Viewpoint

Modern supply chain management requires new planning approach

Bart

By Bart De Muynck

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

The traditional image of a supply “chain,” a linear progression of links, is no longer adequate in today’s dynamic omnichannel world. The digital age has transformed commerce, creating a complex web of interconnected processes, channels and customer interactions. To thrive in this environment, supply chains need a new approach: unified planning.

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/modern-supply-chain-management-requires-new-planning-approach

ILA contract negotiations: US supply chains brace for disruption

Bart

By Bart De Muynck

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

As the Sept. 30 deadline for the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) contract renewal passed, negotiations have reached a standstill, leaving the specter of a potential strike hanging over U.S. supply chains. With little progress made in bridging the gap between union demands and the position of the United States Maritime Alliance...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ila-contract-negotiations-us-supply-chains-brace-for-disruption

Transportation industry needs standard terminology

Bart

By Bart De Muynck

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

A few months back, I wrote an article on the need for more adoption and global harmonization of data standards in logistics. The current landscape of supply chain applications is marred by a lack of standardized data formats and definitions or what can be referred to as the supply chain lexicon.

Regulations around the world are increasingly pushing...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/transportation-industry-needs-standard-terminology

Peak season came early this year – what to do if you missed it

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

By Robert Reiter, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding USA

In the 1996 Christmas movie classic, “Jingle All The Way,” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mattress salesman, Howard Langston, faces off against a rival dad in a desperate race to find a Turbo Man toy that has all but sold out on Christmas Eve.

While many of us could likely relate to the regret of leaving our holiday shopping...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/peak-season-came-early-this-year-what-to-do-if-you-missed-it

Record heat in 2024 is making the tough job of trucking tougher

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

By Jeff Borgman, director of transportation programs, Aon
Hauling large amounts of cargo is hard enough during the summer, and this year’s record temperatures and natural disasters aren’t making it easier for truckers. In fact, extreme weather has forced more truckers into dangerous driving situations. This has had a knock-on effect by delaying consumer shipments.

Ho...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/record-heat-in-2024-is-making-the-tough-job-of-trucking-tougher

Surge Transportation: A ‘Rocky’ story of resilience in the freight recession

Bart

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

By Bart De Muynck

I spent the past few days in Philadelphia at a logistics technology conference. Philly is the city of Rocky, the underdog boxer who gets to challenge the champion and ends up winning the hearts of the crowd. At the same conference, I talked to Omar Singh, CEO and founder of Surge Transportation, who pulled off a feat never seen before. In an...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/surge-transportation-a-rocky-story-of-resilience-in-the-freight-recession

FedEx and UPS must adapt to changing parcel landscape 

By Satish Jindel 

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

For decades, FedEx and UPS essentially functioned as a duopoly in the U.S. parcel delivery market. With few challengers, they made lots of money.

The second-quarter earnings release from UPS on July 23 shocked many investors, resulting in the stock dropping 12% within minutes of the earnings call. The big surprise was that UPS customers are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fedex-and-ups-must-adapt-to-changing-parcel-landscape

The roadside peril: A call for innovation to save lives

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

By Ossa Fisher

Every day, countless drivers face a critical danger that often goes unnoticed: the peril of being roadside on the highway. When you pull over to the side of the road, other vehicles drive by — often over the speed limit and without moving to an adjacent lane — and put you at risk of a collision. Whether it’s a trucker checking a tire, a road worker...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-roadside-peril-a-call-for-innovation-to-save-lives

Airfreight shows resiliency post-CrowdStrike, Xeneta data shows

New data from Xeneta shows airfreight returned to normal levels just nine days after the July 19 CrowdStrike Windows outage.

Thousands of flights were canceled at a time when airfreight demand is soaring, creating concern among logistics managers.

Wenwen Zhang, airfreight analyst at Xeneta, tells American Shipper that the cargo backlogs caused by the IT failure increased the cargo load factor (Xeneta’s measurement of available capacity against volume/weight of goods flown) of some airlines by up...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airfreight-shows-resiliency-post-crowdstrike-xeneta-data-shows

Paris Olympics will be a true test of supply chains

Bart

By Bart De Muynck

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

The opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics in Paris takes place Friday. Thousands of athletes and millions of visitors will spend part of their summer in France to attend the 2024 Games. The past few years, supply chains have looked like an Olympic marathon or sometimes even like a 3,000-meter steeplechase race lined with obstacles.

Besides the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/paris-olympics-will-be-a-true-test-of-supply-chains

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