<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Infinera, a provider of digital optical networking systems to telecommunications carriers, selected </div>

Infinera, a provider of digital optical networking systems to telecommunications carriers, selected

<div>Infinera, a provider of digital optical networking systems to telecommunications carriers, selected D.W. Morgan as its strategic supply chain and logistics partner. Morgan becomes Infinera's exclusive third-party logistics provider.Infinera's business is growing as its semiconductor technology simplifies engineering and operations through its breakthrough photonic integrated circuit. Delivery time has become crucial in the highly competitive field. "Technology leaders like Infinera realize that seeing and managing all aspects of a global supply chain are vital for competitive advantage," said D.W. Morgan CEO and founder David W. Morgan. "These days, it's not enough to innovate in engineering. Companies that can deliver products...

Infinera, a provider of digital optical networking systems to telecommunications carriers, selected D.W. Morgan as its strategic supply chain and logistics partner. Morgan becomes Infinera's exclusive third-party logistics provider. Infinera's business is growing as its semiconductor technology simplifies engineering and operations through its breakthrough photonic integrated circuit. Delivery time has become crucial in the highly competitive field. "Technology leaders like Infinera realize that seeing and managing all aspects of a global supply chain are vital for competitive advantage," said D.W. Morgan CEO and founder David W. Morgan. "These days, it's not enough to innovate in engineering. Companies that can deliver products faster and more reliably, at lower cost and with better service, will dominate their industries." Morgan's proprietary ChainLinq technology connects all parties in the supply chain in real-time and ensures compliance with all regulatory mandates. "Infinera's Digital Optical Networks already provides its customers the fastest service delivery in the industry," said Lonny Orona, vice president, global customer service & technical support at Infinera. "We've chosen D.W. Morgan as a world-class logistics partner to support our installed base, sparing and customer service programs so we can continue to improve upon our unique capabilities in speed and customer service and network delivery."

Transport, Trade and Regulation News

Infinera Picks D.W. Morgan

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The acquisition of Cole Group brings Mullen trade consulting and additional non-asset logistics leverage in the US and Canada.</div>

The acquisition of Cole Group brings Mullen trade consulting and additional non-asset logistics leverage in the US and Canada.

Feature image

<div class="phx-topic">Alberta-based Mullen Group, one of Canada’s largest logistics and transportation companies, is extending its international reach by acquiring Cole Group for $190 million. The deal, first announced in April, adds Cole Group, Cole International and Abco International Freight among related entities to Mullen’s portfolio effective June 1, the company said Friday. Cole Group, also a Canadian company based in Alberta, expands Mullen’s presence in global logistics, adding customs brokerage, freight forwarding and trade consulting to a network of companies that includes less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload, warehousing, logistics and energy and forestry businesses. “Not only is the Cole Group an industry leader in customs brokerage and trade consulting, which happens to be one of the most talked about issues of the day, they have a sizeable 3PL freight service offering, a service that aligns very closely with our US and international logistics segment,” Murray K. Mullen, chair and senior executive officer, said in a statement. Founded in the 1920s, Cole Group operates from 43 locations, including offices at airports, seaports and land border crossings in the US and Canada. Cole had about $300 million in revenue last year, according to Mullen Group. ”We’ve always liked the customs brokerage business,” Mullen told investment analysts during a first quarter earnings call in April. “By investing in Cole, we’re now helping with the transaction of any cross-border or importation or export of any goods.” Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>. </div>

Alberta-based Mullen Group, one of Canada’s largest logistics and transportation companies, is extending its international reach by acquiring Cole Group for $190 million. The deal, first announced in April, adds Cole Group, Cole International and Abco International Freight among related entities to Mullen’s portfolio effective June 1, the company said Friday. Cole Group, also a Canadian company based in Alberta, expands Mullen’s presence in global logistics, adding customs brokerage, freight forwarding and trade consulting to a network of companies that includes less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload, warehousing, logistics and energy and forestry businesses. “Not only is the Cole Group an industry leader in customs brokerage and trade consulting, which happens to be one of the most talked about issues of the day, they have a sizeable 3PL freight service offering, a service that aligns very closely with our US and international logistics segment,” Murray K. Mullen, chair and senior executive officer, said in a statement. Founded in the 1920s, Cole Group operates from 43 locations, including offices at airports, seaports and land border crossings in the US and Canada. Cole had about $300 million in revenue last year, according to Mullen Group. ”We’ve always liked the customs brokerage business,” Mullen told investment analysts during a first quarter earnings call in April. “By investing in Cole, we’re now helping with the transaction of any cross-border or importation or export of any goods.” Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Trucking News

Air Cargo Forwarder News

Surface

Acquisition expands Canada’s Mullen Group customs brokerage, forwarding

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">That the port is the largest transshipment hub makes it convenient for carriers to transship cargo as they redeploy vessels from European and other long-haul trades to US-focused services. </div>

That the port is the largest transshipment hub makes it convenient for carriers to transship cargo as they redeploy vessels from European and other long-haul trades to US-focused services.

