Good day,
Technology and supply chain management go hand in hand. The rush to be on the leading edge of this recent wave of innovation is pushing trucking companies outside of their comfort zones. Schneider announced earlier this week its partnership with the venture capital group 8VC. They are investing in technology that will provide more visibility throughout all links of the supply chain, a sign that the biggest players in the transportation industry are willing to push themselves without the influence of outside forces such as the government.
Did you know?
According to DAT Solutions the flatbed load to truck ratio reached an all time high of 111 loads per truck last week.
Quotable:
“If you look to debt-to-GDP ratios going out, 5-6x is historically high, and unsustainable… as we get to 2019-2020, difficult decisions might undermine our economic fundamentals that support intermodal traffic,”
-Todd Tranausky, FTR’s Senior Transportation Analyst speaking on the macroeconomic risk to intermodal
In other news:
Truckers seek new routes into ‘last mile’
Big trucking companies are looking into bulky last mile deliveries in response to e-commerce boom. (WSJ)
Berkshire’s BNSF can gain from Trump’s manufacturing push
The Railway could benefit from Trump’s push for domestic manufacturing. (Market Realist)
Ready or not, AI as Augmenter, disruptor of container shipping is coming
Digitization impacts on the ocean shipping industry. (Seatrade-Maritime)
4 trucking stocks to drive into earnings beat in Q1
The gains in the trucking industry in 2017 should last into 2018. 4 companies that stand to see the most gains. (Zacks)
Delta sees cargo revenues soar in Q1
Delta Air Lines has the biggest cargo revenues in 3 years. (Air Cargo News)
Final Thoughts:
With technological improvement comes an understanding gap as the masses rush to figure out how to keep up with the rapidly changing environment. It is important for companies to maintain focus on their core service and value provided. Sprinting to be in the lead may not always be the best long-term strategy as a strong foundation is the most important asset to keep you viable in a volatile marketplace.
Hammer down everyone!
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