Website_FS_640x340 FT.png

Subscription Sale Pop Up - Free/Free Trials

Supply chain

Events

Gateway

Breakbulk News

Container Shipping News

Port News

Trucking News

Rail News

Air Cargo Forwarder News

Air Cargo Carriers News

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Logistics Technology News

Cool Cargo News

Special Reports

Press Releases

Marine terminals

International ports

Longshore labor

Truckload

Truck brokers

Maritime

Surface

Air Cargo

Magazine

Newsletters

Multimedia

White Papers

Intermodal providers

Commentary

Podcasts

Webcasts

Videos

Annual Review and Outlook

Top Rankings

Quarterly Intelligence Report

Intermodal Savings Index

Domestic Intermodal Service Scorecard

Breakbulk Quarterly Intelligence

Platts Containers Update

Custom Content

Resources

Last Mile News

Industrial Real Estate News

Media Kit

Other

Breakbulk carriers

Ro/ro cargo

Energy projects

Heavy-haul transport

Project cargo

Container lines

Trans-Atlantic

Forwarding

Asia-Europe

Trans-Pacific

Drayage

Port infrastructure

Breakbulk ports

North American ports

Flatbed

Trucking labor

North-American rail

International rail

Top 100 US Exporters

Top 100 US Importers

Top 25 LTL Trucking Companies

Top 25 North American Ports

Top 25 Truckload Companies

Top 40 Container Carriers

Top 50 3PLs

Top 50 Global Container Ports

Top 50 Global Transportation Providers

Top 50 Trucking Companies

Editorial Calendar

Rail Directories

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Expanding visibility technology enables shippers to use data about the actual performance of their networks to negotiate rates and capacity with advanced awareness of whether what carriers and forwarders are offering will be profitable.</div>

Expanding visibility technology enables shippers to use data about the actual performance of their networks to negotiate rates and capacity with advanced awareness of whether what carriers and forwarders are offering will be profitable.

<div>The supposed obsolescence of the travel agent has been a talking point since at least the early aughts.But as any of us who travel regularly for business purposes know, the travel agency isn’t dead. It’s alive and well. For example, American Express and Concur run busy, profitable travel agencies booking flights, hotels, and rental cars — and they’re appreciated and vital resources for business travelers at companies large and small.There’s a reason for that. They provide value — plain and simple. AmEx and Concur help travelers book more effective rates for hotels, airlines, and rental cars and an environment stacked...

The supposed obsolescence of the travel agent has been a talking point since at least the early aughts. But as any of us who travel regularly for business purposes know, the travel agency isn’t dead. It’s alive and well. For example, American Express and Concur run busy, profitable travel agencies booking flights, hotels, and rental cars — and they’re appreciated and vital resources for business travelers at companies large and small. There’s a reason for that. They provide value — plain and simple. AmEx and Concur help travelers book more effective rates for hotels, airlines, and rental cars and an environment stacked against the traveler. That’s the value play they have versus simply selling travelers a ticket. That’s the direction freight forwarders should be working toward. That’s what shippers will be looking for, and that’s what forwarders need to deliver. After all, what have freight forwarders always said about their business model? “We’re the travel agents of freight.” Forwarders must be able to do more than just sell the transportation service as a middle-person. A rates sheet and a list of carriers? Everybody has that now. Or they soon will, anyway, in the form of modern TMS platforms and algorithmic pricing data. You have to be able to provide the service and to be able to manage complex bookings. You have to demonstrate your value to shippers and that it’s worth it for them to work through you rather than some automated platform. Just like with airlines and hotels, carriers will soon be armed with data. Richard Branson famously said, “If you want to be a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.” Why? Because consumer air travel was a highly commoditized market with limited differentiation and a high degree of competition. Airlines were stuck with rudimentary pricing levers and little visibility into whether the seats they were selling were profitable or not. Then a wonderful thing happened (for the airlines, at least): Reams of data about pricing, costs, and profitability became a fundamental part of the airlines’ business operations. Suddenly, they were able to manage their lanes, their service offerings, and their exposure to empty flights and ensure that the seats they sell actually turn a profit. In much the same way, “any container at any price” is not a business model, either. And the same data revolution that happened about 20 years ago for the airlines is taking place in supply chain and logistics, too. Carriers are about to be armed with specific, tangible, actionable data about their own costs, their pricing for capacity and service, and demand. Like the airlines, they’ll use that data to sell the right capacity at the right price, and be able to say no to the wrong capacity at the wrong price. Unlike previous generations, they’ll be able to support this with real-time data and make centralized decisions that create value for their network, not for an individual salesperson. So if you’re a forwarder or a shipper buying transportation service, you’ll soon be negotiating with carriers (across maritime, air, and trucking) armed with the data to know whether something they’re selling is profitable before you even talk to them. In that world, carriers are going to be able to hold the line on pricing much more effectively than they have in the past. You’re not going to see a carrier sell an entire ship where every container on the ship has a loss. They may choose to sell a certain lane or a certain container at a loss strategically or occasionally for the right customer. But they’ll be able to do so rationally — and knowingly — as opposed to unintentionally and haphazardly. As a shipper of any size, this means you must arm yourself with your own data. Know what you need, when and where you need it. Leverage data to know the actual performance of your network. Don’t just use all that visibility data to get the ETA of today’s shipments. Use it to understand how yesterday’s shipment can help you prepare for tomorrow’s negotiations. As a forwarder, here is your opportunity to do what we’ve been promising all along. You have access to a wealth of data. Utilize automation to get your people out of the weeds so they can analyze it. Don’t hire more shipment processors, hire analysts to look at all of your customers’ data and provide value to the shippers so you become indispensable when it comes to returning real dollars back to their CFOs in the form of better utilization, allocation, and rates. Logistics has been accused of being a “laggard industry.” This is a competitive advantage. It means we can look at what happened in other industries and have a crystal ball to see our own future. As forwarders and shippers, we know the world we’re going to be operating in. It’s disciplined and data-driven. Now’s the time to get smart. Invest in the technology that will allow you to leverage real-time market conditions to understand pricing and profitability. Brian Glick is founder and CEO of Chain.io.

