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Darren Prokop

Darren Prokop is a Professor of Logistics in the College of Business and Public Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Manitoba in 1999. Prior to his academic career Darren Prokop worked in government as an economist and in the private sector in inventory planning.
Apr - 2021 -
21 April
Darren Prokop

Viewpoint: Settling for general average

Evergreen should decide whether to leave the containers on board the vessel or come up with a way to transfer them.

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Mar - 2021 -
24 March
Darren Prokop

Viewpoint: Buy American — by choice

Fewer options means less competition and less incentive to control costs.

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Feb - 2021 -
17 February
Darren Prokop

Viewpoint: Bruises for Alaska cruises

The United States and Canada should do more talking and less unilateral banning and canceling.

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Jan - 2021 -
27 January
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Crude oil tankers on hold

Short of a conflict in the Middle East and its adjacent shipping lanes, it is hard to see a spike in tanker spot rates in the near term.

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13 January
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Electronic bills of lading necessary but not sufficient

An electronic bill of lading must be in a format that ensures interoperability across multiple user interfaces.

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Dec - 2020 -
23 December
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Adding COVID-19 vaccines to the holiday rush

With vaccines in tow, the transportation industry will deliver a lot of much-needed holiday cheer over the next few weeks.

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09 December
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Choppy skies post-Brexit

Beyond the EU, the U.K. will have to busy itself establishing bilateral air service agreements with other countries as well.

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Nov - 2020 -
25 November
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Is fuel efficiency a bad thing?

While each fuel-efficient conveyance may consume less fuel per mile, the cost savings may induce more miles to be driven.

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10 November
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Another iron link for USMCA?

A railroad from Mexico’s Port of Mazatlan to Winnipeg, Manitoba, would require enhanced container-handling facilities at both sites.

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Oct - 2020 -
22 October
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Data sharing offers limited customer service

In assessing customer service in transportation, data is necessary but not sufficient.

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07 October
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Cargo keeps Alaska’s skies very busy

Air cargo traffic keeps Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in the same league as FedEx’s and UPS’ super-hubs.

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Sep - 2020 -
21 September
Darren Prokop

Commentary: A strategy for tactics?

The provision of sizable infrastructure is an example of the government’s positive role in the market for transportation.

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09 September
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Playing the spot market

On the whole, deregulation of transportation is beneficial to the economy.

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Aug - 2020 -
25 August
Darren Prokop

Commentary: With PPP loans ended, what comes next?

Now is a good time for carriers that boosted their balance sheets with PPP loans to leverage that by investing in technology.

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11 August
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Keeping Alaska’s seafood supply chain intact

Commercial fishing is big business in Alaska. And like all industries, it depends on supply chains to work properly…

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04 August
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Will reinsurance stabilize trade flows?

Trade has been destabilized by the pandemic. Can trade credit insurance help de-risk trade to a degree and help solidify supply chains?

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Jul - 2020 -
28 July
Darren Prokop

Commentary: When is a carrier price gouging?

Darren Prokop’s commentary concerns whether price gouging is taking place on container shipping between Asian ports and the U.S.

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23 July
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Flags of inconvenience causing problems for crew members

Thousands of crew members are stuck on board their ships due to COVID-19 restrictions. Learn more in Darren Prokop’s commentary.

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13 July
Darren Prokop

Commentary: 5G is coming. What happens then?

The next generation of cellphones is known as 5G. 5G promises much faster speed and other benefits. Darren Prokop explores the future of transportation and logistics in a 5G world.

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08 July
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Do environmental regulations really push markets?

The California Air Resources Board has mandated a percentage of zero-emission Class 8 trucks must be built for sale in California. Darren Prokop’s commentary covers the ins and outs of this regulatory mandate.

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Jun - 2020 -
23 June
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Degrees of freedom in the skies

“Freedom of the Skies” is tempered by landing slots at airports, which are controlled by the governments the airports are in. In the high-stakes world of air cargo, landing slots are very valuable. Learn more in Darren Prokop’s commentary.

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16 June
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Is just-in-time past its time?

Because of strained supply chains, will just-in-time delivery be used less by industry? Darren Prokop explores this topic in his latest commentary.

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08 June
Darren Prokop

Commentary: USMCA is imminent

Darren Prokop provides information on the USMCA, which goes into effect on July 1, 2020. How will the agreement impact trade and supply chains in the three countries?

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03 June
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Can managed trade really work?

The global pandemic has strained relations between the U.S. and China. Will that cause the trade deal negotiated earlier this year to break down?

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May - 2020 -
27 May
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Who holds the wild card at every supply chain’s end?

The retail apparel sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how international trade, supply chains and tariffs complicate things further.

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19 May
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Re-opening the economy is not like turning on a light switch

As various parts of the nation and the world begin to open up, there will be logistical and supply chain issues. Darren Prokop explores those issues.

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14 May
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Why seeds travel the world

Most crops don’t grow without seeds. But how are seeds for commercial farming transported? Darren Prokop explores this topic.

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06 May
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Commoditizing and shipping air bubbles

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.  A funny paradox says that there is a […]

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Apr - 2020 -
29 April
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Why oil had a 306%-off sale

Darren Prokop explores the reasons for the huge drop in oil prices and what the ramifications are because of the drop.

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22 April
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Supply chain partners like to cooperate, but can they coordinate?

Governments must support vital supply chains. A big part of that is for all branches and levels of government to put aside partisanship and petty bickering and work for the good of the nation and its people.

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17 April
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Why supply chains are weaker than their weakest link

Risk is often assessed in terms of probabilities. The probabilities themselves are often calculated under the assumption of a bell-shaped (i.e., normal) distribution. This distribution assumes that extreme events are not likely. What if there are?

