Shipping is cleaning up its act, but not everyone appears to be ready. Oceangoing vessels have burned heavy oil, the world’s dirtiest propulsion fuel, since switching over from coal. Starting on January 1, 2020, the industry will take a big step in the right direction– but for some, that step may be more of a […]
The container shipping industry has long had a healthy market environment with a wide selection of carriers to choose from. But in just the last few years, the industry has seen a sharp increase in consolidation. Some experts warn that we’re witnessing the formation of a loose oligopoly in container shipping. So how did this […]
Peak season is always a hectic time for shippers, carriers, and logistics professionals. While its arrival (from about mid-August through mid-October) is fairly predictable, it’s a season characterized by abrupt changes in the shipping landscape. However, even by peak season standards, 2019’s pre-Christmas rush may be in a class by itself for sheer unpredictability. There […]
These days, the outlook for international trade can turn on a dime (or a tweet). International supply chains, on the other hand, take much longer to adjust to changes, especially when it comes to China, the world’s second largest economy and the site of so much of the world’s manufacturing. However, despite the difficulties of […]
For years, the conversation about innovative fulfillment strategies has been driven by a single company: (you guessed it) Amazon. Retailers have often been left playing catch-up to the aggressive, customer-focused fulfillment philosophy pioneered by Jeff Bezos’ Seattle-based Goliath. Recently however, other companies have been exploring creative distribution solutions of their own, and are finding themselves […]
After a winter marked by tight capacity and high rates across the U.S. freight market, spring is bringing a respite for shippers across several areas. While no one factor is entirely responsible for this shift, one clear cause that supply chains are slowing down, now that the race to stockpile inventory ahead of the Chinese […]
After years of one-upmanship, ocean shipping’s appetite for bigger and bigger mega-ships may have finally reached its peak. At least, that’s the message from some of the world’s biggest carriers, though others continue to place orders for these giants of the sea. While shipping lines contemplate an end to the arms race, shippers, logistics professionals, […]
Chinese New Year is almost upon us, and despite being one of the most predictably disruptive annual occurrences in logistics, it always seems to sneak up on us. This year’s official festivities will run from February 5-19, kicking off the Year of the Pig. Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for the world’s […]
It’s a time-honored tradition in the world of logistics: after the holiday decorations are all taken down and the last of the cookies are eaten, the season of returns begins. Brick and mortar retailers are used to post-holiday returns, but for online retailers, this season increasingly lasts all year. Reverse logistics–the complicated science of feeding […]
When discussing the impending low-sulfur fuel (LSF) rule for maritime shipping, it’s tempting to borrow the imagery of disasters. For example, picture the coming regulation as an iceberg, and carriers as the ocean liners waiting until the last possible minute to swerve out of its way. If that picture seems dramatic, it’s because the situation […]