Arming ocean shippers with data

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">But the state will pass, for now, on any proposals being pushed by port stakeholders to raise the height of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a move that would allow bigger vessels to call at three of the port’s terminals.</div>

But the state will pass, for now, on any proposals being pushed by port stakeholders to raise the height of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a move that would allow bigger vessels to call at three of the port’s terminals.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">The redecking of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles harbor will start early next year as planned, while an effort by the port and terminal operators to raise the clearance of the span to facilitate the passage of super post-Panamax container ships is looking unlikely in the short term. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) told port stakeholders over the past two weeks it is paramount that redecking work begin soon on the 63-year-old bridge before any attempt is made to raise the height of the structure, according to Mike Jacob, president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA). Jacob said PMSA, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators, is onboard with the agency in this matter. “The funding is there [for the redecking],” he said. “The engineering is done. It received environmental clearance.” CalSTA, the cabinet level agency that oversees transportation-related departments, said the state has access to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to complete the necessary structural and safety repairs of the bridge. In a statement Tuesday to the Journal of Commerce regarding the possibility of raising the height of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, CalSTA said it “welcomes continued discussions to a path forward for that possibility while we work to make sure the bridge is structurally sound and safe for the motoring public in the meantime.” The Vincent Thomas Bridge, located at the entry to Los Angeles harbor, handles 53,000 vehicles a day, including about 3,400 heavy-duty trucks, according to Caltrans. Traffic disruptions are anticipated throughout the redecking project. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/la-port-wants-california-to-raise-bridge-to-accommodate-big-ships-6087396">said the current limit on vessels passing under the structure is 15,000 TEUs in capacity</a>. Increasing the clearance from 185 feet to 211 feet will allow up to 23,000-TEU vessels to reach the three terminals on the land side of the bridge: Yusen Terminals, TraPac and West Basin. There are six container terminals in total in Los Angeles. <h3>Caltrans attempting to minimize traffic disruptions </h3>The redecking project, scheduled to begin in January, will require one-directional bridge closures for nine months. <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/la-port-stakeholders-warming-to-plan-to-mitigate-impact-of-bridge-project-6013847">Full closure of the bridge will occur from November 2026 to March 2028</a>, a Caltrans representative told a meeting of the Propeller Club of Los Angeles and Long Beach in May. Caltrans has identified an alternative network of surface streets that will allow truck and vehicular traffic to move into and out of the harbor area during the lengthy bridge closure. Street upgrades are underway, and Caltrans has set up a communications network for real-time traffic updates, the agency representative said. If the state adopted the port’s plan to raise the bridge clearance by 26 feet, the total cost of the project would increase from $1.5 billion to $2.2 billion, and the bridge closure would increase from 16 months to 28 months. Seroka told the Journal of Commerce the port and terminal operators will maintain a dialogue with the state on eventually raising the height of the bridge. “While we were hopeful that we would be able to include a bridge raising component into Caltrans’ pending critical maintenance project, we’re encouraged by the strong support of the administration to quickly explore additional projects, which could include raising the bridge or building a new crossing,” Seroka said. Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at <a href="mailto:bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com">bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

The redecking of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles harbor will start early next year as planned, while an effort by the port and terminal operators to raise the clearance of the span to facilitate the passage of super post-Panamax container ships is looking unlikely in the short term. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) told port stakeholders over the past two weeks it is paramount that redecking work begin soon on the 63-year-old bridge before any attempt is made to raise the height of the structure, according to Mike Jacob, president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA). Jacob said PMSA, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators, is onboard with the agency in this matter. “The funding is there [for the redecking],” he said. “The engineering is done. It received environmental clearance.” CalSTA, the cabinet level agency that oversees transportation-related departments, said the state has access to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to complete the necessary structural and safety repairs of the bridge. In a statement Tuesday to the Journal of Commerce regarding the possibility of raising the height of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, CalSTA said it “welcomes continued discussions to a path forward for that possibility while we work to make sure the bridge is structurally sound and safe for the motoring public in the meantime.” The Vincent Thomas Bridge, located at the entry to Los Angeles harbor, handles 53,000 vehicles a day, including about 3,400 heavy-duty trucks, according to Caltrans. Traffic disruptions are anticipated throughout the redecking project. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said the current limit on vessels passing under the structure is 15,000 TEUs in capacity . Increasing the clearance from 185 feet to 211 feet will allow up to 23,000-TEU vessels to reach the three terminals on the land side of the bridge: Yusen Terminals, TraPac and West Basin. There are six container terminals in total in Los Angeles. Caltrans attempting to minimize traffic disruptions The redecking project, scheduled to begin in January, will require one-directional bridge closures for nine months. Full closure of the bridge will occur from November 2026 to March 2028 , a Caltrans representative told a meeting of the Propeller Club of Los Angeles and Long Beach in May. Caltrans has identified an alternative network of surface streets that will allow truck and vehicular traffic to move into and out of the harbor area during the lengthy bridge closure. Street upgrades are underway, and Caltrans has set up a communications network for real-time traffic updates, the agency representative said. If the state adopted the port’s plan to raise the bridge clearance by 26 feet, the total cost of the project would increase from $1.5 billion to $2.2 billion, and the bridge closure would increase from 16 months to 28 months. Seroka told the Journal of Commerce the port and terminal operators will maintain a dialogue with the state on eventually raising the height of the bridge. “While we were hopeful that we would be able to include a bridge raising component into Caltrans’ pending critical maintenance project, we’re encouraged by the strong support of the administration to quickly explore additional projects, which could include raising the bridge or building a new crossing,” Seroka said. Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bill.mongelluzzo@spglobal.com .

