Logistics

From customers and employees to investors and community members, stakeholder engagement plays a tremendous role in the future of your company.

One notable number in the report: intermodal brokerage had a tough quarter.

While automation offers the quickest path to increased efficiency, many companies are held down by slow-to-adapt legacy operations or siloed solutions.

Third-party logistics provider Transport Investments Inc. has acquired a majority stake in specialty freight brokerages US Logistics and Nationwide Logistics.

PAM has long been known as a company that depends heavily on the auto industry. But that sector is making up less of its business these days.

It is well known that desperation breeds innovation, and many across the logistics industry have certainly found themselves desperate for capacity this year.

The union must now negotiate a contract with XPO, a process that can take a long time.

Private ownership would allow Echo to accelerate M&A and technology investments.

One of the three new investors, D1, already has significant investments in logistics.

Schneider aims to “eradicate manual processes and paper because it is completely inefficient,” said Erin Van Zeeland, group senior vice president and general manager of logistics services at the company.

Bringg executive Larry Klein explains how the company’s cloud technology empowers retailers to get products to consumers faster – and more simply.

Finding capacity and orchestrating communication along supply chains.

FreightTech companies demonstrated products and services designed to improve efficiency in supply chains.

FreightWaves’ Kevin Hill sits down with Michael Newcity, ArcBest’s chief innovation officer, during the F3 Virtual Experience to discuss the importance of customer collaboration in building winning technology solutions.

IT can help companies hit efficiency and sustainability objectives, DHL unit’s innovation leader says.

Stuart Scott, J.B. Hunt’s chief information officer, said technology such as the cloud and automation are the future of freight.

EBITDA at the digital brokerage remains in the red, but it is getting closer to breakeven.

A rule requiring vaccines for employees, or weekly testing for workers declining vaccination, at companies with staff of 100 or more gets emergency stay.

Warehouse and third-party logistics operator Warehouse Services Inc. has acquired Total Logistics Inc.

With demand outpacing supply all year, the entirety of 2021 has mirrored peak season conditions. Despite these challenges ahead of the holiday season, there are low-cost solutions and long-term investments shippers can apply to improve operations.

Germany-based Rhenus Logistics is acquiring Global Net Logistics, an international freight forwarding company based in Dallas.

When people think about security breaches, they often think about hackers in dark hoodies hiding behind computer screens. While some attacks do come from malicious outside parties, logistics companies should also be aware of threats coming from inside their own buildings.

ArcBest announced Monday that it has closed on the previously announced acquisition of Chicago-based truckload brokerage MoLo Solutions.

Universal Logistics misses third-quarter expectations and said it will look to its customers to address wage inflation and accessorial charges at the ports.

When shippers are using several cobbled-together solutions with hit-or-miss integrations, they miss out on opportunities to optimize their business practices and workflows.

FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller describes the current and future opportunities in supply chain technology.

Many of the conversations surrounding peak season headwinds center around shippers, but carriers are also faced with challenges during this time.

Both reports see debt levels rising initially but with a steady move toward a more reasonable level of coverage.

Sourcing capacity will likely prove difficult through at least the first quarter of 2022 as supply and demand struggle to strike a balance during the peak season.

New car inventories are down significantly from 2019 due to manufacturing slowdowns and parts shortages. Meanwhile, demand continues to surge, with multiple used car pricing indices showing prices up about 27% year-over-year.

With pharmaceutical spending reaching new heights, a single shipment can be worth millions of dollars, leading to monumental financial losses — as well as serious threats to human lives — in the event of a transportation or distribution error.

During a year characterized by historically tight capacity, shippers should enter peak season prepared for even harsher conditions.

Company shoots out the lights in the third quarter with soaring profits and EPS.

Flock Freight’s fierce dedication to greening up the supply chain helps it stand out from its peers and attract a wealth of talent from several different backgrounds.

Freight broker Echo Global Logistics reports better-than-expected third-quarter results in what is likely its last public quarterly report.

Canadian trucking and logistics firm XTL Group expands into the U.S. with the acquisition of Georgia freight brokerage CBT.

Many media outlets are reporting that a Long Beach city order will allow bigger container stacks at the port. Not true. It’s for container yards outside the harbor district.

Landstar reports record third-quarter results and calls for a similar performance in the fourth and potentially beyond.

E-commerce fulfillment provider ShipMonk’s facility in Mexico will focus on companies that rely on goods manufactured internationally.

Trucking companies, logistics firms and suppliers may be left in a lurch after an auto parts supplier filed bankruptcy after losing GM as a client.

A look at how Knight-Swift Transportation blew past third-quarter expectations and raised its full-year guidance.

Overlapping crises have pushed the race for global visibility into a critical stage.

It is clear that shippers need to pinpoint proactive solutions to their peak season woes if they hope to safeguard their bottom lines and maintain positive relationships with their customers in the upcoming months.

There is plenty of opportunity for innovative companies to solve for industry headwinds, a prospect that excites both new investors and existing stakeholders across the industry.

Freight is attracting record levels of investment right now, and Emerge’s dedication to making the industry more flexible and efficient through digitization has drawn attention.

The company is so new that there isn’t any earnings history to discuss yet, but that will change in a few weeks.

When the market shifts, flexibility is the key to acting fast and capitalizing on new opportunities. Despite this, many processes in the industry can be quite rigid.

Tri-State Expedited announced it has been acquired by its senior management team.

The logistics arm of Cheema Freightlines announced it has acquired 3PL provider Walker Logistics.

Third-party logistics provider Unique Logistics filed for a public offering, which is expected to raise at least $35.5 million in net proceeds.

Transportation capacity continues to contract at a record pace with rates climbing to historical levels, according to the September Logistics Managers’ Index.