<div class="phx-topic">Singapore has joined Shanghai, the world’s second-busiest and busiest ports, respectively, in facing congestion driven by a rush of exports to the US during a 90-day tariff cooldown, according to forwarder and carrier sources. Operations in Singapore have been “heavily disrupted,” with transshipment cargo delayed by up to two weeks, forwarder Kuehne + Nagel said in an update Wednesday on its SeaExplorer visibility platform. According to a Monday update from container carrier Hapag-Lloyd, ships are waiting up to three days to berth at Singapore’s primary terminals due to vessel bunching and congestion. That Singapore is the world’s largest transshipment hub makes it convenient for carriers to transship cargo as they redeploy vessels from European and other long-haul trades to US-focused services. Congestion at other Asian ports is also contributing to a backlog of ships in Singapore. “PSA Singapore has seen a high concentration of container vessel arrivals in recent weeks, attributable to several factors, including some service reconfigurations by shipping lines in response to various business changes and global issues to optimize their network operations, as well as ripple effects from congestion and delays at other locations,” a PSA spokesperson told the Journal of Commerce. The spokesperson said the port’s spare capacity and resources are being utilized to mitigate the impact of the rise in vessel arrivals. <h3>Shanghai congestion worsens</h3>The situation has also deteriorated in Shanghai, with carriers reporting wait times of up to five days, compared with about three days last week, according to K+N. The largest global forwarder said shippers are diverting cargo away from Shanghai to Ningbo to avoid delays, slowing operations in Ningbo. Similarly, congestion has worsened at Port Klang, Malaysia’s gateway terminal complex, with “heavily disrupted operations” and vessel wait times of up to three days, K+N said in its SeaExplorer update. Tan Hua Joo, co-founder of shipping data platform Linerlytica, told the Journal of Commerce, “Both Singapore and Port Klang are experiencing longer berthing delays due to heavy vessel traffic and bunching of arrivals due to delays at upstream ports.” And in South Asia, the ports of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Mundra, India; and Chittagong, Bangladesh, “are also seeing increased waiting times at the moment,” Hua Joo said. Vessel schedules from Ocean Network Express (ONE) this week provide an example of how the additional pressures in Singapore and Port Klang are impacting network fluidity. ONE’s 3,000-TEU Wan Hai 331, deployed on its Japan-Straits-Malaysia service, was four days late departing Hong Kong last Friday, but berthing delays in Singapore and Port Klang have increased these delays to eight days, with the ship scheduled to arrive in Singapore on June 3. Schedules for June and July indicate ONE has lengthened the estimated time of arrival from four days to up to seven days from Hong Kong to Singapore for a raft of vessels operating on intra-Asia and Europe-Mediterranean services to account for berthing delays in Singapore. Other ports in Asia, including Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Nansha and Hong Kong in China; Busan, South Korea; Yokohama, Japan; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; and Manila, Philippines, are also dealing with declining port performance, K+N said. The number of vessels waiting at key ports in Asia has been trending upward again in the last two weeks after plunging from a high at the start of May, according to Portcast’s ship tracking index. There were 62 ships waiting to berth at Shanghai on Wednesday, approximately double the number in mid-May. The vessel backlog outside Singapore hit 55 on May 14, before plunging as low as 23 on May 21, Portcast data shows. <h3>Attention turns to US West Coast</h3>During Evergreen Marine’s annual general meeting Thursday, chairman Chang Yen-yi said port congestion would spread to US West Coast ports next month as vessels from Asia, including extra capacity that carriers are deploying during the current tariff pause, start arriving at Los Angeles and Long Beach. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, is confident that the nation’s busiest US container gateway is ready to handle what he expects to be a relatively minor surge in volumes compared with previous sudden demand increases, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You won’t see a deluge of freight here at the Port of Los Angeles,” Seroka said in a May 18 briefing. “We will not be caught off guard.” Similar to during the pandemic, the sharpest limits to capacity during an import surge will be outside the truck gates, not at the marine terminals. As containers exit the ports, the influx of international intermodal shipments will test rail car supply, and importers and consignees could face less availability of warehousing and chassis. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>. </div>