Redecking project on Los Angeles harbor bridge to begin in early 2026

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">APM Terminals said the new $131 million berth would increase Mobile’s container capacity by 50%, with an eye on cargo owners that need to reach markets in the US Midwest and Southeast.</div>

APM Terminals said the new $131 million berth would increase Mobile’s container capacity by 50%, with an eye on cargo owners that need to reach markets in the US Midwest and Southeast.

<div class="phx-topic">APM Terminals and the Port of Mobile plan to build a third container berth for handling ultra-large container ships at the Alabama port, boosting its capacity by 50%. Plans for the new berth follow the completion of upgrades to Mobile’s container yard and a dredging project that made it the deepest port on the Gulf Coast. The Maersk subsidiary and the Alabama Port Authority said in a statement Tuesday they are jointly funding the $131 million project that would add a 1,300-foot berth along APM Mobile’s southern end. Construction of the new berth is expected to begin in early 2026 and take two years to complete. With the third berth, APM Mobile will have a nameplate capacity of 1.4 million TEUs, with seven super post-Panamax container cranes. As part of the project, APM agreed to a 20-year lease extension on its Mobile facility that will include higher lease payments to cover the port’s end of the deal. APM will now operate the Mobile terminal through 2058. APM said in the statement the new berth will allow ships to get in and out of the port faster by reducing instances of vessel anchoring and other delays. Plans for the new berth — Mobile’s fifth expansion — coincide with <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/port-of-mobile-approves-apm-terminal-expansion-5206847">the near completion of a fourth expansion project that saw APM’s northern container yard footprint grow 28% to 147 acres</a>. APM is also completing upgrades to Mobile’s railyard, including a flyover bridge for bringing containers from the yard. Mobile and the US Army Corps of Engineers <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/harbor-deepening-primes-mobile-for-bigger-ships-first-us-calls-6092987">earlier this month completed deepening the port’s harbor to 50 feet</a>. While typically a second call after the Port of Houston for Gulf Coast services, Mobile is looking to compete more with other Southeast and West Coast ports for discretionary intermodal cargo. Mobile is also seeing upgrades to its rail network through an inland port it is co-developing with CSX Transportation. Contact Michael Angell at <a href="mailto:michael.angell@spglobal.com">michael.angell@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

APM Terminals and the Port of Mobile plan to build a third container berth for handling ultra-large container ships at the Alabama port, boosting its capacity by 50%. Plans for the new berth follow the completion of upgrades to Mobile’s container yard and a dredging project that made it the deepest port on the Gulf Coast. The Maersk subsidiary and the Alabama Port Authority said in a statement Tuesday they are jointly funding the $131 million project that would add a 1,300-foot berth along APM Mobile’s southern end. Construction of the new berth is expected to begin in early 2026 and take two years to complete. With the third berth, APM Mobile will have a nameplate capacity of 1.4 million TEUs, with seven super post-Panamax container cranes. As part of the project, APM agreed to a 20-year lease extension on its Mobile facility that will include higher lease payments to cover the port’s end of the deal. APM will now operate the Mobile terminal through 2058. APM said in the statement the new berth will allow ships to get in and out of the port faster by reducing instances of vessel anchoring and other delays. Plans for the new berth — Mobile’s fifth expansion — coincide with the near completion of a fourth expansion project that saw APM’s northern container yard footprint grow 28% to 147 acres . APM is also completing upgrades to Mobile’s railyard, including a flyover bridge for bringing containers from the yard. Mobile and the US Army Corps of Engineers earlier this month completed deepening the port’s harbor to 50 feet . While typically a second call after the Port of Houston for Gulf Coast services, Mobile is looking to compete more with other Southeast and West Coast ports for discretionary intermodal cargo. Mobile is also seeing upgrades to its rail network through an inland port it is co-developing with CSX Transportation. Contact Michael Angell at michael.angell@spglobal.com .

APM to move ahead with Mobile’s third berth after harbor deepening

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The largest US intermodal provider’s relationships with competing eastern railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX are shifting and will continue evolving through 2026 as the proposed merger between NS and UP winds its way through the regulatory process. </div>

The largest US intermodal provider’s relationships with competing eastern railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX are shifting and will continue evolving through 2026 as the proposed merger between NS and UP winds its way through the regulatory process.

