Commentary

Our ports and surrounding infrastructure have been neglected to the point where it’s costing shippers and consignees significant money. Shippers, carriers and ports need to band together to create and deliver a message to national, state and city officials. It’s time to be heard. Who’s with me?

For the freight transportation industry to grow, we must strive relentlessly and responsibly to improve — ideally in a balanced fashion. Regardless of setting, we all must navigate political challenges to achieve a beneficial outcome. The public sector used to set the stage. Now it might fall to the private sector to demonstrate to our elected leaders the path forward.

In the case of a lost or damaged shipment, is it possible for a shipper to profit twice on a claim?

It’s a growing phenomenon that all importers must beware: What federal agencies regulating trade once considered strictly mistakes warranting no more than a civil penalty have become criminal violations.

CEO Frank Blake's discussion of Home Depot’s online strategy underscores the depth to which e-commerce is impacting the supply chains of major shippers such as those included on this week’s annual JOC ranking of Top 100 Importers and Exporters.

It will be interesting to see how Wal-Mart and other companies — and today's consumers — ultimately respond to supply chain visibility issues in the wake of events such as the fire in November that leveled the Tazreen Fashions factory in Bangladesh.