Pent-up demand is making its way to the surface in 2021; this year has seen an explosion in M&A activity due to the large amount of money available from strategics, private equity and venture capitalists.

ArcBest’s acquisition of truckload broker MoLo Solutions accompanies an announcement of strong third-quarter results for its LTL segment.

ArcBest announced after the close Wednesday it has entered into an agreement to acquire Chicago-based truckload broker MoLo.

Companies spend more than 10,000 man hours rating invoices every year. Dynamic rating solutions can change that.

Temperature-controlled warehouse operator RLS Logistics adds another regional partner as it builds out a national footprint.

Industrial warehouse operator Prologis Inc. said Thursday it was expanding a training program aimed at bringing 25,000 new workers to the logistics industry.

M&A in third-party logistics continues at a high rate. PLS Logistics Services announced it has acquired freight broker D&L Transport.

A perfect storm of factors has led to a historically strained market in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Shippers looking forward to market equilibrium should expect to continue waiting well into early 2022.

Small carriers are opting to bring only a power unit to a brokered transaction.

Capstone Partners explains why brokerages are so expensive.

The research firm of Evercore ISI launched coverage of the 3PL sector with an enormous report.

Private equity takeout allows Echo Global Logistics’ equity value to rise to that of its peers. Management believes its new affiliation with deeper pockets opens up bigger M&A opportunities.

Radiant Logistics announced it closed its fiscal year in record fashion on Thursday. The company will repurchase shares and pursue acquisitions as a means of boosting valuation.

Reducing risk from natural disasters, disease and terrorism is an important goal, but doing so shouldn’t paralyze economic activity.

The supply chain continues to be stretched as the peak shipping season bears down. Capacity declines further while rates soar, according to an August survey.

A group of former Knight-Swift logistics leaders is building something new in Arizona.

Truck driving in Hawaii might sound like paradise. Locals say they face a range of challenges unique to island living.

Most often, hesitation surrounding autonomous vehicles centers on cost and safety concerns. Locomation set out to address these pain points with a phased approach.

Trucking and logistics firms are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after a Nevada-based bottled water company — linked to a hepatitis outbreak — filed Chapter 7.

The increased efficiency shippers find when using digital RFP tools will allow them to both build out their carrier networks and increase the frequency of their RFPs, giving them the power to respond to market shifts earlier.

Transplace’s new bookings are said to be a key reason for the improvement in its financial outlook.

Most compromised shipments result in lost time and money. Some result in lost lives.

The $124M Global Transportation & Industrial Park of Oklahoma is a public-private development expected to spur jobs and economic development in southern Oklahoma.

Companies in the industry have come to expect better visibility from their partners. Just as importantly, end consumers have started expecting real-time visibility on online orders.

Hurricane Ida is about to hit. Emergency relief will not be far behind. Read tips about trucking into a hurricane relief effort.

Hiring for virtually all roles in the logistics space is fiercely competitive. While all eyes are on the infamous driver shortage, recruiting and retaining top-notch brokerage employees is no easy task either.

Parts shortages are beginning to let up, pointing to a looming surge in vehicle production. Still, the market is expected to remain strained for the foreseeable future.

The outlook for the pandemic hurt the company’s review last year, but Moody’s has a more positive view in 2021.

Canada’s Titanium Transportation Group continues its asset-light push into the U.S. freight market with a new brokerage office in Denver, its fourth in the country.

Truck broker Landstar System points to better-than-expected truck volumes and yield trends in the third quarter as reasons to raise its outlook.

A return to typical consumer spending drives conventional freight market conditions but the process of returning to normal has been anything but conventional.

Titanium Transportation Group plans to add two more U.S. freight brokerage offices this year after the Canadian firm reported record second-quarter revenue.

The chain that brings us Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. faced several challenges

Perishable Shipping Solutions CEO Mark Nelson said online demand for specialty perishables never leveled off from the start of the pandemic, and the growth has barely scratched the surface.

Trucking, logistics and airfreight companies are collectively owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after a Texas freight forwarder filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this week.

The key to strong relationships can be augmented by finding companies that are willing to share in the inherent risks that come with moving inbound and outbound freight. Relationships and good risk management strategy do not exist to absolve one party of responsibility, shifting blame onto the other.

Also on this week’s podcast: A shoutout to fuel surcharges.

Vietnam is the newest epicenter for supply chain chaos. Manufacturing and port activity have been cut by new COVID precautions.

The $2.25 billion deal is a “game-changer” and a “monster deal,” according to FreightWaves experts.

Freight broker Landstar System sees continued strength in consumer spending push freight demand higher during the second quarter. The company posted its best quarterly results ever Wednesday after the market close.

Is this the start of more union representation at XPO or just a head fake?

Kuehne + Nagel is one of the largest third-party logistics providers in the world and it got larger in the second quarter.

“The Transfix team is extremely talented, but there’s a quality to the culture that’s got gumption,” said newly appointed CCO Sophie Dabbs.

Warehouse space is more expensive than ever. In an environment where everyone is scrambling to claim their share of this finite resource, maybe the best strategy is not to use warehouse space at all.

Companies will demand a full, scalable suite of services from their partners over the next few years, leading to widespread consolidation and the emergence of a handful of clear leaders with considerable market share.

The main purpose of these agreements is preparation. Companies can revisit and revise an SLA that they find no longer serves them. If trouble comes when there is no SLA in place, however, resolving conflict can become difficult.

Labor talks with grocery chains Safeway and Fred Meyer went in different directions Thursday. Fred Meyer stores could soon see empty shelves.

The instability of a global pandemic made it clear that up-to-date technology is required to survive, not just thrive.

“We have to compete in a marketplace where my competitors don’t even have to be profitable.”