In 2014, the supply chain industry experienced its best year since the Great Recession, according to the State of the Logistics Report issued annually by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and sponsored by Penske Logistics.
It's been about five years since ocean carriers began selling off their chassis in the U.S., forcing shippers to obtain the equipment elsewhere. But the new regime is anything but settled.
Heavyweight orders require another level of delivery service, to satisfy the demands of buyers. Jim Hourigan, chief operating officer with BuildDirect, discusses some of the challenges that are unique to that sector.
China's heavy and medium truck and tractor markets remained soft in the first quarter of 2015. Total sales (domestic and export) were just over 135,000 heavy trucks and tractors in Q1'15, compared to approximately 162,000 units sold in Q4'14, a decline of more than 33 percent year over year and 16 percent quarter over quarter. This was reported in the most recent China Commercial Vehicle Outlook, jointly published quarterly by ACT and China's State Information Center (SIC). The Outlook includes an overview of the China economy and a review and forecast of China's heavy and medium-duty truck and bus markets, as well as analysis of OEM market shares within China.
Shipping will require an additional 42,500 officers by the end of 2019 to cope with the expected growth in the main cargo carrying fleet, equivalent to 7 percent growth over the five-year period. But the persistent shortage of officer crew is receding, according to the latest Manning report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.
As if domestic delivery weren't tough enough, cross-border shipments entail a whole new set of challenges. Jonathan Matchett, operations director with wnDirect, talks about how service providers are addressing issues of speed, reliability and regulations.
The goal of omnichannel retailing is to create a seamless and transparent experience for the customer that enhances the retailer's brand. To date, the omnichannel retailing focus has been largely on the selling experience and not how the retailer gets the goods into the customer's hands. However, customers measure the entire shopping experience, including delivery. Omnichannel selling is making retailers responsible for home delivery, whether they like it or not, and last-mile delivery performance is the last word about the retailer in the customer's mind.