<div class="phx-topic">If federal regulators approve Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP’s) proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), J.B. Hunt Transport Services — the largest US intermodal provider — could be forced to rethink how it routes both coast-to-coast and East Coast freight. J.B. Hunt’s relationships with Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation are already shifting and will continue evolving through 2026. How much will change is unclear, however, as J.B. Hunt wants relationships with both eastern railroads, even if Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern become one. <div class="wrapper-narrow float-right-element"><img src="/images/phoenix/6105166_0.1.jpg"></img></div>The stakes couldn’t be higher. J.B. Hunt handles more than two million intermodal loads a year and controls more than 125,000 containers, a fleet larger than the combined totals of competing intermodal providers C.H. Robinson, Hub Group, Schneider National, Swift Intermodal and several peers. On the West Coast, J.B. Hunt and BNSF Railway operate under the long-standing Quantum Agreement, a joint-service partnership created more than 35 years ago. In the East, J.B. relies primarily on Norfolk Southern, but has steadily expanded its CSX footprint in recent years. If UP acquired NS, some industry analysts have speculated J.B. Hunt would shift everything to CSX. The premise is based on the budding relationship between BNSF and CSX. “[It] has been perceived that J.B. Hunt would have to move our traffic to CSX. That’s not accurate at all,” Darren Field, president of J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division, said on an Oct. 16 earnings call. “There’s nothing [about the merger] that would mean our current Norfolk Southern footprint we have today would be required to change.” In a sense, though, the relationship has already begun to change. J.B. Hunt uses the new BNSF-CSX service launched in September from Phoenix to Atlanta and Southern California to <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/bnsf-csx-unveil-new-joint-intermodal-lanes-in-aftermath-of-up-ns-merger-6067789">Charlotte and Jacksonville</a>. Other BNSF and CSX combinations could include J.B. Hunt along the way. NS referenced the J.B. Hunt volume loss in the Southeast during its most recent earnings call. “While not big in the third quarter, we started to see some of the revenue erosion from competitor reactions to the merger,” NS CEO Mark George said on the Oct. 24 call. “We expect the impact to grow in the fourth quarter and continue to be a challenge over the near and medium term.” BNSF, which has waged a campaign against the UP-NS merger, warns that 300 intermodal lanes <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/up-ceo-pushing-to-file-formal-ns-merger-application-by-dec-1-6102362">could vanish</a> if the deal is approved, including all BNSF-NS interchanges. Likewise, CSX has said publicly that collaboration, not consolidation, can address the reasons why shippers still choose trucks over rail. J.B. Hunt is unlikely to take sides to keep the peace with NS and CSX. “Our long-term agreements and strong relationships with NS, CSX and BNSF should provide the basis for us to adapt to any changes in the industry,” J.B. Hunt CEO Shelley Simpson said on the company’s Oct. 16 earnings call. Strong rail service is one reason why J.B. Hunt grew its local East Coast intermodal volume by <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/jb-hunt-intermodal-volume-retracts-amid-cost-cutting-measures-6098480">6% year over year</a> in the third quarter, while West Coast freight dropped 6% during the same period. <h3>Norfolk Southern remains crucial </h3>The gravitational pull to BNSF and CSX is expected to strengthen in 2026. One industry source, who asked not to be identified, told the Journal of Commerce that J.B. Hunt is involved in every BNSF-CSX discussion on joint services, providing volume commitments to bolster the products from the outset. Nevertheless, NS remains central to J.B. Hunt’s eastern network. More than half of J.B. Hunt’s business with NS remains in the eastern US, according to the railroad. NS provides J.B. Hunt with access to major distribution centers strewn across central Pennsylvania, including Allentown, Bethlehem and Harrisburg. CSX cannot replicate that opportunity. NS also provides a single-line service between Kansas City and the East Coast, while CSX doesn’t operate in Kansas City. And the separate Crescent Corridor serves as a competitive edge — a double-stack-cleared NS route from Memphis through Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte and Harrisburg to Newark — providing faster transits than CSX on high-volume routes. UP has also offered to honor the J.B. Hunt-Norfolk Southern partnership. “If J.B. Hunt wants to still do lanes within the East with Norfolk Southern like they do today, we’ll certainly let them do that,” UP CEO Jim Vena said at the Journal of Commerce’s Inland 2025 Distribution Conference on Oct. 1. The UP-J.B. Hunt relationship makes sense for both sides. UP retains access to a large number of intermodal shipments, while J.B. Hunt can continue to provide truck-competitive services to shippers. <h3>The CSX pull will only grow </h3>The pull toward CSX will intensify, however, as its partnership with BNSF expands. With Southeast service now live, BNSF and CSX are eyeing the Northeast. CSX’s double-stack clearance through Baltimore <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/csx-restarts-baltimore-tunnel-service-for-double-stack-in-2026-6087384">next spring</a> could unlock additional joint BNSF-CSX routes from Southern California to Philadelphia and Newark, covering nearly every major East Coast hub from Florida to New Jersey. Striking such a deal makes economic sense for all parties. Details of the BNSF-J.B. Hunt Quantum Agreement are limited, but it functions as a one-of-a-kind intermodal revenue-sharing model. The formula has never been disclosed, but Quantum links BNSF and J.B. Hunt’s profitability to the volume on their intermodal lanes. If BNSF secures favorable terms with CSX, then everyone stands to benefit. The pool of revenue split between BNSF and J.B. Hunt is higher, especially if CSX charges less than NS. If a deal includes a seamless interchange, such as the one in Birmingham, for example, then J.B. Hunt’s expenses are lower, also increasing the shared revenue pool. And CSX wins by taking market share away from NS, its chief rival. J.B. Hunt must tread carefully, deepening its CSX ties without severing them with Norfolk Southern. That two-way pressure could spur both eastern railroads to compete harder, ultimately benefiting shippers along the way. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