Singapore has joined Shanghai, the world’s second-busiest and busiest ports, respectively, in facing congestion driven by a rush of exports to the US during a 90-day tariff cooldown, according to forwarder and carrier sources. Operations in Singapore have been “heavily disrupted,” with transshipment cargo delayed by up to two weeks, forwarder Kuehne + Nagel said in an update Wednesday on its SeaExplorer visibility platform. According to a Monday update from container carrier Hapag-Lloyd, ships are waiting up to three days to berth at Singapore’s primary terminals due to vessel bunching and congestion. That Singapore is the world’s largest transshipment hub makes it convenient for carriers to transship cargo as they redeploy vessels from European and other long-haul trades to US-focused services. Congestion at other Asian ports is also contributing to a backlog of ships in Singapore. “PSA Singapore has seen a high concentration of container vessel arrivals in recent weeks, attributable to several factors, including some service reconfigurations by shipping lines in response to various business changes and global issues to optimize their network operations, as well as ripple effects from congestion and delays at other locations,” a PSA spokesperson told the Journal of Commerce. The spokesperson said the port’s spare capacity and resources are being utilized to mitigate the impact of the rise in vessel arrivals. Shanghai congestion worsens The situation has also deteriorated in Shanghai, with carriers reporting wait times of up to five days, compared with about three days last week, according to K+N. The largest global forwarder said shippers are diverting cargo away from Shanghai to Ningbo to avoid delays, slowing operations in Ningbo. Similarly, congestion has worsened at Port Klang, Malaysia’s gateway terminal complex, with “heavily disrupted operations” and vessel wait times of up to three days, K+N said in its SeaExplorer update. Tan Hua Joo, co-founder of shipping data platform Linerlytica, told the Journal of Commerce, “Both Singapore and Port Klang are experiencing longer berthing delays due to heavy vessel traffic and bunching of arrivals due to delays at upstream ports.” And in South Asia, the ports of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Mundra, India; and Chittagong, Bangladesh, “are also seeing increased waiting times at the moment,” Hua Joo said. Vessel schedules from Ocean Network Express (ONE) this week provide an example of how the additional pressures in Singapore and Port Klang are impacting network fluidity. ONE’s 3,000-TEU Wan Hai 331, deployed on its Japan-Straits-Malaysia service, was four days late departing Hong Kong last Friday, but berthing delays in Singapore and Port Klang have increased these delays to eight days, with the ship scheduled to arrive in Singapore on June 3. Schedules for June and July indicate ONE has lengthened the estimated time of arrival from four days to up to seven days from Hong Kong to Singapore for a raft of vessels operating on intra-Asia and Europe-Mediterranean services to account for berthing delays in Singapore. Other ports in Asia, including Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Nansha and Hong Kong in China; Busan, South Korea; Yokohama, Japan; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; and Manila, Philippines, are also dealing with declining port performance, K+N said. The number of vessels waiting at key ports in Asia has been trending upward again in the last two weeks after plunging from a high at the start of May, according to Portcast’s ship tracking index. There were 62 ships waiting to berth at Shanghai on Wednesday, approximately double the number in mid-May. The vessel backlog outside Singapore hit 55 on May 14, before plunging as low as 23 on May 21, Portcast data shows. Attention turns to US West Coast During Evergreen Marine’s annual general meeting Thursday, chairman Chang Yen-yi said port congestion would spread to US West Coast ports next month as vessels from Asia, including extra capacity that carriers are deploying during the current tariff pause, start arriving at Los Angeles and Long Beach. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, is confident that the nation’s busiest US container gateway is ready to handle what he expects to be a relatively minor surge in volumes compared with previous sudden demand increases, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. “You won’t see a deluge of freight here at the Port of Los Angeles,” Seroka said in a May 18 briefing. “We will not be caught off guard.” Similar to during the pandemic, the sharpest limits to capacity during an import surge will be outside the truck gates, not at the marine terminals. As containers exit the ports, the influx of international intermodal shipments will test rail car supply, and importers and consignees could face less availability of warehousing and chassis. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Maritime

Container Shipping News

Port News

Container lines

Trans-Pacific

North American ports

Marine terminals

International ports

Asia port disruption wave reaches Singapore

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Trucking executives don’t believe a crackdown on truck drivers who can’t speak or read English will significantly reduce truck capacity.</div>

Trucking executives don’t believe a crackdown on truck drivers who can’t speak or read English will significantly reduce truck capacity.

