An automated yard management system gets drivers in and out of facilities quickly by using electronic gate readers and providing exact trailer locations. Aleks Gollu, CTO and founder of PINC Solutions, discusses these and other benefits.
The many operational differences between domestic and international transportation has historically meant separate and distinct management of these two sectors. Research shows that today's shippers, however, believe there are efficiencies to be gained by managing both domains on a single platform.
Many shippers could save money by taking advantage of the substantial spot market for transportation, says Ralph Galantine, product manager at DAT. Capacity varies greatly by lane, however, so good market data is essential.
The rapid growth of e-commerce and, in some cases, declining store sales raise difficult questions for retailers around whether and how to integrate their various distribution channels, says Andrew Breckenridge, executive vice president of Fortna. He outlines key issues influencing these decisions and identifies other retail trends to watch in the coming year.
Regional parcel carriers can fill an important market niche for many shippers, says Mark Magill, director of business development at OnTrac. By specializing in next-day deliveries within specific and often large geographic regions, these carriers can offer greater flexibility, faster transit and lower rates, he says.
Benoit Reinards of Flanders Investment and Trade explains why global retailers like Nike have made Flanders their hub for distribution throughout Europe and beyond.
Bill Clement, vice president of intermodal at CSX Transportation, thinks an additional 9 million truckloads a year could and should be moved from highway to rail, and explains why CSX is taking that message directly to shippers.
An expanded Panama Canal will result in a smaller number of North American air cargo centers, according to the recently released North American Port Analysis by commercial real estate firm Colliers International. The report, titled "CapEx or Capsize," says air cargo's role in global trade will be defined by the tug-of-war between energy/infrastructure costs and e-commerce growth in the first post-Panamax decade, from 2015 through 2025.
U.S. import shipment volume for March, measured in TEUs, decreased by 15 percent from February and by 12.5 percent from March of 2012. While February imports were unusually high, March imports were unusually low. In fact, imports for the month of March have not been this low since 2009.