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Suez Canal surcharge adds to Indian shipper pricing woes

With Suez Canal transit tolls rising next month, Indian shippers — already dealing with elevated freight rates — are now seeing new canal-related surcharges on services to North Africa.

Industry confronts limited reach to solve US port woes

Having US ports return to a pre-COVID “status quo” depends on a slowing of cargo volumes and a return of labor to the logistics workforce in significant enough numbers to improve cargo flow.

CSX ramps up hiring in bid to take freight share from trucks

CSX Transportation CEO James Foote told federal regulators he will look to increase headcount at the Class I railroad as it seeks to take more business from trucking

Cargo data timeliness, consistency bigger hurdle than access: shippers

A lack of information on import and export flows through ports isn't as big a constraint as untimely and inconsistent data, high-profile cargo owners told the Federal Maritime Commission this week.

Matson’s Q4 results show China shipping surge

Matson’s fourth-quarter results surge amid growing demand for expedited ocean freight services from China to the US West Coast.

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Outlook 2022: Shippers sign elevated trans-Atlantic contracts to lock in capacity

The trans-Atlantic trade will report significant volume growth in 2021 as heavy US demand fills all available capacity and pushes rates to record levels.

Ocean carriers keeping containers close to port stymies on-dock rail

Ports and marine terminals say that more containers can be moved through on-dock rail now that service has improved, and rail car supply has eased.

FMC probing Wan Hai over empty container detention charges

Wan Hai has come under scrutiny from the US Federal Maritime Commission for assessing detention charges on containers that shippers assert could not be returned to a container terminal.

Oakland opens container yard for agricultural shippers

The Port of Oakland opens an off-site container yard that aims to make it easier for ag shippers to access empty containers to use for exports.

Outlook 2022: Air cargo recovery hinges on easing of Asian border restrictions

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hang over the air cargo business, and until regular international travel resumes, shippers will find space in tight supply and rates at elevated levels.

JOC Shipping & Logistics Pricing Hub

The pricing data found here allows shippers and transport providers to more accurately benchmark and forecast for their supply chains. The various spot prices and indices are collected from third-party sources and updated weekly, monthly and quarterly, depending on the data set.

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Maritime News

Suez Canal surcharge adds to Indian shipper pricing woes

MSC has implemented a new Suez Canal surcharge on Indian shippers moving goods to North Africa, and industry sources expect other carriers to follow suit. Photo credit: DP World Cochin.

With Suez Canal transit tolls rising next month, Indian shippers — already dealing with elevated freight rates — are now seeing new canal-related surcharges on services to North Africa.

Matson’s Q4 results show China shipping surge

Matson said the current level of exceptionally high trans-Pacific demand will continue through this year. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Matson’s fourth-quarter results surge amid growing demand for expedited ocean freight services from China to the US West Coast.

North America facing worst of port congestion: K&N

Heavily congested terminals in the US are likely to see bottlenecks continue through the first half as import demand continues to replenish low inventory levels. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A new key performance indicator measuring the congested ports of Europe, Asia, and the US in terms of TEU waiting days shows most of the bottlenecks are occurring at North American terminals.

Modest growth expected for US imports from Asia after record-setting 2021

US imports from Asia set a new record 2021, jumping 14.4 percent over the previous record set in 2020. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Despite an expected return to single-digit monthly increases in imports from Asia this year, already-stressed US ports are still likely to struggle to handle cargo volumes.

Trucking News

Trucking Logistics

Worker retention the real problem in US transportation, warehouse sector: analyst

An analysis of data suggests claims that US transportation and warehousing firms are having extreme difficulty hiring workers should be viewed with some skepticism, says Jason Miller, associate professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Facing one of the most challenging labor markets in recent memory, US transportation and warehousing managers are finding workers -- they’re just having trouble holding onto them, says a sector analyst.

Schneider to leave BNSF for Union Pacific in 2023

Schneider National, the third-largest asset-owning US intermodal marketing company, owns more than 25,000 containers. Photo credit: Ari Ashe/JOC.com.

Schneider National will leave BNSF Railway in 2023 to partner with Union Pacific Railroad, the third major container-owning intermodal provider to leave BNSF since mid-2021.