<div class="phx-topic">Members of Congress are joining a growing campaign to get US truck drivers who can’t communicate in English or read road signs off the road, introducing a bill in the US House of Representatives Thursday that would make that goal the law. That may help get some unqualified truck drivers off the road, but trucking executives don’t believe a crackdown on truck drivers who can’t speak or read English will significantly affect truck capacity, which is still oversupplied. The introduction of “Connor’s Law” by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, and Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., follows an order from Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy that makes violation of the English-language proficiency (ELP) requirement an out-of-service violation. An English-language requirement for truck drivers has been part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) since 1937, but enforcement has varied. There’s no question these efforts restore teeth to enforcement of the ELP requirement. There is a question as to how much of an impact that will have on trucking or on highway safety. For one, there’s no census or other hard source of data on how many US truck drivers don’t meet the ELP requirement or how that correlates with road accidents. Sec. Duffy believes strict enforcement of the ELP requirement will help force “bad actors” out of a business he compared to the “Wild West.” That may reduce the risk of deadly accidents such as the one that killed Connor Dzion in 2017, but those who expect an exodus of unqualified drivers that would tighten capacity and reset pricing may be expecting too much. Many trucking executives believe truckers without English-language skills are “a small cohort” in a large driver pool. “It’s ridiculous to think that we’ll start enforcing this and it will have an impact on truck capacity,” said a trucking executive who asked not to be named. <h3>Cracking down </h3>Under new Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines, truck drivers who cannot communicate with law enforcement will be placed out of service, meaning they will not be permitted to drive. The same holds true for those that can’t read US road signs. The DOT’s new enforcement guidelines take effect June 25. The passage of Connor’s Law would mean that guidance could not be changed except by congressional action. Connor’s Law also follows executive orders by President Donald Trump making English the official language of the US and ordering enforcement of truck driver ELP requirements. Similar legislation is moving through state legislatures, including bills with stiff penalties. Oklahoma Gov. Rick Stitt on Wednesday signed a bill into law that would impose a $3,000 fine on truck drivers that can’t meet US ELP requirements and jail time for repeat offenders. A similar law was enacted in Arkansas in April with fines of up to $1,000. Connor’s Law — named for Connor Dzion — is supported by the several trucking groups, including the Small Business in Trucking Coalition (SBTC), the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association (OOIDA) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA), among others.Contact William B. Cassidy at <a href="mailto:bill.cassidy@spglobal.com">bill.cassidy@spglobal.com</a>.</div>

Members of Congress are joining a growing campaign to get US truck drivers who can’t communicate in English or read road signs off the road, introducing a bill in the US House of Representatives Thursday that would make that goal the law. That may help get some unqualified truck drivers off the road, but trucking executives don’t believe a crackdown on truck drivers who can’t speak or read English will significantly affect truck capacity, which is still oversupplied. The introduction of “Connor’s Law” by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, and Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., follows an order from Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy that makes violation of the English-language proficiency (ELP) requirement an out-of-service violation. An English-language requirement for truck drivers has been part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) since 1937, but enforcement has varied. There’s no question these efforts restore teeth to enforcement of the ELP requirement. There is a question as to how much of an impact that will have on trucking or on highway safety. For one, there’s no census or other hard source of data on how many US truck drivers don’t meet the ELP requirement or how that correlates with road accidents. Sec. Duffy believes strict enforcement of the ELP requirement will help force “bad actors” out of a business he compared to the “Wild West.” That may reduce the risk of deadly accidents such as the one that killed Connor Dzion in 2017, but those who expect an exodus of unqualified drivers that would tighten capacity and reset pricing may be expecting too much. Many trucking executives believe truckers without English-language skills are “a small cohort” in a large driver pool. “It’s ridiculous to think that we’ll start enforcing this and it will have an impact on truck capacity,” said a trucking executive who asked not to be named. Cracking down Under new Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines, truck drivers who cannot communicate with law enforcement will be placed out of service, meaning they will not be permitted to drive. The same holds true for those that can’t read US road signs. The DOT’s new enforcement guidelines take effect June 25. The passage of Connor’s Law would mean that guidance could not be changed except by congressional action. Connor’s Law also follows executive orders by President Donald Trump making English the official language of the US and ordering enforcement of truck driver ELP requirements. Similar legislation is moving through state legislatures, including bills with stiff penalties. Oklahoma Gov. Rick Stitt on Wednesday signed a bill into law that would impose a $3,000 fine on truck drivers that can’t meet US ELP requirements and jail time for repeat offenders. A similar law was enacted in Arkansas in April with fines of up to $1,000. Connor’s Law — named for Connor Dzion — is supported by the several trucking groups, including the Small Business in Trucking Coalition (SBTC), the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association (OOIDA) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA), among others. Contact William B. Cassidy at bill.cassidy@spglobal.com .

