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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lately it seems that the word on everyone’s lips is “blockchain.” What started as the obscure engine for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin is now being adopted by some of the world’s largest corporations and institutions. In the logistics world, even the technologically averse are beginning to learn what blockchain is and how it stands to impact […]
This summer, the world’s first battery-powered barges will take to the waterways of Belgium and the Netherlands, transporting cargo while reducing emissions. The rollout will begin with only five barges, but electric technology has the potential to dramatically alter inland waterway shipping here in the US, if lawmakers, barge operators, and logistics management companies are […]
This month, over 300,000 computers around the world were subjected to a massive cyberattack from the aptly-named WannaCry software. This attack is the latest and largest appearance of an emerging type of hacking known as “ransomware.” In a ransomware attack, victims find themselves locked out of their own data, which is encrypted unless they agree to pay […]
In recent months, much has been written about the so-called “Uberization” of trucking, but the concept remains poorly understood. That’s because when people refer to “Uberization,” they’re really talking about two separate phenomena, each with distinct possibilities for the trucking and brokerage industries. The first phenomenon is the development of Uber-like technology (frequently smartphone apps) […]