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13 April
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Why supply chains are weaker than their weakest link

The coronavirus has strained supply chains of all kinds around the world. Darren Prokop has written an interestng and informative commentary that explains the inherent weaknesses of supply chains and how to improve them.

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06 April
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Why airlines are giving freight the window seats

Passenger aircraft are being used to fly essential cargo between continents. Learn more about what the airlines are doing to survive and to assist key supply chains.

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Mar - 2020 -
25 March
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Transportation plays a key role in the war on COVID-19

Darren Prokop writes about the key role that transportation in the war against COVID-19 – particularly trucks.

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23 March
Darren Prokop

Commentary: COVID-19 and supply chain force majeure collide

The Chinese government is using the reason “Acts of God” to void many contracts due to coronavirus. Darren Prokop explores whether that is hurting current trade and will impact trade in the future.

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11 March
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Walking the tightrope of antitrust immunity

The companies that control the bulk of ocean cargo opearte under different rules than most companies. Read Darren Prokop’s explanation of why that is…

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04 March
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Is classifying truck drivers as easy as ABC?

Darren Prokop writes about California’s AB 5 and its impact in California – and nationwide.

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Feb - 2020 -
25 February
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Trade flow teeter-totter tilts again

The trade war between the U.S. and China caused companies to adapt supply chains and the transportation of their products. Darren Prokop writes about those changes and their impacts.

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18 February
Darren Prokop

Commentary: This Arctic party needs some good icebreakers

The Artic Ocean may be the next area that sees the superpower nations “rubbing up” on each other in search of faster ocean passage and a new source of natural resources.

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11 February
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Can ecommerce help less-than-truckload carriers in 2020?

Darren Prokop writes about the volatility in trucking, and how ecommerce may help less-than-truckload carriers recover in 2020.

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07 February
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Digitization needs vroom to grow

Darren Prokop writes about the future of data in for-hire transportation. Data is information and can become knowledge.

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Jan - 2020 -
30 January
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Who pays for IMO 2020?

Darren Prokop writes about the implementation of IMO 2020 and how its costs will be absorbed and/or passed along…

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22 January
Darren Prokop

Commentary: The WTO’s parenting skills need improvement

Darren Prokop writes about international trade and the World Trade Organization. Are disputes among member countries being handled correctly?

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16 January
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Positive Train Control costs Alaska Railroad… does it add value?

Darren Prokop explains why Positive Train Control – a positive safety measure for “Lower 48” railroads – doesn’t make sense for the Alaska Railroad.

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06 January
Darren Prokop

Commentary: At 100, the Jones Act has many wrinkles

The Jones Act has been in effect for nearly 100 years. Read about its pros and cons in this commentary by Darren Prokop.

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Dec - 2019 -
30 December
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Alaska Bypass makes every day feel like a holiday!

With Christmas 2019 just celebrated, here is an only-in-Alaska tale of goodies from the sky. While the logistics involved are nowhere near as flawless as Santa Claus’ annual air courier […]

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20 December
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Transportation, trade wars and trade balances are all part of the same equation

Darren Prokop writes about the complexities of international trade (imports and exports) and how transportation is measured in that mix.

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18 December
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Foreign trade zones are not “free trade zones”

Darren Prokop writes about foreign trade zones and their impact on imports, exports and the economy.

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02 December
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Bigger is better, but too big is worse…

Darren Prokop writes about the benefits of economies of scale in maritime shipping; he also writes about the dangers of diseconomies of scale.

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Nov - 2019 -
25 November
Darren Prokop

Commentary: When transport markets fail

Darren Prokop writes about the need for a solution to repair and improve the nation’s highways and bridges. What are the options and is there the political will to develop a solution?

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17 November
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Cargo screening vs. inspection

In cargo transportation, there is a distinction between screening and inspection.

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12 November
Darren Prokop

Commentary: The dark zone in for-hire trucking changes

Connectivity is crucial to success in trucking. Darren Prokop writes about various aspects of connectivity that make trucking more transparent and efficient.

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05 November
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Is the Alaska Railroad on track to the “Lower 48?”

Connecting the Alaska Railroad with rail service in Canada and the U.S. is a bold, expensive plan. But it would generate tremendous benefits. Read more here.

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Oct - 2019 -
29 October
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Changing and maintaining logistical centers of gravity

Read what Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is doing to stay relevant and its importance to U.S.-international trade.

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21 October
Darren Prokop

Commentary: Port of Alaska’s resiliency puzzle

Logistics in Alaska can be both amazing and frustrating. Alaska is the most expansive and diverse logistics laboratory in the United States. Take the largest state in the nation, yet […]

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14 October
Darren Prokop

Commentary: The tides of unionization and container port automation

Market Voice Darren Prokop writes about automation at ports and the progress – and disruption – that will bring.

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07 October
Darren Prokop

Commentary: U.S. ports and the trade war

At the center of the Trade War between the U.S. and China are the American ocean ports.

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Sep - 2019 -
23 September
Darren Prokop

Pricing Demurrage and Detention

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a proposed rule to promote “just and reasonable” demurrage and detention charges.

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19 September
Darren Prokop

Getting Inside the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

Hilcorp makes headway in Alaska buying out BP’s Alaska assets.

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11 September
Darren Prokop

Hours of service and the Alaska exemption

Not many people are aware of this, but Alaska received a special exemption from the HOS regulations.

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10 September
Darren Prokop

Alaska and the Amazon Effect

Being 9.5 hours from 90 percent of the industrialized world, e-commerce leader Amazon is utilizing Alaska as an air operations hub.

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