FREIGHT FORWARDERS

Need an ocean or air cargo quote? RPA Labs’ software bots have you covered

Workflow automation technology company RPA Labs has landed its first round of capital, netting $1.2 million in a pre-seed round.

Schematic Ventures led the round, along with PSA UnBoxed (Port of Singapore) and other senior supply chain executives. 

RPA Labs is brand-new, having come out of stealth during the fall of 2019. The executive team has been working on the technology for a couple of years, co-founder Matt Mostick told FreightWaves, with the idea of using automation to help lower costs and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/need-an-air-cargo-or-ocean-quote-rpa-labs-software-bots-have-you-covered

Commentary: How are freight professionals adjusting to COVID-19?

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. 

On April 9, FreightWaves ran Commentary: Can supply chain tech startups survive COVID-19?, followed on April 23 by Commentary: How supply chain startups are surviving COVID-19.

For most people who focus on supply chain, innovation and technology, a related and perhaps even more salient question is the question about how professionals in traditional supply chain...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/commentary-how-are-freight-professionals-adjusting-to-covid-19

Tough times for forwarders, as factory shutdowns and lack of boxes bite

The ripples from from China’s extended factory shutdown are still spreading for forwarders serving key Asia-Europe tradelanes.
One based in Munich told The Loadstar there was “little air cargo on the move”.
He said: “Inbound you don’t see a lot; there’s some cargo from clients in South-east Asia mainly. Things are recovering a bit in south China, but in the Shanghai area there is almost nothing moving. It’s quite tough.
“For exports, it’s …

The post Tough times for forwarders, as factory...

https://theloadstar.com/tough-times-for-forwarders-as-factory-shutdowns-and-lack-of-boxes-bite/

Forwarders warned of shortage of cargo space once China factories reopen

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, freight forwarders are warning customers to expect space shortages once factories reopen in China, with some ocean shippers switching to air or rail freight in a bid to play supply chain catch-up.
According to Vincent Wong, Asia director of airfreight at CH Robinson, the majority of factories across China will remain closed until 10 February.
“Once they reopen there will be a rush for orders,” he told The …

The post Forwarders warned of shortage of cargo space once...

https://theloadstar.com/forwarders-warned-of-shortage-of-cargo-space-once-china-factories-reopen/

Cargobase offers shippers performance ratings for their service providers

Cargobase is to provide shippers with performance ratings of their logistics providers, one of three new initiatives this year.
The Cargobase platform, which enables “enterprise” shippers to find logistics providers, now has the ability to provide ratings, scored from one to five and based on four categories: pricing, timing, communication and overall performance. The ratings, by shippers, can be given once a shipment has reached its destination.
“A shipper can now get …

The post Cargobase...

https://theloadstar.com/cargobase-offers-shippers-performance-ratings-for-their-service-providers/

Legal ruling over forwarder T&Cs in emails may become a global precedent

A court in Australia has ruled that a freight forwarder’s terms and conditions (T&Cs) can be incorporated through an email ‘footer’, despite the absence of a signed contract.
The ruling was made in the recent County Court of Victoria case of cargo owner Technology Swiss versus freight forwarder Famous Pacific Shipping (FPS).
That case dates back to 2014, when the shipper paid FPS to transport some mining equipment from Melbourne to Bangkok.
According …

The post Legal ruling over forwarder T&Cs...

https://theloadstar.com/legal-ruling-over-forwarder-tcs-in-emails-may-become-a-global-precedent/

Shippers love technology, but some people are irreplaceable

Shippers don’t see a single area of business where pure technology would be a preferable solution to the human touch.
In a survey carried out by Coyote Logistics, shippers said they would prefer even data-based tasks, like managing inventory, load scheduling and monitoring shipments, to be dealt with by a mix of humans and technology.
And there are some areas where shippers don’t see humans as replaceable.
Some 55% of respondents said communicating …

The post Shippers love technology, but some...

https://theloadstar.com/shippers-love-technology-but-some-people-are-irreplaceable/

Maersk pledges to ‘welcome’ forwarders onto TradeLens digital platform

Maersk has responded to a call by forwarders to share efforts to standardise digitisation through its TradeLens platform, saying it is “cultivating diverse membership” and welcomes all-comers.
This month, former DSV executive Steve Walker warned that the forwarding industry was at risk of losing out as shipping lines look to take control of data. 
“Maersk announced it wants half its earnings to come from inland logistics; a bold statement without reassuring words for their customer base of...

https://theloadstar.com/maersk-pledges-to-welcome-forwarders-onto-tradelens-digital-platform/

BIFA: Freight Forwarders remain ahead of the curve despite ongoing Brexit uncertainty

Whilst the UK government keeps working, pushing and grinding on to try again to make the case for its Brexit compromise, and MPs carry on hunting, and arguing for alternatives that could take the place of that compromise if it ultimately fails, the British International Freight Association (BIFA) is advising its members to continue preparing for a no-deal departure on March 29th, until further clarity is obtained.

Robert Keen, BIFA’s Director General said that that this has been the advice of...

https://container-news.com/bifa-freight-forwarders-ahead-curve-brexit-uncertainty/

Cargofive: Why freight forwarders struggle with carriers contracts

Most freight forwarders struggle when managing carriers contracts. There is a clear lack of standardization in many aspects of the rate sheets that carriers send to freight forwarders. If we add to it the fact that these contracts are frequently changed, we can have a good idea of the complexity involved in quoting freight services. So, let’s talk about the main challenges freight forwarders have to face when it comes to getting rates from carriers.

The struggle when managing carriers contracts i...

https://container-news.com/cargofive-freight-forwarders-carriers-contracts/

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