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US truckload capacity to remain tight as volumes recover: FTR

Rising industrial freight volumes will keep pressure on truckload capacity and pricing in 2021, even if demand for goods peaks, according to FTR Transport Intelligence analysts

Retailers investing in fulfillment solutions to mitigate rising delivery costs

More than half of 300 retailers responding to a recent survey cited increasing delivery costs as a major challenge in meeting growing e-commerce demand.

Multipurpose carriers benefit from congested container market's 'whipsaw effect'

High box rates and congestion woes are driving container-side shippers to the breakbulk sector for relief.

Chicago rail disruptions spread to Minneapolis-St. Paul

A chassis shortage has caused some containers to idle at BNSF’s ramp in St. Paul, Minnesota, an offshoot of the congestion in Chicago, but not as disruptive given the relative small rail volume in the Twin Cities.

Late vessel arrivals disrupt ag exports at Port of Oakland

Agricultural exporters say operational bottlenecks at the Port of Oakland caused by late vessel arrivals from Los Angeles and Long Beach are even worse than they were in the fall.

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Increasing vessel sizes a red flag for US ports

US ports are preparing for a possible worsening of terminal and landside congestion issues that could arise as increasingly larger vessels call at the gateways.

Truckload driver pay, job turnover rate both rising

The truck driver turnover rate is rising at truckload carriers as they compete for employees; that is spurring a new round of pay hikes for drivers.

Vaccine demand to stress but not soak up capacity, say transport executives

There’s debate about how much of a knock-on effect COVID-19 vaccine distribution could have on other types of cargoes, but US shippers are cautioned to plan for some disruption.

US regulators warn container lines on obligation to serve exporters

The warning from two FMC commissioners comes as some carriers are refusing export bookings so they can ship empty containers back to Asia faster to be refilled with higher-paying exports to the United States.

Shippers facing ‘different game’ in 2021 as freight costs rise

COVID-19 and the wave of imports reaching the US will keep pressure on transportation capacity and pricing, from ports to the last mile, shippers warned Tuesday.

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

Solid Q4 result sets OOCL on course for profitable year

The trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades delivered a robust Q4 performance for OOCL. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A fourth quarter operational update from OOCL gives the first glimpse of what to expect from carriers as they head for a highly profitable year.

Software partnership propels ocean freight online quoting momentum

BlueX Trade has driven adoption of digital tools by container lines in Asia and has now cemented partnerships with two key freight rate management providers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A partnership between widely used rate management software provider Portrix and container line digital quoting platform BlueX Trade is yet another sign of the need for forwarders to get direct access to digital quotes offered by carriers.

Container market wrestles with ‘very different’ operational, contractual woes

Even with perfect hindsight, it is unlikely that the bottleneck problems seen now in container shipping due to operational decisions taken over the past 12 months could be avoided, says Lars Jensen. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

In the current heated environment in container shipping, one should be careful not to confuse the operational problem with the contractual problem.

South China barge service suspensions clog ports

Barges perform a critical role in the Pearl River Delta, linking inland manufacturing centers with mainline ports such as Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

With most feeder services in the Pearl River Delta currently suspended, the movement of containers to and from Hong Kong and Shenzhen is being severely disrupted.

Trucking News

Trucking Logistics

US truckload capacity to remain tight as volumes recover: FTR

Truckload volumes were down about 4 percent year over year in 2020, FTR said, but should catch up with 2019 shipments as the US industrial economy recovers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Rising industrial freight volumes will keep pressure on truckload capacity and pricing in 2021, even if demand for goods peaks, according to FTR Transport Intelligence analysts

Retailers investing in fulfillment solutions to mitigate rising delivery costs

More than half of surveyed retailers are investing in in-store fulfillment. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

More than half of 300 retailers responding to a recent survey cited increasing delivery costs as a major challenge in meeting growing e-commerce demand.

Chicago rail disruptions spread to Minneapolis-St. Paul

BNSF trains destined for St. Paul, Minnesota, have been staged outside the terminal until enough TRAC chassis become available. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Outlook 2021: Retailers redefining the 'last-mile' through expanded contactless fulfillment

According to a McKinsey & Co. survey, 60 percent of US consumers who used buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) in 2020 will continue to do so after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Photo credit: Michael Vi/Shutterstock.com.

