February 2019

U.S. private equity firm Platinum getting Canada’s largest customs broker for undisclosed sum

Tropical storm-force winds, torrential rain did some damage to U.S. island of Guam over the weekend. Rare February typhoon came close to being much worse.

Today on FreightWaves NOW, Chad Prevost talks to Market Expert Nick Austin about snow in the Sierra and Market Expert Zach Strickland gives us a recap of the changes in the freight, oil, and air cargo markets.

The 2019 LINK supply chain conference opened its exposition today with a keynote address delivered by Richard Johnson, chairman, president and chief executive officer at Foot Locker Retail Inc. (NYSE: FL).

New York has banned empty tractor trailers from portions of the New York State Thruway and some interstates in the western and central parts of the state due to high winds.

Microdea is an Ontario-based company that digitalizes documentation and automates back office processes to make them more efficient, seamless, and less wasteful.

Artery for goods ranging from coal to oil to grain closed in wake of historic rainfalls.

Now Group, an autonomous mobility services company created by a partnership between BMW and Daimler, is expected to shape the future of urban mobility and benefit from the opportunities offered by digitalization, shared services, and increasing mobility needs of consumers.

Expeditors should do well in a softening ocean freight market and a Panalpina deal wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

Several feet of snow this week adding to record amounts in the Sierra this month. Destructive winds, flooding possible in lower elevations.

It is said that moving freight is all about relationships. If that is true, what value does a routing guide provide? A great deal, it turns out.

Want an snapshot of what the markets are doing? We’ve got you covered with our weekly market forecast.

US Xpress (NYSE: USX) showcased its competency-aligned driver simulator program at the 2019 LINK supply chain conference in Orlando.

BlueGrace Logistics celebrated its 10-year anniversary on February 22. Founded in 2009 with only eight employees, the company currently has 600 employees and is one of the largest third-party logistics (3PL) providers in the United States.

Today, everything about your business – your brand, all your customer sales and service interactions, your transparency and accessibility – are part of the consideration set of the customer, and that means a different approach to selling.

EU Ambassador to the U.S. David O’Sullivan told reporters that any imposition of Section 232 tariffs on automotive imports from the EU would end bilateral talks toward a free trade […]

Rising volumes and “reasonable” orders for new ships expected to result in improving balance of supply and demand in the container shipping industry.

Flexport’s ship has come in. The digital freight forwarder last week landed a $1 billion investment from a group led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund.

Home Depot, a Roadie customer, takes financial stake in delivery firm.

Delay in tariffs comes after a week of talks in Washington with Chinese officials; but the threat certainly good for volumes coming into Seattle.

A Boeing 767 cargo plane en route from Miami to Houston Saturday afternoon crashed into Trinity Bay, near the Texas city of Anahuac.

China service, terminals and logistics outweigh ongoing competitive situation in Guam and lower southbound volume in Alaska.

Tariffs had been set to rise across $200 billion worth of goods from China on March 2.

“FAA and TSA workers should not become the bargaining chips over congressional budget battles,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association.

Shippers can gain on-demand, real-time access to carrier documentation.

The project, which is expected to be completed by March 2020, will deepen the harbor from 35 to 40 feet.

Ashley Coker IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES New York has banned empty tractor trailers from portions of the New York State Thruway and some interstates in the western and central parts of […]

Crash scene one of `total devastation,’ witnesses say.

Jack Cooper Transport Company has announced its intention to stop yard management operations and lay off 425 employees at its Louisville, Kentucky terminal.

The 2019 Retail Supply Chain Conference – also known as LINK – begins today at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The conference will serve as a networking and learning event for top executives in retail supply chain institutions.

At least 40 percent of drivers are still using AOBRDs, and nearly 80 percent of those don’t plan to switch to ELDs until the second half of 2019, just ahead of the deadline.

Increasing spot rates lead carrier revenues in 2018, will revenues start to fall now that rates have started to come down again?

An Amazon Prime cargo jet operated by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings crashed today near Trinity Bay near Anahuac, Texas, killing all three crewmembers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Inside YRC’s fight with IPS Worldwide.

Stockpiles in the country are building up. Also: more hints on the price of fuel in a post IMO2020 market; Russia’s lack of assistance to OPEC

The signing of mutual recognition agreements between the U.K and the U.S. should smooth the movement of pharmaceuticals and electronics, but the bigger prize will be a free trade deal and that will be far more complex to secure.