If federal regulators approve Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP’s) proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), J.B. Hunt Transport Services — the largest US intermodal provider — could be forced to rethink how it routes both coast-to-coast and East Coast freight. J.B. Hunt’s relationships with Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation are already shifting and will continue evolving through 2026. How much will change is unclear, however, as J.B. Hunt wants relationships with both eastern railroads, even if Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern become one. The stakes couldn’t be higher. J.B. Hunt handles more than two million intermodal loads a year and controls more than 125,000 containers, a fleet larger than the combined totals of competing intermodal providers C.H. Robinson, Hub Group, Schneider National, Swift Intermodal and several peers. On the West Coast, J.B. Hunt and BNSF Railway operate under the long-standing Quantum Agreement, a joint-service partnership created more than 35 years ago. In the East, J.B. relies primarily on Norfolk Southern, but has steadily expanded its CSX footprint in recent years. If UP acquired NS, some industry analysts have speculated J.B. Hunt would shift everything to CSX. The premise is based on the budding relationship between BNSF and CSX. “[It] has been perceived that J.B. Hunt would have to move our traffic to CSX. That’s not accurate at all,” Darren Field, president of J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division, said on an Oct. 16 earnings call. “There’s nothing [about the merger] that would mean our current Norfolk Southern footprint we have today would be required to change.” In a sense, though, the relationship has already begun to change. J.B. Hunt uses the new BNSF-CSX service launched in September from Phoenix to Atlanta and Southern California to Charlotte and Jacksonville . Other BNSF and CSX combinations could include J.B. Hunt along the way. NS referenced the J.B. Hunt volume loss in the Southeast during its most recent earnings call. “While not big in the third quarter, we started to see some of the revenue erosion from competitor reactions to the merger,” NS CEO Mark George said on the Oct. 24 call. “We expect the impact to grow in the fourth quarter and continue to be a challenge over the near and medium term.” BNSF, which has waged a campaign against the UP-NS merger, warns that 300 intermodal lanes could vanish if the deal is approved, including all BNSF-NS interchanges. Likewise, CSX has said publicly that collaboration, not consolidation, can address the reasons why shippers still choose trucks over rail. J.B. Hunt is unlikely to take sides to keep the peace with NS and CSX. “Our long-term agreements and strong relationships with NS, CSX and BNSF should provide the basis for us to adapt to any changes in the industry,” J.B. Hunt CEO Shelley Simpson said on the company’s Oct. 16 earnings call. Strong rail service is one reason why J.B. Hunt grew its local East Coast intermodal volume by 6% year over year in the third quarter, while West Coast freight dropped 6% during the same period. Norfolk Southern remains crucial The gravitational pull to BNSF and CSX is expected to strengthen in 2026. One industry source, who asked not to be identified, told the Journal of Commerce that J.B. Hunt is involved in every BNSF-CSX discussion on joint services, providing volume commitments to bolster the products from the outset. Nevertheless, NS remains central to J.B. Hunt’s eastern network. More than half of J.B. Hunt’s business with NS remains in the eastern US, according to the railroad. NS provides J.B. Hunt with access to major distribution centers strewn across central Pennsylvania, including Allentown, Bethlehem and Harrisburg. CSX cannot replicate that opportunity. NS also provides a single-line service between Kansas City and the East Coast, while CSX doesn’t operate in Kansas City. And the separate Crescent Corridor serves as a competitive edge — a double-stack-cleared NS route from Memphis through Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte and Harrisburg to Newark — providing faster transits than CSX on high-volume routes. UP has also offered to honor the J.B. Hunt-Norfolk Southern partnership. “If J.B. Hunt wants to still do lanes within the East with Norfolk Southern like they do today, we’ll certainly let them do that,” UP CEO Jim Vena said at the Journal of Commerce’s Inland 2025 Distribution Conference on Oct. 1. The UP-J.B. Hunt relationship makes sense for both sides. UP retains access to a large number of intermodal shipments, while J.B. Hunt can continue to provide truck-competitive services to shippers. The CSX pull will only grow The pull toward CSX will intensify, however, as its partnership with BNSF expands. With Southeast service now live, BNSF and CSX are eyeing the Northeast. CSX’s double-stack clearance through Baltimore next spring could unlock additional joint BNSF-CSX routes from Southern California to Philadelphia and Newark, covering nearly every major East Coast hub from Florida to New Jersey. Striking such a deal makes economic sense for all parties. Details of the BNSF-J.B. Hunt Quantum Agreement are limited, but it functions as a one-of-a-kind intermodal revenue-sharing model. The formula has never been disclosed, but Quantum links BNSF and J.B. Hunt’s profitability to the volume on their intermodal lanes. If BNSF secures favorable terms with CSX, then everyone stands to benefit. The pool of revenue split between BNSF and J.B. Hunt is higher, especially if CSX charges less than NS. If a deal includes a seamless interchange, such as the one in Birmingham, for example, then J.B. Hunt’s expenses are lower, also increasing the shared revenue pool. And CSX wins by taking market share away from NS, its chief rival. J.B. Hunt must tread carefully, deepening its CSX ties without severing them with Norfolk Southern. That two-way pressure could spur both eastern railroads to compete harder, ultimately benefiting shippers along the way. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com .

J.B. Hunt’s East Coast strategy is shifting as rail alliances realign

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">A share in Eurogate’s CTH facility would give the carrier a firm foothold in Europe’s third-largest container port.</div>

A share in Eurogate’s CTH facility would give the carrier a firm foothold in Europe’s third-largest container port.

