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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