2022 and 2023 began months ago and bookings are filling fast.

August is likely to see a new monthly record for retail container imports, with 2021 doing the same. However, ongoing supply chain dislocation clouds how quickly consumers will be able to get their hands on the goods.

We have a new winner in the ocean shipping game of “How High Can Rates Go?” — about 15 times higher than before the COVID crisis.

Vietnam is the newest epicenter for supply chain chaos. Manufacturing and port activity have been cut by new COVID precautions.

Fleets still want and need trucks but move to sidelines until manufacturers open their order books.

The biggest container shipping line in the world says container traffic at the massive Port of Yantian in China is moving much better after COVID restrictions were recently lifted. But exporters have a long way to go before ocean shipments go smoothly again.

Manufacturing grew at a moderate pace in June, continuing a 13-month hot streak.

Customer backlash against FedEx Freight’s decision to terminate trucking service has forced the carrier to reconsider.

Belarus occupies a key spot on the Trans-Eurasian rail line and is on the flight path used by airlines between Europe and Asia. Freight transport could be a victim if the West imposes sanctions on Belarus for violating what considers international norms.

A new supply chain task force emerges from the Biden administration’s 100-day review.

Declining Class 8 truck orders in May are deceptive. Fleets would order more but they are holding off because it might take a year to get them.

From a shortage of truck production workers to parts depot staff, Daimler Trucks North America is trying to keep up with blistering demand.

Workhorse Group built 38 last-mile electric delivery vans in Q1 and revised its build to 1,000 trucks from 1,800 for the full year.

Despite supply chain constraints, Tier 1 driveline supplier Dana beat analyst expectations for Q1 and raised full-year estimates.

PACCAR puts up strong Q1 numbers, including record parts sales that suggest the new truck backlog is boosting aftermarket sales.

Tesla is focusing on making more cars, securing battery cells and finishing gigafactories in Texas and Germany. The Semi is again in the background.

The growing backlog of new truck orders has supercharged pricing for newer used models at auctions, with retail traffic also high.

Trailer orders edged back toward trend in March, but the crush of orders in recent months leaves manufacturers addled by supply chain issues struggling.

Trade and supply chain disruptions are inevitable, so it’s important to take steps to protect yourself.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter where FreightWaves adds context, commentary and color to industry news and trends.

You think you can just book your cargo on a plane to avoid the ocean shipping congestion at the Suez Canal? Guess again. Freighters were flying full even before the Ever Given got stuck, so finding space will be very difficult.

Digging and pulling haven’t freed the giant Ever Given vessel that has stopped traffic in the Suez Canal. The next step might be to lighten the vessel by removing cargo.

Fireworks could be stuck at sea by the time the Fourth of July rolls around. Blame massive port congestion and overloaded freight networks. The fireworks industry is asking the Biden administration to provide a fix, but what can it do?

Trailer makers cannot keep up with demand, pushing out delivery times while navigating supply chain bumps.

Carriers should begin planning now to influence policy change that could result from Biden’s supply chain executive order, industry observers say.

The new brand will continue to bring real-time and predictive risk analytics to the supply chains of world-leading brands like Disney, Campbell’s, Apple and Goodyear.

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.

Workhorse Group built just seven electric delivery vans for the second consecutive quarter. Production systems and supply chain problems hamper the company.

Thanks to COVID, there are no seasonal highs and lows for international shipping. There is so much demand for goods that the peak season never seems to end — and ports, railroads, truckers and warehouses are reaching the breaking point.

Korean container carrier HMM expects equipment and capacity shortages to continue at least through the end of the first quarter.

Dealerships across the nation are already feeling the pressure of low inventory levels. A chip shortage is turning up the heat even more.

Operation Warp Speed and the delivery of the Pfizer COVID vaccine are clicking on all cylinders, but that doesn’t mean production and distribution are going perfectly.

FreightWaves chats with CEVA Logistics on what it takes for retail customers to transition successfully to e-commerce. What’s the answer? Flexibility.

Supply chain tech investment is at a record peak, with over $52B invested in 2020 alone, up 2500% since the start of the decade.

Freight forwarder guides customers through online shopping shift and transport capacity choke points.

IT execs at FreightWaves LIVE @HOME explain why $90 billion industry is in need of IoT upgrade.

A new supply chain is emerging. Here’s a dive into supply chain recovery and adaptation, pre- and post-COVID.