News - Industry News
CSX ramps up hiring in bid to take freight share from trucks
"North American Class I railroads see very limited growth in container volumes as shippers still prefer trucking. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."Shippers are avoiding using rail because of the lack of schedule reliability, CSX Transportation CEO James Foote told US regulators, underscoring the continuing challenge that Class I railroads have in converting more container...
Cargo data timeliness, consistency bigger hurdle than access: shippers
"The FMC is in the midst of its Maritime Transportation Data Initiative, with a target of assembling recommendations for how to resolve key data gaps by mid-2022. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."US importers and exporters sounded off this week over the lack of accurate and timely data needed to run their supply...
Matson’s Q4 results show China shipping surge
"Matson said the current level of exceptionally high trans-Pacific demand will continue through this year. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."US-flagged ocean carrier Matson said its fourth-quarter 2021 net income will be over four times higher than it was last year thanks to strong demand and pricing for trans-Pacific container services and expedited shipping from China to the US West Coast. Hawaii-based Matson, releasing preliminary...
Senate needs careful approach on US shipping reform
"The House of Representatives in early December overwhelmingly passed the “Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021.” Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."By now everyone knows that the international supply chain that serves American commerce is overloaded because of a historic and sustained increase in the volume of goods that American businesses and...
Australia forwarder eyes regional expansion with new funding
"Explorate plans to use its investment to double its headcount in 2022, with an eye on eventual expansion in Oceania and Southeast Asia. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."Australian forwarder Explorate on Thursday said it has secured a $7.5 million round of funding from venture capital investors, another sign that the digital...
Worker retention the real problem in US transportation, warehouse sector: analyst
"An analysis of data suggests claims that US transportation and warehousing firms are having extreme difficulty hiring workers should be viewed with some skepticism, says Jason Miller, associate professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."The shift toward e-commerce has resulted in pronounced spikes in...
North America facing worst of port congestion: K&N
"Heavily congested terminals in the US are likely to see bottlenecks continue through the first half as import demand continues to replenish low inventory levels. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."Cumulative container delays at the world’s main ports are currently at 11.6 million TEU “waiting days,” with 80 percent of global port...
Forwarder shifl wades into cargo payment space
"shifl plans to eventually offer its payment tool as a white labeled product to other supply chain parties, including other third-party logistics providers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."Freight forwarder shifl on Thursday released a new payment product that tethers shipment visibility data to the ability to pay vendors, including payments to...
Outlook 2022: Logical leadership
"The concept of the supply chain hit the mainstream media with a bang in 2020, with mentions swelling to a 10-year peak in the fourth quarter. Photo credit: 60 Minutes."This story appears in the print edition of the Jan. 3, 2022, Journal of Commerce Annual Review and Outlook.As Aurora...
Modest growth expected for US imports from Asia after record-setting 2021
"US imports from Asia set a new record in 2021, jumping 14.4 percent over the previous record set in 2020. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."US imports from Asia in December fell marginally year over year, signaling that the largest US trade lane has likely entered a period of single-digit gains in monthly...
Schneider to leave BNSF for Union Pacific in 2023
"Schneider National, the third-largest asset-owning US intermodal marketing company, owns more than 25,000 containers. Photo credit: Ari Ashe/JOC.com."Schneider National will leave BNSF Railway to partner with Union Pacific Railroad in the western US next year, the third major intermodal marketing company (IMC) to announce a swap of railroad partnerships in the past six months. Schneider’s move,...
Antwerp matches record annual volume despite supply chain woes
"Barge and short-sea transport at Antwerp was heavily impacted through 2021 by persistent congestion at the Belgian hub. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."The Northern European hub port of Antwerp handled container throughput of 12 million TEU last year — matching the record volume seen in 2020 while shrugging off heavily disrupted liner...
Intermodal congestion seen in Q4 shows no signs of easing: J.B. Hunt
"J.B. Hunt’s volume fell 3 percent year over year in the fourth quarter, even though the company grew its container fleet 5 percent in the same period. Photo credit: Ari Ashe/JOC.com."Shippers are not unloading containers quickly enough and trains are moving slower than in the past, which restricted capacity...
Not all shippers suffering amid global supply chain chaos
"It would be wrong to jump to the conclusion that global supply chain woes are a disaster for all shippers, according to JOC analyst Lars Jensen. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."If we are to believe the headlines, the supply chain disruption — or perhaps more aptly titled as “chaos” — is a major...
STEPHEN LYMAN NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MARITIME ASSOCIATION OF THE PORT OF NY/NJ
Elizabeth, NJ, January 18, 2022--The Maritime Association of the Port of New York/ New Jersey has appointed Stephen Lyman as Executive Director. He replaces Edward J. Kelly, who has retired after 18 years in the position. The announcement was made by Michael J. DiVirgilio, association President.Mr. Lyman most recently was Commercial Associate Director at...
Shift in drayage drivers tightening capacity
"Drayage.com added 1,228 new drayage companies to its directory listing in 2021, with a surge of small carriers at the ports of Savannah and Charleston. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."A significant increase in the number of drayage companies over the past year isn’t creating more drayage capacity. In fact, a rapid...
Space crunch speeds up trans-Pac contracting cycle
"Trans-Pacific carriers are quoting — and customers are agreeing to pay — West Coast rates at least double those of last year. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."With some annual service contracts already signed at rate levels double those agreed to last year, US importers of Asian-sourced goods are rushing to lock in...
Pan Am rail deal would boost Northeast port reach: CSX
"Many parts of Pan Am’s rail network require slow speeds, prompting shippers to use trucks instead of rail. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."CSX Transportation is targeting $100 million in improvements to an aging New England short-line railroad it wants to acquire, executives told the federal agency scrutinizing the deal. The improvements would give shippers throughout the US Northeast faster intermodal access...
XPO adds terminals, trailers in reset of LTL operations
"XPO plans to add 900 doors to its LTL terminal this year, a 6 percent increase in capacity. Photo credit: Ari Ashe."XPO Logistics is expanding its physical less-than-truckload (LTL) network, adding terminals to improve network fluidity and expand capacity as demand for LTL freight services hits new highs. The company...
South Korea's competition watchdog fines carriers $81 million in price-setting probe
"The fines levied by South Korean regulators came after a probe of freight rates from South Korea to Southeast Asia. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com."Cosco Shipping Lines, Evergreen Marine, and HMM are among 23 carriers that have been fined a total of $81 million for failing to fully adhere to South...