Government continued to pay for services even though it was aware of carrier’s reweigh policies, YRC, others say.

If confirmed, the new DOJ deputy could bring with him from DOT potential deregulatory influence.

Thick ice, heavy snow, damaging winds coming to a large portion of the U.S. this weekend. Temporary supply chain disruptions likely. Dangerous conditions for truckers.

Today on Freightwaves NOW, Nick Austin tells us what to expect this weekend. Will Arizona see more snow and when will the Southeast stop getting hammered with rain? JP shows us an interesting correlation between driver revenue v/s linehaul rates, and Jesse Cohen covers some of the hot political and economic news that could have a major impact on air cargo.

When you contemplate the strengths of successful businesses, it is common to focus on a unique product or service offering or a creative marketing strategy that was used to gain market share. You may also think of strong leadership, those with the vision and courage to climb above the rest. However, we often forget to acknowledge the massive importance of organizational structure and design in the ongoing success and viability of a successful business.

Unpredictable demand, expectations of a high service level, and labor scarcity are the most significant challenges that face logistics today, and it is crucial for warehouses to face up to it by having the right mix of automation and human resources on its floor.

“We have a lot of reasons to believe 2019 will be our best ever.”

What the Truck is going on in all things freight this week?First, we begin with out weekly Market Update: Volumes slide under previous year values as spring approaches, Trucking Freight Futures Atlanta: attendees ask about volatility, small players and liquidity. And then on to the other big headlines of the week. Then a round of Big deal, little deal (what’s the deal with you)?

The Canadian auto and truck parts maker reported record sales, but the Trump administration’s tariffs will continue to hit its bottom line.

Freight Alley in Chattanooga was the scene on the afternoon of February 21, when executives from FreightWaves, Nodal Exchange, DAT and K-Ratio presented the Trucking Freight Futures roadshow. Trucking Freight Futures debut on the Nodal Exchange on March 29.

Amtrak wants to cut long distance trains for those that travel between heavily populated city pairs. But that plan doesn’t track with what Congress and the freight railroads want.

Transparency19 is approaching fast and sponsorships are already selling out. Now’s your chance to be a part of the hottest event in the industry.

VC-backed freight forwarder wants to expand geographic coverage and add freight expertise after latest cash infusion.

In partnership with Slync… sustainable supply chain initiatives depend on shared data, realtime collaboration, and advanced analytics.

Manual transmissions have almost disappeared from cars and light-duty trucks. But that isn’t the case in heavy-duty trucks. Read the pros and cons of manual and automatic transmissions in Class 8 trucks.

Read on economy from container data does not indicate slowdown yet in cards for global trade.

Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S.discussed the prospects for USMCA-implementing legislation in her country as analysts weighed in on the variables that could impact entry into force.

Wireless charging could be key to making electric trucks viable for the long-haul sector.

SoftBank’s Vision Fund led the Series D round, which Flexport will use to improve technology, open offices and warehouses and hire employees with operational expertise.

But The Wall Street Journal is reporting the CEO had been under pressure for months to step down.

JAXPORT leaders at the annual State of the Port address report work may be completed two years ahead of the original schedule.

Plus: Smart chickens, Cargill’s climate change maneuver.

CBP reminded the trade that drawback claims must be filed in ACE according to requirements of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act.

ZAG International’s overseas managing director acquired cement clinker from a supplier in the United Arab Emirates knowing that it originated in Iran.

The company held a “Papa-Mama” seminar Thursday about the merits for men to participate in housework and child care.

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Guest Authors: Tim Almack – Partner – Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM) & David Roush – President – KSM Transport Advisors (KSMTA) This is the second article in […]

Widespread jitters in the Australian political and business communities that China may have banned imports of Australian coal now appear to be unfounded. Customs clearance delays at Dalian are happening owing to entirely “normal” reasons and coal cargo can be re-routed around a given port anyway, coal mining and coal transport executives have explained to FreightWaves.

The transportation and logistics services company closed out 2018 with the highest quarterly revenue ever reported.

Proceeds to fund service expansion.

Delphi Technologies (NYSE: DLPH) beat Wall Street’s consensus expectations of its fourth quarter non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $0.88 by 20 percent according to Seeking Alpha. However, quarterly EPS decreased 14.5 percent year-over-year (Y/Y) from $1.24 to $1.06.