Major US retailers in 2020 responded to COVID-19 lockdowns and last-mile delivery constraints by expanding customer fulfillment options like curbside pickup, buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS), and same-day delivery, demand for which continued to increase even as stores reopened.

Port News

Late vessel arrivals disrupt ag exports at Port of Oakland

Some carriers that had refused agricultural exports last fall are no longer declining those shipments. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Agricultural exporters say operational bottlenecks at the Port of Oakland caused by late vessel arrivals from Los Angeles and Long Beach are even worse than they were in the fall.

Container ship waits at LA–LB exceed 2014–2015 labor crisis levels

Eighteen more vessels are slated to call the port complex over the next three days, which is one more ship call than compared with the same period in 2020. Photo credit: Marine Exchange of Southern California.

Kip Louttit, executive director at the maritime exchange, said that 18 more vessels are slated to call the port complex over the next three days, as ships at anchor outpace ships at berth.

Quebec awards $43 million to planned Montreal terminal

The planned C$75 Contrecoeur terminal would add an initial annual capacity of 1.15 million TEU to Montreal. Photo credit: Montreal Port Authority.

The Quebec government joins the Canada Infrastructure Bank in supporting the planned marine terminal Contrecoeur, as the latter announced in 2019 that it would invest up to C$300 million toward the project.

Port of Wilmington gains Scoular export business

Scoular will become one of the top exporters in the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, after a transload facility opens near the port this summer. Photo credit: North Carolina Ports Authority.

Agricultural exporter Scoular will open a transload facility this summer to export soybeans out of the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, adding to its existing relationships with ports in Virginia, South Carolina, and Southern California.

Technology News

Technology

sennder investment to fuel digital European truck brokerage growth

European truckload broker sennder has vaulted into the upper reaches of venture capital-based logistics startups with a $160 million funding round and a $1 billion valuation.

Software partnership propels ocean freight online quoting momentum

JOC Uncharted: Shippers urged to use data to combat spot rate premiums

US truck shippers doubled their spot market usage from approximately 20 percent of shipments historically to 40 percent in December, according to data from transportation consultant Breakthrough. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Shippers have used the spot trucking market to account for volume surges in 2020, but they can use data to better calibrate their contracts, including short-term deals, freight procurement expert Heather Mueller tells JOC Uncharted.

Private equity firm acquires majority stake in SEKO to fuel growth ambitions

In the last five years, SEKO has moved from a network of independently owned partner branches into a hybrid owner of key gateway hubs with a focus on cross-border e-commerce logistics. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

The third party logistics provider SEKO Logistics has its eyes on tripling revenue over the next five years, leading it to turn to the private equity market for investment for the second time in five years.

Breakbulk News

Breakbulk

Multipurpose carriers benefit from congested container market's 'whipsaw effect'

The 31,000-dwt AAL Brisbane delivers a deck-load of multiple containers types to the Port of Brisbane for Australian container supplier SCF. Photo credit: AAL.

High box rates and congestion woes are driving container-side shippers to the breakbulk sector for relief.

SAL Renewables signals growing commitment to offshore wind market

SAL Renewables installation vessel Wind Lift I. Photo credit: SAL Renewables.

With the addition of dedicated installation capacity, SAL will target European offshore development, maintenance, and decommissioning.

Cautious ro-ro carriers reactivating idled ships on firmer market

An Australia-bound rail tamping machine secured to a rolltrailer aboard a Höegh ro-ro ship. Photo credit: Höegh Autoliners.

Rising short-term charter rates and recovering cargo volumes are leading ro-ro carriers to reactivate ships in cold lay-up since early 2020.

Multipurpose vessel index returns to pre-COVID-19 five-year average

The tight container shipping market shows no sign of slackening, pushing breakbulk-adaptable cargo back toward breakbulk shipping. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

A congested container shipping market is pushing cargo toward breakbulk shipping as Toepfer Transport's MPV/HL rate forecast climbs to $7,005, signaling recovery from 2020's COVID-19 slump.

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