American Shipper

Analog strategies in an omnichannel world.

   Excellent opportunities exist for companies competing in global trade to leverage their business models by reviewing their supply chain process options.    One option is the use of foreign trade zones (FTZs), not only here in the United States but also available in most major trading centers of the world.    The primary reasons for considering FTZs […]

   Chip Bergh is a self-professed “brand guy.”    If you’ve ever used a Swiffer on a dirty kitchen floor, or if you’re under the age of 80 and splashed some Old Spice on before a date, chances are Bergh had an influence on those decisions. The Swiffer was his idea, and the quirky ad campaign that made […]

Ports gain DOT respect

   Approaching two years as chief executive officer of Hapag-Lloyd, Rolf Habben Jansen has expressed satisfaction with the German carrier’s 2015 results and  sees some encouraging signs on the horizon.    Last year swung to a net profit of 114 million euros ($127.5 million) from a loss of 604 million euros ($675.6 million) in 2014.    He attributed the […]

   Ocean carriers would seem to hold all the cards in contract rate negotiations as controllers of much needed and often tight capacity in an industry with antitrust exemption. Now, after several years in a buyer’s market with no end in sight, the reality is somewhat different.    Shippers have the leverage to secure container capacity at reasonable […]

Cuban cargo crisis?

Suffering from dockworker disruption. Five lies the Ubers of trucking may tell. CP-NS acquisition railroaded from the start.

What driver shortage?    Scott Grenerth, director of regulatory affairs at the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), can’t stand it when anyone says there’s a truck driver shortage in America.    “There is no driver shortage,” he told American Shipper at the association’s offices in Grain Valley, Mo. “It’s more the churn in the industry.” […]

Businesses, meet the ocean carriers. Is trade slowdown permanent?

Turkey has what is needed to become a global trade powerhouse. But will it?    The time has come to look hard at Turkey’s trade relationship with the European Union, and thus at its long-term potential as an important power broker for global trade, given its unique location in the world and its positive economic forecasts. […]

The relevance of rail    Almost everything that affects domestic freight flows has been changing. U.S. imports have continued to grow, but some of their sources have shifted away from China to Western Asia and they are arriving on larger vessels that can be accommodated by the Suez Canal and soon the Panama Canal. Environmental regulations […]

   Abandoned cargo can be a problem for carriers, intermediaries, and other businesses. Two lawsuits from last year revolving around abandoned containers filledwith used tires were discussed by Vincent M. DeOrchis, a partner at the New York office of Montgomery McCracken, in an article on his law firm’s website.    In the first,(Mediterranean Shipping Co. v. Best […]

   If logistics is the delivery of the right goods to the right place at the right time, it is economic forces that determine the type of freight that is delivered, as well as the time and place of delivery.    A factor that sometimes goes overlooked in freight transportation negotiations and discussions is the risk of […]

   Mega-retailers and manufacturers today realize the value of having top-notch supply chain management executives within their ranks as important problem-solvers and facilitators to improve bottom lines.    In recent years, many large corporations have even made space in their “C” suites for leading supply chain officers to be a part of their strategic decision-making teams. The […]

Lawsuits involving supply chain executives have become increasingly frequent, including Amazon suing Arthur Valdez, who left to work as Target’s chief supply chain and logistics officer, and an XPO Logistics suit against LTL rival YRC Freight.

The Port of Houston authority announced its new policy on container weights, as well as container throughput for the the first quarter and developments with ongoing infrastructure improvement projects.

Overall revenues for NYK, MOL and “K” Line fell 5.4 percent, 6 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively, for the last fiscal year ended March 31, 2016.

The Atlanta, Ga.-based parcel giant posted a net income of $1.1 billion for the first quarter of 2016 on revenues of $14.4 billion, year-over-year increases of 10.2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.

Legislation introduced into the California State Senate by Sen. Ricardo Lara would provide an exemption from sales and use tax for terminal operators purchasing zero or “near zero-emission” equipment.