Shift in drayage drivers tightening capacity

Drayage.com added 1,228 new drayage companies to its directory listing in 2021, with a surge of small carriers at the ports of Savannah and Charleston. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A historic drayage capacity shift from larger carriers to small companies and owner-operators is complicating efforts by importers to secure capacity and move containers inland.

XPO adds terminals, trailers in reset of LTL operations

XPO plans to add 900 doors to its LTL terminal this year, a 6 percent increase in capacity. Photo credit: Ari Ashe.

XPO is adding new facilities and technology to its less-than-truckload network, reducing reliance on third parties.

Port News

Industry confronts limited reach to solve US port woes

US ports for decades have watched with distaste as importers leaned on marine terminals as temporary storage space. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Having US ports return to a pre-COVID “status quo” depends on a slowing of cargo volumes and a return of labor to the logistics workforce in significant enough numbers to improve cargo flow.

Antwerp matches record annual volume despite supply chain woes

Barge and short-sea transport at Antwerp was heavily impacted by the persistent congestion at the Belgian hub. Photo credit: Shutterstock

Europe’s second-busiest port was able to withstand a year of widespread disruption to match its previous record throughput.

Shift in drayage drivers tightening capacity

A historic drayage capacity shift from larger carriers to small companies and owner-operators is complicating efforts by importers to secure capacity and move containers inland.

Pan Am rail deal would boost Northeast port reach: CSX

Many parts of Pan Am’s rail network require slow speeds, prompting shippers to use trucks instead of rail. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

CSX laid out its case to federal regulators that it should be allowed to acquire New England’s Pan Am Railways in order to give shippers better intermodal service into Northeast ports.

Technology News

Technology

Cargo data timeliness, consistency bigger hurdle than access: shippers

The FMC is in the midst of its Maritime Transportation Data Initiative, with a target of assembling recommendations for how to resolve key data gaps by mid-2022. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A lack of information on import and export flows through ports isn't as big a constraint as untimely and inconsistent data, high-profile cargo owners told the Federal Maritime Commission this week.

Australia forwarder eyes regional expansion with new funding

Explorate plans to use its investment to double its headcount in 2022, with an eye on eventual expansion in Oceania and Southeast Asia. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A $7.5 million funding round into Australia-based forwarder Explorate continues to demonstrate venture capital’s regional backing of the digital forwarder model.

Forwarder shifl wades into cargo payment space

shifl plans to eventually offer its payment tool as a white labeled product to other supply chain parties, including other third-party logistics providers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Forwarder shifl has joined a growing list of providers aiming to arm cargo owners with a means to simplify and digitize payments to vendors, a topic of increasing importance as shippers wrestle with cargo holds and penalties.

Singapore drayage tech provider snares expansion investment

Founded in 2017, Haulio originally set out to help drayage drivers in Singapore transition from paper-based coordination of container moves to a digitized platform. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Singapore-based drayage technology provider Haulio has landed an investment that it plans to use to grow its footprint in Southeast Asia.

Breakbulk News

Breakbulk

Expect high MPV rates, tight capacity through 2022, say analysts

Soaring freight rates are incentivizing MPV carriers to turn down lower-value backhauls and return empty to load ports.

Outlook 2022: MPV/HL demand to remain elevated despite receding container ‘spillover’

With nearly 400 gigawatts of onshore wind power and 70 gigawatts of offshore wind power development slated for the next few years, wind power cargo demand will soak up huge amounts of MPV/HL capacity for the foreseeable future. Photo credit: AAL.

Although spillover cargo from the congested container market will recede as the market stabilizes, breakbulk and recovering project demand coupled with shrinking capacity are expected to keep MPV/HL rates from sinking to pre-COVID-19 levels

Container imports jump at Everett as carriers seek alternative ports

G2Ocean delivering containers for Seattle-based Amazon at the Port of Everett, Washington. Photo credit: Port of Everett.

Extra-loaders carrying spillover cargo are dramatically increasing container imports at the Port of Everett in Washington state.

MPV extra-loader demand expected to last into 2022

Forwarder Geodis expects to continue using MPVs as container-carrying extra-loaders in 2022. Photo credit: Geodis.

In a bid for predictability, shippers are signing up for long-term MPV charters despite rocketing rates fueled by strong cargo demand from traditional customers and freight forwarders managing spillover container cargo.

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