Passport Research

Commentary: SEDNA Systems improves how teams work worldwide

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

In this installment of the AI in Supply Chain series (#AIinSupplyChain), we explore how SEDNA Systems, an early-stage startup based in London, is helping large teams in companies all around the world manage their work-related email more effectively so that individual employees can focus more of their time on getting substantive work done in the limited time that...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/commentary-sedna-systems-improves-how-teams-work-worldwide

Trucking Markets: capacity tightness spreads

The question on every trucking carrier and freight broker’s mind: “is this surge just normal seasonality, or something more?”

Answering that question is difficult because of the number of unknown variables in the marketplace and how they interact. It’s impossible to get a precise measure of absolute capacity: the existing data speaks indirectly to overall trends rather than actual truck counts. And the short-term outlook for the U.S. economy is highly uncertain as well. 

When both supply and...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/trucking-markets-capacity-tightness-spreads

Warehousing of the future automated, on demand and data conscious

The COVID-19 outbreak has doused global supply chains in cold water, with disruptions of declining supply followed by demand contraction forcing stakeholders to revise their logistics strategies, including sourcing, inventory management and distribution. 

Luckily supply chains had gradually been shoring up to change over the last decade, brought about by the rise of e-commerce that now takes up a significant chunk of the retail market — a chunk that has only grown bigger during the COVID-19...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/warehousing-of-the-future-automated,-on-demand-and-data-conscious

UPS: The e-commerce margin headwind

UPS’s new C-suite led by Carol Tomé has its work cut out for it: Negotiate an increasingly risky relationship with Amazon that has juiced Domestic Package volumes but compressed margins; make real progress on the challenge of B2C delivery density; drive international volume growth; and stabilize earnings.

Most of this report is devoted to deconstructing the effects of e-commerce on UPS’s financial and operating results. E-commerce is widely thought to be a tailwind for UPS’s business, but we...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ups-the-e-commerce-margin-headwind

Intermodal Markets: Starting to look cheap again

Intermodal volumes and rates are weak compared to 2019, which was weak compared to 2018. That fundamental picture hasn’t changed, but it now appears that activity in trucking markets is providing some lift to intermodal. Intermodal volumes last week were down just 7.3% year-over-year (y/y), substantially better than the four-week moving average of -11.4%.

As further evidence that trucking tightness and pricing are affecting shipper mode selection, intermodal volumes and rates are strongest where...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/intermodal-markets:-starting-to-look-cheap-again

Trucking Markets: spot freight strikes back

Spot freight is coming back and tightening capacity across the country, even as rates out of Los Angeles fade (typical for this time of year).

On a national basis, contracted truckload tenders are being rejected at a rate of 6.4%, just below the crucial 7-10% level that ‘flips’ the market into an inflationary melt-up. When large asset-based carriers reject 7% or more of their contracted freight, it flows into the spot market, raising rates, and attracting more capacity, which results in more...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/trucking-markets-spot-freight-strikes-back

Intermodal markets: L.A. turns up again

Intermodal volumes continue to outperform the trailing 4-week average, and there are a few reasons why we believe this trend will continue.

First, shippers are running into capacity issues getting freight out of China, reflected in Freightos Baltic Index spot rates for 40’ containers from China to the West Coast. That rate, which has been grinding upward since a bottom in March, ripped to the upside beginning in June. On May 29, shippers in China were booking spot containership capacity for...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/intermodal-markets:-la-turns-up-again

Trucking markets: A fundamental dislocation

Capacity ratcheted slightly tighter across a broad swath of the country again this week, but not yet to levels (7-10%) that would trigger widespread inflation in spot market rates. Spot rates for dry vans increased faster than spot rates for refrigerated equipment, which were flattish and may be peaking. Contracted truckload volumes to major carriers are still healthy and well above year-ago levels, but shippers are tendering mini-bid freight at prices lower than prevailing contract rates,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/trucking-markets-a-fundamental-dislocation

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