E-Commerce’s Role in the Supply Chain: How Adaptable is Your Fulfillment Process?
E-commerce solutions have become an integral part of the supply chain for online retailers. Choosing an e-commerce provider isn’t just about having an efficient shopping cart system and crunching the numbers on credit card processing fees. What kind of orders your business is shipping, and how your movement of goods is… Read More »
Making Black Friday Importing Easier
The holidays are upon us and it’s the busiest time of year for shippers/importers. It’s prudent to do all you can to simplify the customs clearance process. This helps ensure that the goods customers want appear on shelves just in time for Black Friday (and warehouses for Cyber Monday.) In… Read More »
Trucking Safety: What Is Being Done
What is being done to protect drivers and their materials. Given that commercial trucking is a multifaceted issue, establishing efficient safety precautions require collaboration between the oversight agencies, the drivers, the companies operating them, and the vehicles themselves. Thankfully, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has always put forward numerous efforts to… Read More »
Dimensioning Machines Are Saving Money in the Shipping Industry
Freight dimensioning machines are drastically changing the way LTL shipping rates are calculated in today’s market. Best of all, dimensioning cargo weight and measuring specifications is presenting opportunities for major cost savings. While dimensioning machines aren’t exactly new technology, they’ve become significantly more prevalent in recent years with ground carrier… Read More »
Surprising Facts About Cargo Theft
Cargo theft has become a major security threat in the United States. FreightWatch International (FWI) has reported that cargo thefts are actually on the decline with significant year-over-year change, but 166 cargo thefts in the US were reported during the second quarter of 2016, with an average loss of $154,184. Interestingly, FWI… Read More »
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Has Gone to Sea
Shipping systems have gotten a bit more collaborative lately as the Industrial Internet of Things moves onboard. This new technology involves network-connected sensors, unified platforms, and increased transparency for ship’s crews. When it comes to data, the captain and the shore crew can get everything from real-time cargo reports to… Read More »
Brexit’s Impact on Container & Intermodal Shipping
There’s been endless buzz about the impact that Brexit is having on economic and diplomatic relations throughout the rest of the world and there is genuine worry in the logistics industry. It’s no surprise given the immense power that the UK holds as an importer and exporter, and the numerous treaties… Read More »
Reopening of the Panama Canal
On Sunday, June 26, 2016, the first inaugural passage of a freight ship passed through the third set of locks in the Panama Canal, thus opening the canal once again to cargo ships. On June 11th, the COSCO Shipping cargo vessel set sail from the Port of Piraeus in Greece… Read More »
The Last Mile Dilemma: Closing the Gap
Industry leaders estimate that the last mile accounts for as much as 50 percent of the total logistics cost in freight management. The supply chain is filled with obstacles from road congestion, remote locations, incorrect addresses, lack of delivery signors, broken elevators- you name it- and it slows delivery times.… Read More »
When Is It Worth Using a Freight Forwarder to Receive Inventory?
If you’re a new business owner who’s never before had goods produced overseas, it can be daunting figuring out how to get your inventory from the factory to your door or warehouse. Buying large amounts of inventory isn’t the same as having the post office deliver a package: you need… Read More »