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US port delays force 'structural' blank sailings on Asian services

Hapag-Lloyd’s advisory to customers about de-facto blank sailings in February due to port delays could be followed by similar announcements from other carriers.

US managed transportation demand soars during COVID-19 disruption

A surge in demand for Shipwell’s technology-focused managed transportation approach, with freight under management tripling in 2020, is a sign of shippers’ increased reliance on an outsourced approach to logistics.

More acquisitions planned once XPO splits company

Additional acquisitions will fuel growth for both XPO’s transportation and contract logistics businesses, soon to be separate companies, chairman and CEO Bradley S. Jacobs said.

Outlook 2021: US Southeast ports prioritizing projects to handle more mega-vessels

Cargo gateways across the US Southeast will invest upwards of $850 million in 2021 on a wide range of enhancements that will allow terminals to handle multiple vessels of 14,000 TEU and above simultaneously.

New ‘marine highway’ service connects US Gulf with Puerto Rico

National Shipping of America (NSA) made its inaugural call to Port Everglades last week after the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) designated the South Florida port as part of the country’s so-called Marine Highway system on Jan. 8.

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Trans-Pacific dysfunction can seed carrier-shipper collaboration

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Essential Reads

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

US port delays force 'structural' blank sailings on Asian services

Carriers will be unable to rely on a drop in imports next month if factories work through the Lunar New Year. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Hapag-Lloyd’s advisory to customers about de-facto blank sailings in February due to port delays could be followed by similar announcements from other carriers.

New ‘marine highway’ service connects US Gulf with Puerto Rico

The 570 TEU National Glory will primarily carry cargoes that would traditionally have been hauled by truck from Houston to Port Everglades (pictured). Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Trans-Pacific dysfunction can seed carrier-shipper collaboration

Shippers are moving away from transactional procurement engagement and toward a willingness to discuss what their broader supply chain needs in the coming years. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Shippers can complain, but pricing power — at least for now — has shifted away from shippers due to carrier consolidation and growing capacity discipline seen most dramatically in the swift spring withdrawals following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That puts pressure on shipper to engage more with carrier not less.

Record Asia–Europe container rates squeeze lower-value cargoes

Asia–Europe spot rates have soared 376 percent from Oct. 1 and 353 percent year over year to $4,394 per TEU. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Importers of higher-value cargo from Asia have been better able to withstand higher spot rates, forcing some shippers of lower-value cargo out of the market completely.

Trucking News

Trucking Logistics

US managed transportation demand soars during COVID-19 disruption

Shipwell has long resided in a hard-to-define category between traditional transportation management system providers and traditional freight brokers. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

More acquisitions planned once XPO splits company

Greater use of workforce and fleet management technology is credited with helping XPO Logistics improve LTL profitability. Photo credit: Ari Ashe.

Additional acquisitions will fuel growth for both XPO’s transportation and contract logistics businesses, soon to be separate companies, chairman and CEO Bradley S. Jacobs said.

UPS Freight sold to Canada’s TFI for $800 million

UPS Freight will be rebranded TForce Freight and operate independently within TFI’s subsidiary network. Photo credit: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock.com.

The sale of its $3.1 billion less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary narrows UPS’s focus and gives TFI International a much bigger presence in the North American LTL market, from Canada to Mexico.

RoadOne expands domestic drayage network

RoadOne expects transloading demand to rise, and says that will require more logistics resources. Photo credit: RoadOne IntermodaLogistics.

The acquisition of DDI bolsters RoadOne's 53-foot domestic container business and transloading capabilities on the East Coast as import volumes rise.

Port News

Outlook 2021: US Southeast ports prioritizing projects to handle more mega-vessels

Total container imports across the eight busiest container ports in the US Southeast jumped 8.6 percent year over year in October 2020. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

New ‘marine highway’ service connects US Gulf with Puerto Rico

Ex-CMA CGM terminal chief Sartini joins Yilport as co-CEO

Former head of CMA CGM's port division, Nicolas Sartini, has been appointed co-CEO of Yilport. Photo credit: Yilport.

The long-standing connections between CMA CGM and Yilport were again on display with the carrier’s former ports and terminals division head joining the Turkish port operator.

COVID-19 surge hurting productivity, but won’t close LA-LB ports: employers

ILWU leaders and employers praise longshore workers for working amidst dangerous conditions due to COVID-19. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Despite an acceleration in COVID-19 cases among longshoremen in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, waterfront employers say there are enough general dockworkers to handle near-record container volumes, although a shortage of trained equipment operators is a problem.

Technology News

Technology

US managed transportation demand soars during COVID-19 disruption

Trucking firms betting on autonomous driving

The autonomous truck is entering a new phase of development, spurred by the need for capacity and improved safety. Photo credit: TuSimple.

Companies such as Werner Enterprises, Schneider National, and U.S. Xpress are taking an active role in the development of autonomous trucks, but not, they say, to replace drivers.

World Bank, IAPH urge rapid maritime digitization

Barely half of ports surveyed by IAPH have actively examined their peers to gauge the effectiveness of piloted or implemented electronic data exchange systems. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

The World Bank and International Association of Ports and Harbors are urging ports and maritime ecosystems to quickly find public and private solutions to digitize operations and build data-sharing initiatives to bolster trade growth.

Shippers urged to rethink container allocation strategies

Container lines can often hold shippers to less-than-scientific cargo allocations that are based on their minimum quantity commitments divided by 52 weeks. Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.

Shippers facing a challenging ocean freight environment in 2021 are being urged to develop a plan to tackle a particularly thorny operational aspect in the industry: container allocations.