<div class="phx-topic">CMA CGM will soon sign a deal to acquire a majority share in Eurogate’s Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH), according to Alphaliner. A deal would mean that talks had been revived on a terminal venture between the carrier and Eurogate that were thought to be underway late last year and give CMA CGM a greater foothold in Europe’s third-largest container port. It would also come as the carrier inked a deal Wednesday involving the Saudi port of Jeddah, one of a recent string of terminal agreements CMA CGM has pursued. Alphaliner reported in its latest weekly newsletter that Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, recently visited Hamburg and that an announcement of a deal between the carrier and Eurogate Group would come soon. The Journal of Commerce reached out to both CMA CGM and Eurogate, but neither provided comment on the Alphaliner report. “The exact scope of the upcoming deal is not known yet and several scenarios are possible,” the analyst noted. Alphaliner said CMA CGM might buy into CTH on a terminal level and become a partner of Eurogate, which was itself a joint venture between Hamburg’s privately owned Eurokai and Bremen’s public sector port company BLG. Another scenario, according to Alphaliner, could see CMA CGM invest in Eurogate itself or in Eurokai in a deal similar to one made by Mediterranean Shipping Co., which this year completed the acquisition of a large minority share — eventually up to 49.9% — in HHLA, Hamburg’s largest terminal operator and container logistics provider. CTH has a design capacity of about 4 million TEUs. Eurogate Group and the city-state of Hamburg recently agreed to expand the terminal, a project that, combined with other upgrades to which Eurogate has already committed, will increase its capacity to about 6 million TEUs. CMA CGM already uses CTH for several Hamburg calls, including the Asia-Europe FAL3 (NEU5) service that is part of the Ocean Alliance network. Alphaliner estimated that CMA CGM currently accounts for about one-third of the vessel traffic at the CTH terminal. A stake in CTH would also give the carrier access to one of the few container terminal developments in Europe that has full plan approval from regulators, Alphaliner said. <h3>Expanding terminal portfolio </h3>Should the Eurogate deal happen, it would add to a series of recent CMA CGM terminal investments that are expanding the carrier’s port-handling portfolio. The Red Sea Gateway Terminal in the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah signed a $450 million agreement Wednesday with CMA CGM to develop and operate a fourth container terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, according to the Saudi Ports Authority. Last Friday, CMA CGM subsidiary CMA Terminals signed a deal with Marsa Maroc to operate the West Container Terminal at the Port of Nador West Med, a strategic hub on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast. The joint venture, 51% owned by Marsa Maroc and 49% by CMA Terminals, subject to regulatory approval, will manage and develop the terminal. And a week ago, an automotive logistics services joint venture <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/cma-cgm-inks-auto-logistics-joint-venture-with-slovenian-port-of-koper-6101113">was established between CMA CGM and the Slovenian Port of Koper</a>, expanding the carrier’s reach into Central Europe and upgrading an existing long-standing partnership. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="mailto:greg.knowler@spglobal.com">greg.knowler@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

CMA CGM will soon sign a deal to acquire a majority share in Eurogate’s Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH), according to Alphaliner. A deal would mean that talks had been revived on a terminal venture between the carrier and Eurogate that were thought to be underway late last year and give CMA CGM a greater foothold in Europe’s third-largest container port. It would also come as the carrier inked a deal Wednesday involving the Saudi port of Jeddah, one of a recent string of terminal agreements CMA CGM has pursued. Alphaliner reported in its latest weekly newsletter that Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, recently visited Hamburg and that an announcement of a deal between the carrier and Eurogate Group would come soon. The Journal of Commerce reached out to both CMA CGM and Eurogate, but neither provided comment on the Alphaliner report. “The exact scope of the upcoming deal is not known yet and several scenarios are possible,” the analyst noted. Alphaliner said CMA CGM might buy into CTH on a terminal level and become a partner of Eurogate, which was itself a joint venture between Hamburg’s privately owned Eurokai and Bremen’s public sector port company BLG. Another scenario, according to Alphaliner, could see CMA CGM invest in Eurogate itself or in Eurokai in a deal similar to one made by Mediterranean Shipping Co., which this year completed the acquisition of a large minority share — eventually up to 49.9% — in HHLA, Hamburg’s largest terminal operator and container logistics provider. CTH has a design capacity of about 4 million TEUs. Eurogate Group and the city-state of Hamburg recently agreed to expand the terminal, a project that, combined with other upgrades to which Eurogate has already committed, will increase its capacity to about 6 million TEUs. CMA CGM already uses CTH for several Hamburg calls, including the Asia-Europe FAL3 (NEU5) service that is part of the Ocean Alliance network. Alphaliner estimated that CMA CGM currently accounts for about one-third of the vessel traffic at the CTH terminal. A stake in CTH would also give the carrier access to one of the few container terminal developments in Europe that has full plan approval from regulators, Alphaliner said. Expanding terminal portfolio Should the Eurogate deal happen, it would add to a series of recent CMA CGM terminal investments that are expanding the carrier’s port-handling portfolio. The Red Sea Gateway Terminal in the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah signed a $450 million agreement Wednesday with CMA CGM to develop and operate a fourth container terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, according to the Saudi Ports Authority. Last Friday, CMA CGM subsidiary CMA Terminals signed a deal with Marsa Maroc to operate the West Container Terminal at the Port of Nador West Med, a strategic hub on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast. The joint venture, 51% owned by Marsa Maroc and 49% by CMA Terminals, subject to regulatory approval, will manage and develop the terminal. And a week ago, an automotive logistics services joint venture was established between CMA CGM and the Slovenian Port of Koper , expanding the carrier’s reach into Central Europe and upgrading an existing long-standing partnership. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com .

CMA CGM revives talks for ownership stake in Hamburg terminal: Alphaliner

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The companies are exploring opportunities to tap into the rapidly growing data center market, which could result in more project cargo activity from the power generation projects needed to support the centers.</div>

The companies are exploring opportunities to tap into the rapidly growing data center market, which could result in more project cargo activity from the power generation projects needed to support the centers.

