Transportation Management

Why It's Important to Become Your Carrier's 'Preferred Shipper'

October 9, 2017

If you thought the act of purchasing transportation was as simple as paying a carrier to haul your freight - well, think again.

Wal-Mart, Trying to Hone Its Same-Day Delivery Skills, Buys New York's Parcel

October 6, 2017

Los Angeles Times

Wal-Mart is sharpening its same-day delivery skills through the acquisition of a small New York City company.

Senate Democrats Push for $500Bn in Infrastructure Investment

October 6, 2017

The Washington Post

Senate Democrats, emboldened by the GOP's failure to unilaterally pass a health-care bill, are launching an effort to win bipartisan support for the investment of $500bn in taxpayer dollars in infrastructure improvements.

A Mobile Floating Truck Stop on the St. Lawrence Seaway

October 5, 2017

Maritime Executive

Ro-ro ships carry trucks and other road vehicles across the Baltic Sea and also across Cook Strait, providing onboard overnight accommodations as well as food services. There may be scope to adapt that operational precedent to bypass roadway traffic congestion on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Mercedes Benz, Drone-Maker Matternet Aim to Tackle Last-Mile Delivery

October 5, 2017

Air Cargo World

A recent live demonstration of an e-commerce delivery by a drone reinforced the potential of drones to streamline last-mile deliveries - the final frontier of e-commerce logistics. At the late-September livestreaming of the delivery, the consortium behind the project announced a three-week trial of a same-day drone delivery service.

Freight Startup Flexport Raises $110M, Turns Down $1Bn Valuation

October 4, 2017

Forbes

Flexport, the shipping logistics company that launched in San Francisco just four years ago, is set to close a $110m Series C funding round. The investment values the company at $910m post money, says Wesley Chan, managing director at Menlo Park VC firm Felicis Ventures, an early investor in Flexport. The new round will bring the total capital invested to $204m.

Deliv Expands Across U.S., Takes Macy's, Best Buy, Others Along

October 3, 2017

MultiChannel Merchant

In a move that it says puts it on equal footing with Prime Now's domestic coverage, crowdsourced same-day delivery provider Deliv has expanded to 1,400 U.S. cities in 33 markets, up from 19 markets previously - allowing retail customers like Macy's and Best Buy to greatly increase the range of their services.

Logistics Sector Cheers May's Support for Brexit Transition Period

October 3, 2017

Air Cargo World

The U.K.'s Freight Transport Association (FTA) welcomed Prime Minister Teresa May's call last week for a transition period as a key priority for Brexit negotiations. But, as May's Tories grip on power continues to erode against an ascendant Labor party, the prime minister's pragmatic turn might be too little, too late, and the future of U.K.-E.U. trade remains unclear.

Container Ships Need Better Fire-Fighting Systems, Insurance Group Says

September 29, 2017

Maritime Executive

The International Union of Marine Insurance has called for better fire-fighting systems on board container ships, citing its concern that current provisions are insufficient given the growing size of container vessels and a recent spate of fires on board ships.

RFID Tracks Safety Equipment for Fiji Airways

September 27, 2017

RFID Journal

Fiji Airways reports that it has made in-cabin inspections of emergency equipment faster and more efficient across its fleet of 15 airplanes, with the use of radio frequency identification technology.

Transportation Management

The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions regarding transportation management systems (TMS) and their impact on supply chain management. Today’s companies are moving goods across more suppliers, vendors and customers than ever before, and transportation management is critical in the overall supply chain. New technologies are optimizing productivity, increasing efficiency and cutting costs. Learn how companies around the world are improving supply chain operations through their strategic use of transportation management systems and software.