How much inventory and which items should a company hold, overall and at each stocking location (each DC, store, stockroom, salesperson's vehicle, service depot, etc.)? When to replenish and how many? To the uninitiated, these seem like relatively straightforward daily decisions. But they are anything but simple and can make the difference between a highly profitable vs. out-of-business company.
North American freight shipments rose modestly in September, a month usually associated with a peak season increase. This month's 2.2-percent increase can be attributed, however, more to contingency planning for the anticipated International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) dock workers strike than to a seasonal surge in orders. Although federal mediators stepped in at the last minute and negotiated a three-month extension to continue talks, many shippers had already scrambled to re-schedule October shipments for September. The alternative, should the strike have occurred, was to reroute goods to the West Coast, where carriers were charging strike surcharges ranging from $300 to $1,000.
The TT Club, a mutual insurance association, urged all participants at the International Maritime Organization's session on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers to redouble their efforts to come up with a global regulation to verify the weights of containers.
North America heavy duty GVW Class 8 commercial vehicle preliminary net orders for September, as reported by ACT Research Co., remained soft. The final numbers, which will be released mid-October, will approach 15,600 units for heavy duty Class 8 trucks and 14,000 for medium duty Classes 5-7 vehicles. The preliminary net order numbers are typically accurate to within 5 percent of actual.
In spite of a slow economic climate, 74 percent of the North American logistics companies surveyed achieved or exceeded revenue projections in 2011. However, companies that failed to meet their financial projections were up sharply from 14 percent in 2010, to 26 percent in 2011.
A healthy air cargo industry is essential in helping the U.S. government achieve its goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015, Ray H LaHood, U.S Secretary of Transportation told delegates at the 26th International Air Cargo Forum + Exposition in Atlanta.
The European Commission has announced that it will propose, in early 2013, measures to monitor, verify and report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping. This measure will apply to all ships calling at EU ports and could also be the basis for a global approach towards cleaner shipping.
The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding logistics and freight and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are transporting and delivering perishables and manufactured goods in a more timely and efficient manner than ever before through logistics solutions. New technologies that provide information during local and global shipments are transforming the way companies do business - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As transportation and distribution services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using logistics and cargo solutions to power their supply chains.
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