<div class="phx-topic">The Big Three oilfield services companies are looking ahead to a surge in power generation projects for US data centers as they work to offset sluggish oil prices while US tariffs continue to eat away at profits. In the latest earnings period, lower oil and gas prices held back the performance of Baker Hughes, Halliburton, and SLB, formerly Schlumberger Ltd., but the companies say they are exploring opportunities to tap into the rapidly growing data center market. That could result in more project cargo activity from the power generation projects needed to support data centers. As the world’s largest providers of oilfield services and equipment, the three Houston-based companies are major drivers of breakbulk steel and industrial project cargo. Baker Hughes is riding the momentum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power generation projects amid softening demand for oilfield services and equipment. Third-quarter orders grew 44% to $4.1 billion in the company’s industrial and energy business, which includes LNG and power generation, while generating a record backlog of $32.1 billion in the segment. “This is the age of gas, and Baker Hughes is well-positioned to benefit,” CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said during the company’s Oct. 24 earnings call. Simonelli said the company is projecting a 20% increase in demand for natural gas by 2040, with global LNG demand increasing by at least 75%. Baker Hughes secured $800 million in orders for LNG equipment for the quarter. In the US, the company received equipment orders for NextDecade Corp.’s Rio Grande LNG facility at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, and for Sempra Infrastructure’s Port Arthur project in the state’s Jefferson County. In the power generation market, Simonelli said Baker Hughes is on track to achieve its target of $1.5 billion in data center orders ahead of its original three-year timeline. Year to date, the company has booked $700 million in power generation equipment orders for data center applications. Globally, consultant McKinsey projects over $1.5 trillion in data center infrastructure investments by 2030, which is “a major opportunity for Baker Hughes,” Simonelli said. <h3>Halliburton enters power deal </h3>Halliburton is also taking steps to supply power to data centers worldwide, announcing Oct. 14 that it now owns 20% of Texas-based gas power solutions provider VoltaGrid. The companies signed an agreement for Halliburton to be VoltaGrid’s international partner for delivering distributed power solutions for data centers outside of North America. VoltaGrid also announced an agreement to deploy 2.3 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity to support Oracle’s next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. “We invested early and increased our ownership over time because distributed power is a critical enabler for electrified oilfield service and a growing opportunity set beyond the oilfield,” Halliburton CEO Jeffrey Miller said during the company’s Oct. 21 third-quarter earnings call. Amid volatile oil and gas prices, Halliburton is forecasting a 12% to 13% decline in North American revenues in the fourth quarter, even though the region’s revenues exceeded the company’s expectations and rose 5% to $2.4 billion in the third quarter. “We fully expect the recovery will come quickly in North America,” Miller said. Halliburton is forecasting it will take a $60 million hit from US tariffs in the fourth quarter — nearly doubling the previous quarter’s tariff costs. <h3>Data centers drive SLB revenues </h3>The third quarter marked the first time SLB has disclosed its data center revenue, which shot up 140% to $331 million for the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the company’s Oct. 17 earnings report. SLB’s data center business designs and manufactures critical infrastructure components including modular data center enclosures, cooling systems and other hardware. SLB’s overall revenues for the third quarter fell 3% to $8.9 billion amid commodity price setbacks in the company’s core market, while North American revenues rose 14% to $1.9 billion. SLB’s $7.8 billion acquisition of Texas-based oil and gas technology company ChampionX Corp. helped push up North American revenues while offsetting declines in oil and gas activity on US land. SLB CEO Olivier Le Peuch said he does not anticipate a significant recovery for North American drilling activity as operators continue to prioritize production maintenance amid market volatility. “Considering current industry dynamics and [the] commodity price environment, we believe the conditions are set — when the supply-demand rebalances — for the international markets to lead the future activity rebound,” Le Peuch said during in the company’s earnings call. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at <a href="mailto:autumn@autumngiusti.com">autumn@autumngiusti.com</a>. </div>

The Big Three oilfield services companies are looking ahead to a surge in power generation projects for US data centers as they work to offset sluggish oil prices while US tariffs continue to eat away at profits. In the latest earnings period, lower oil and gas prices held back the performance of Baker Hughes, Halliburton, and SLB, formerly Schlumberger Ltd., but the companies say they are exploring opportunities to tap into the rapidly growing data center market. That could result in more project cargo activity from the power generation projects needed to support data centers. As the world’s largest providers of oilfield services and equipment, the three Houston-based companies are major drivers of breakbulk steel and industrial project cargo. Baker Hughes is riding the momentum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power generation projects amid softening demand for oilfield services and equipment. Third-quarter orders grew 44% to $4.1 billion in the company’s industrial and energy business, which includes LNG and power generation, while generating a record backlog of $32.1 billion in the segment. “This is the age of gas, and Baker Hughes is well-positioned to benefit,” CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said during the company’s Oct. 24 earnings call. Simonelli said the company is projecting a 20% increase in demand for natural gas by 2040, with global LNG demand increasing by at least 75%. Baker Hughes secured $800 million in orders for LNG equipment for the quarter. In the US, the company received equipment orders for NextDecade Corp.’s Rio Grande LNG facility at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, and for Sempra Infrastructure’s Port Arthur project in the state’s Jefferson County. In the power generation market, Simonelli said Baker Hughes is on track to achieve its target of $1.5 billion in data center orders ahead of its original three-year timeline. Year to date, the company has booked $700 million in power generation equipment orders for data center applications. Globally, consultant McKinsey projects over $1.5 trillion in data center infrastructure investments by 2030, which is “a major opportunity for Baker Hughes,” Simonelli said. Halliburton enters power deal Halliburton is also taking steps to supply power to data centers worldwide, announcing Oct. 14 that it now owns 20% of Texas-based gas power solutions provider VoltaGrid. The companies signed an agreement for Halliburton to be VoltaGrid’s international partner for delivering distributed power solutions for data centers outside of North America. VoltaGrid also announced an agreement to deploy 2.3 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity to support Oracle’s next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. “We invested early and increased our ownership over time because distributed power is a critical enabler for electrified oilfield service and a growing opportunity set beyond the oilfield,” Halliburton CEO Jeffrey Miller said during the company’s Oct. 21 third-quarter earnings call. Amid volatile oil and gas prices, Halliburton is forecasting a 12% to 13% decline in North American revenues in the fourth quarter, even though the region’s revenues exceeded the company’s expectations and rose 5% to $2.4 billion in the third quarter. “We fully expect the recovery will come quickly in North America,” Miller said. Halliburton is forecasting it will take a $60 million hit from US tariffs in the fourth quarter — nearly doubling the previous quarter’s tariff costs. Data centers drive SLB revenues The third quarter marked the first time SLB has disclosed its data center revenue, which shot up 140% to $331 million for the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the company’s Oct. 17 earnings report. SLB’s data center business designs and manufactures critical infrastructure components including modular data center enclosures, cooling systems and other hardware. SLB’s overall revenues for the third quarter fell 3% to $8.9 billion amid commodity price setbacks in the company’s core market, while North American revenues rose 14% to $1.9 billion. SLB’s $7.8 billion acquisition of Texas-based oil and gas technology company ChampionX Corp. helped push up North American revenues while offsetting declines in oil and gas activity on US land. SLB CEO Olivier Le Peuch said he does not anticipate a significant recovery for North American drilling activity as operators continue to prioritize production maintenance amid market volatility. “Considering current industry dynamics and [the] commodity price environment, we believe the conditions are set — when the supply-demand rebalances — for the international markets to lead the future activity rebound,” Le Peuch said during in the company’s earnings call. Contact Autumn Cafiero Giusti at autumn@autumngiusti.com .

