In 2013, when China announced the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive program of international infrastructure projects, Western critics reacted with suspicion as to China’s motives and skepticism that Beijing could realize its dreams of connecting its mainland to far-flung corners of Africa and Asia. Recently, several countries targeted for development have begun to express […]
According to the most famous formulation of chaos theory, a butterfly flapping its wings in China can cause a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Whether or not you believe that, it is indisputably true that an actual hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico will undoubtedly cause ripples in supply chains throughout North America. So […]
Navigating conflict in any relationship–whether it’s between people, companies, or nations–is largely a matter of weighing your desire to win the current battle against your desire to protect the relationship as a whole. Resorting to bullying might help you come out on top of a single dispute, but it will make it that much harder […]
Joyce Brenny, chief executive of Brenny Transportation in Minnesota, gave her truck drivers a 15 percent raise this year, but she still can’t find enough workers for a job that now pays $80,000 a year. A year ago, when customers would call Brenny, she could almost always get their goods loaded on a truck and […]
Flying in the face of the Trump Administration’s isolationist trade policies, US imports are soaring, buoyed by strong consumer spending. Global Port Tracker projects that this summer, containerized imports will surpass last year’s records, topping 1.83 million TEU each month. That’s great news for retailers, but the brisk rate of trade threatens to run headlong […]
In April 2018, IBM and DHL released a joint report proclaiming that the time is ripe for logistics and supply chain management to embrace artificial intelligence (AI). “Furthermore,” the paper warns, “companies deciding not to adopt AI run the risk of obsolescence in the long term, as competitors seize and effectively use AI in their […]
Perhaps the most frequently repeated truism in logistics and supply chain management is that it’s all about relationships, and the supplier scorecard may be the best way to judge the health of those relationships. Designing a scorecard that accurately reflects your business’ needs and priorities is the most effective way to clarify your own expectations, […]
In 2018, American business leaders are grappling with several profound shifts in the economic and social landscape: sweeping demographic changes, uneasy international relations that threaten supply chains, the stunning rise of ecommerce, and a serious national discussion on the role of business in fostering social good. Taken together, these issues can seem overwhelming, but the […]
The long-awaited capacity crunch is here, with the national load-to-truck ratio hovering well above normal levels for this time of year, and shippers grudgingly accepting higher rates. Courtesy DAT Fortunately, the trucking industry is racing to add capacity, both by purchasing new equipment and hiring new drivers. Orders for new trailers skyrocketed by 36 […]
Since December 2017, nearly every big rig in the United States has been carrying around an extra passenger: the Electronic Logging Device (ELD). The ELD is designed to quietly, unobtrusively record data on drivers’ location and hours of service (HOS), but there are those who worry that they may be vulnerable to hacking, potentially putting […]