Carrier didn’t give employees 60 days advance notice, suit alleges

Goods that are stuck at the borders would have to be declared at customs before entering the UK. The magnitude of the declarations would mean long queues at the port, and the U.K. government has reason to believe that blockchain could help avoid that.

Today on FreightWaves NOW, Nick Austin brings us the “good news” about the weather. Zach Strickland tells us about the slight uptick in tender rejections. Is this good news for rates? Speaking of rates, Dean Croke brings us an analysis of how owner-operators might use SONAR and how a good margin is hard to find.

Up-and-coming freight forwarder aims to flip script in how to reach customers and Japanese fund is on board for that.

The third-party logistics provider (“3PL”) in this case had a clause in its Motor Carriage Services Contract with a non-exclusive trucking company. The clause prevented the trucking company (“carrier”) from hiring or trying to hire any of the 3PL’s employees while the two companies were still in business or within two years after they stopped doing business.

Hong Kong-based Lalamove promises same-day deliveries in under an hour. The company has just closed a $300 million round of funding to expand its geographic footprint further.

Restructuring of the global economy means that manufacturers are shifting their production centres nearer to the markets they serve, in a process that Maersk calls reshoring or near-shoring, and poses a risk to the liner industry’s future revenues.

Senior U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier Jr. sentenced the final four women to be tried in the Pilot Flying J fraud case to probation and community service, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

Cell phones and driving don’t mix, but that doesn’t stop people. These are the roads where you’re most likely to find people texting and driving.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …Predictive data analytics has helped foster preventive maintenance in the trucking industry. It helps fleets plan their asset usage better, recruit and retain skilled drivers, and more importantly, reduce unplanned equipment downtimes.

UPS has sued a pot delivery company in California saying the company is infringing on hits trademarks; also FreightWaves announces a War on Detention, Connecticut wants to add tolls, and Ford leaves South America.

The overall market remains relatively stable as volume dip below 2018 levels in two major markets. Spring is around the corner. Will freight volumes return with it?

Connecticut truckers say tolling proposal unveiled by new governor would hurt business.

Digital upstarts have scored a lot of downloads, but their apps still aren’t as sticky as the incumbents.

The company says freight rates are higher as it begins contract negotiations with North American shippers.

Hurricane Katrina was a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions during the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, but it also served as an early example of how useful crowd-sourcing and satellite imagery can be in disaster response.

C.K. Yoo is credited with helping HMM navigate a difficult period and last April was offered a three-year contract extension.

But world’s largest shipping company sees high number of risks going into 2019 with container demand expected to be down from 2018.

With deeper channels, longer and wider ships will be able to move to and from berths without having to wait for high tides.

The ship, which was damaged by a container fire in early January, currently is at a yard in the Bahamas.

The strategic move positions the company to “more effectively provide economical shipping options for its clients throughout the Midwest and Northeast.”

Flexible automation in warehouses is about maintaining floor robots that are mobile, scalable based on demand volatility, and equipped to collaborate with humans for optimizing operations.

A study finds year-over-year growth of 8.2 percent for freight traffic and 3.6 percent for number of vessels that transited the waterway.

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES The third-party logistics provider (“3PL”) in this case had a clause in its Motor Carriage Services Contract with a non-exclusive trucking […]

Sydney-headquartered multi-modal logistics operator Qube has announced “solid” company earnings today. ASX-listed Qube revealed a small 5 percent increase in revenues and a large 36 percent increase in profits.

Sydney, Australia-headquartered customs and logistics software provider WiseTech Global yesterday released details of massive increases in revenues and profits. ASX-listed WiseTech reported that total revenues increased by 68 percent.

Fraudulent medical certifications that can put carriers and drivers at risk of more accidents.are under scrutiny.

Flinders Ports, South Australia, had a mixed bag of containerised cargo throughput results in 2018 compared to 2017, new data analysis shows. Overall containerised throughput – which includes imports, exports, empties and boxes in various configurations – was essentially flat.

Class 1 railroad plans ongoing projects at intermodal facility which is near major shippers and new warehouse space.

Thunderstorms, several more inches of rain to flood Southeast roads and homes through the weekend.

Pointivo, an Atlanta-based startup that makes artificial intelligence 3D analytics technology, has closed a Series A funding round of $7 million.

Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) missed Wall Street’s fourth quarter consensus revenue expectations of $2.74 billion. The company’s revenue decreased nearly 3.9 percent year-over-year (Y/Y) from over $2.7 billion to nearly $2.6 billion.