Oilfield service giants banking on windfall from data center power projects

Use code GTW595 at checkout and save $900 on first year of an annual Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Gold Trials

Become a Gold Subscriber and Save!

Arm your team with the most trusted information portal for the international container shipping industry.

Group Subscriptions - Wide Box

Get into a group subscription today

Use code FSW30 at checkout to save 30% on a Silver or Silver Plus annual subscription! 

Subscribe Now - FT/Anonymous to S/SP - Wide Box

FALL SALE

Use code FSW595 and upgrade to Gold for just $595! Valid for first year of subscription.

Upgrade Subscription - S/SP to Gold - Wide Box

Access Journal of Commerce content for 30 days

Free Trial - Wide Box

START A FREE TRIAL TODAY

Use code FSW995 at checkout to save $500 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - FT/Anonymous to Gold - Wide Box

The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

SMC3rates_shutterstock_5247046.jpg

Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

SMC3rates_shutterstock_5247046 (1).jpg

Filling the Supply Chain Education Gap with LTL Education Courses

START A FREE TRIAL: Access Journal of Commerce content for 30 days

Free Trial - Offer Box

Free Trial

FALL SALE: Use code FSW30 to save 30% on first year of a Silver or Silver Plus annual subscription!


Subscribe Now - FT/Anonymous to S/SP - Offer Box

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

GET INTO A GROUP SUBSCRIPTION: Arm your team with unlimited Journal of Commerce content

Group Subscriptions - Offer Box

Group Subscriptions

UPGRADE TO GOLD AND SAVE: Use code GTW595 at checkout and save $900 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription

FALL SALE: Use code FSW595 and upgrade to Gold for just $595! Valid on first year of subscription.

Upgrade Subscription - S/SP to Gold - Offer Box

FALL SALE: Use codeFSW995 at checkout to save $500 on a Gold subscription!

Subscribe Now - FT/Anonymous to Gold - Offer Box

Monthly publication providing an editorial deep dive into global supply chain news

Journal of Commerce Magazine - Rectangle Box

Journal of Commerce Magazine

A premium access index of savings using domestic intermodal vs. OTR 

ISI Report - Rectangle Box

An in-depth analysis of transport trends in the multipurpose and heavy-lift fleet segment

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

An extensive dashboard of charts organized by trade lane, mode, and topic

Gateway - Rectangle Box

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

Intermodal Service Scorecard - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Service Scorecard

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

The premier conference for the global container shipping and supply chain community

TPM Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend TPM26

The only editorially independent conference for the breakbulk & project cargo industry

Breakbulk Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend Breakbulk26

Explore today’s cutting-edge global logistics technology news and analysis by the Journal of Commerce. Coverage includes logistics technology startups, logistics technology solutions, venture capital, management and impact, freight forwarder technology and the latest supply chain and logistics technology.

Our logistics technology news include logistics technology startups, solutions, and the impact of technology on logistics and supply chain management.

Logistics Technology News | Journal of Commerce

The Journal of Commerce’s supply chain news and analysis impacting the management of end-to-end supply chains reports on supply chain strategies, cargo visibility, inventory trends, sourcing, customs certification and contract logistics. Supply chain news coverage also delves into refrigerated shipping advancements and management of inventory status, regulatory updates and government funding projects.

Stay informed with the latest regulation news and trade updates. Explore comprehensive transportation news and trade regulations today.

Transport, Trade and Regulation News | Journal of Commerce

A thorough cool cargoes news by Journal of Commerce. Learn about the latest trends in refrigerated cargo transportation, weight capacity, technology, and more.

Cool Cargo News | Journal of Commerce

Journal of Commerce keeps you informed on the latest last mile news with comprehensive coverage of carriers, logistics, and last mile transportation solutions.

Last Mile News | Journal of Commerce

Discover the latest industrial real estate news and trends. Covering projects, real estate supply chain, logistics, pricing, cross dock facilities, and more.

Industrial Real Estate News | Journal of Commerce

Stay updated on supply chain strategies, cargo visibility, inventory trends and more with our comprehensive supply chain news and analysis.

Latest News

More News & Analysis

Redecking project on Los Angeles harbor bridge to begin in early 2026

APM to move ahead with Mobile’s third berth after harbor deepening

J.B. Hunt’s East Coast strategy is shifting as rail alliances realign