Freight that moves by rail instead of highway is estimated to reduce emissions by two-thirds, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If just 10 percent of the long-haul freight currently moving by truck could be switched to rail, it would eliminate more than 12 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Logistics group Kuehne & Nagel and wagon leasing company VTG have announced plans to create a jointly-owned rail logistics business after signing a letter of intent at the end of April.
DHL has introduced a second road/rail multimodal routing option for its overland service connecting Asia and Europe. Customers based in Chengdu can now board DHL's once-a-week service, which departs every Friday from Chengdu to Europe along China's West Corridor rail line through Kazakhstan and via DHL's intermodal hub in Małaszewicze, Poland.
Penske Logistics has become a sponsor of the 2014 edition of the annual Third-Party Logistics Study, joining Capgemini Consulting, Penn State University's Center for Supply Chain Research, Korn/Ferry International and eyefortransport.
The 10.2-percent year-over-year gain in domestic container volume in the first quarter of 2013 represents the sixth consecutive quarter of 10-percent-plus increases, and the second highest volume in domestic container history, according to the Intermodal Association of North America's Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics report.
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.
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.
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.