Despite some typically cautious warnings that the current growth cycle may be nearing a peak, industry-wide freight tonne kilometer (FTK) growth is at its strongest pace since 2010 - and global business and consumer confidence levels point to solid improvement at least through the third quarter, IATA said in its Q3 2017 "Cargo Chartbook."
Shanghai International Shipping Institute recently published its Global Port Development Report for the second quarter of 2017, saying that cargo throughputs at major ports around the world continued to rise.
Nissa Scott started working at the cavernous Amazon warehouse in southern New Jersey late last year, stacking plastic bins the size of small ottomans. It was not, she says, the most stimulating activity. And lifting the bins, which often weigh 25 pounds each, was also tiring over 10-hour shifts.
Many shippers were caught off-guard last August when the world's seventh-largest container line suddenly went into receivership. An estimated $14bn in cargo was left in limbo after two-thirds of South Korea-based Hanjin's fleet - some 93 vessels - were seized, stranded or denied entry into ports.
Carriers and third-party logistics operators have warned for years of an impending driver shortage, and now it is becoming clearer that this is a symptom of a much broader labor shortage facing the logistics industry that will impact drivers, dispatchers, and warehouse and dock workers.
The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding global logistics and freight and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are transporting and delivering perishables and manufactured goods faster and farther around the world than ever before through global logistics solutions. New technologies that provide information during 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 global logistics solutions to power their supply chains.
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