Truckload

Congress, states join DOT targeting non-English-speaking truckers

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">To achieve the promised 95% on-time performance, J.B. Hunt will require a strong collaboration with BNSF Railway and Grupo México Transportes (Ferromex) to navigate challenges in cross-border rail.</div>

To achieve the promised 95% on-time performance, J.B. Hunt will require a strong collaboration with BNSF Railway and Grupo México Transportes (Ferromex) to navigate challenges in cross-border rail.

<div class="phx-topic">J.B. Hunt Transport Services, BNSF Railway and Mexican rail operator GTX are launching a cross-border intermodal service pledging at least 95% on-time performance, underscoring rising demand for truck-like dependable intermodal service from Mexico to the US. The Quantum de Mexico service was launched Friday, starting with the formal process of reaching out to current and potential shippers, gauging interest and their delivery standards. It’s a process that could take a few months to complete, the company said. The 95% on-time guarantee will be measured differently based on criteria established with each shipper, but in general, J.B. Hunt will deliver cargo within a delivery window, much like a window a homeowner might see waiting for a plumber or HVAC technician. “Each standard operating procedure for Quantum de Mexico will be tailored to the customer,” said Spencer Frazier, executive vice president of sales and marketing at J.B. Hunt. “We will design the service based on customer needs at point of delivery.” The Quantum de Mexico service — based on the US Quantum service launched by J.B. Hunt and BNSF in 2023 — will connect Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey to Chicago, Dallas, and parts of the US West Coast and East Coast which have yet to be named. Quantum de Mexico will fuel rising competition for cross-border freight, both in intermodal and trucking markets. On the rails, Quantum will compete with Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP’s) Falcon Premium and Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s (CPKC’s) Mexico Midwest Express. J.B. Hunt’s direct competitors are Hub Group and Schneider National. Hub Group has partnered with UP’s Falcon Premium and launched a <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/hub-group-boosts-cross-border-business-in-jv-with-mexican-dray-carrier-5745355">joint venture</a> with Mexican drayage provider Easo. Schneider is the primary customer of CPKC’s cross-border services. The intermodal providers all compete with long-established truckload options. Trucking handles most of the cross-border freight, with intermodal rail accounting for about 10% to 15% of dry freight business, according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The total number of trucks entering the US from Mexico increased 3.5% in 2024, rising to 7.6 million. Just eight border crossings handled 92.8% of those trucks. Those border crossings are a narrow funnel that is getting tighter as cross-border volumes rise. <h3>Where it gets complicated </h3>Shippers are looking for new solutions and ways to avoid delays and speed cross-border shipments, and time-sensitive intermodal, once a contradiction in terms, is now a real option, J.B. Hunt, BNSF and GTX told the Journal of Commerce. “In Mexico, potential issues with over-the-road capacity and lack of infrastructure investment are driving our customer to say, ‘Hey, we need something different,” Frazier said in an interview. “It’s not just consistent capacity; it’s the high level of service.” The need for speed in replenishment and to avoid penalties for missing delivery deadlines continues to drive changes in supply chains, creating opportunities for services such as Quantum, which will be up to one day faster than regular intermodal service. In the US, Quantum service is more expensive than regular intermodal but not as expensive as expedited trains. The nature of the US-Mexico border makes delivering 95% reliability significantly tougher than hitting such a target on US domestic moves. For example, Mexican regulations allow an electronic submission of customs documents, known as pedimentos, but also require a physical copy to be delivered. That requires a runner to hand over documents for a stamp before a container can be loaded or rejected. Additionally, customs offices are open 24 hours in Monterrey, but others in less populated cities close outside of standard business hours. Quantum de Mexico will set up processes with each customer to clear customs hurdles before freight is loaded, Frazier said. “We will have specific operational spots at GTX terminals [in Mexico] for Quantum shipments at a schedule dictated by the customer,” he said. “We will have someone from GTX in Fort Worth, Texas, for 24/7 oversight of Quantum shipments.” J.B. Hunt’s partnership with BNSF includes a co-located office in Fort Worth, Texas, where employees of both companies monitor Quantum loads 24 hours a day. Contact Ari Ashe at <a href="mailto:ari.ashe@spglobal.com">ari.ashe@spglobal.com</a>. Senior Editor William B. Cassidy contributed to this report. </div>

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, BNSF Railway and Mexican rail operator GTX are launching a cross-border intermodal service pledging at least 95% on-time performance, underscoring rising demand for truck-like dependable intermodal service from Mexico to the US. The Quantum de Mexico service was launched Friday, starting with the formal process of reaching out to current and potential shippers, gauging interest and their delivery standards. It’s a process that could take a few months to complete, the company said. The 95% on-time guarantee will be measured differently based on criteria established with each shipper, but in general, J.B. Hunt will deliver cargo within a delivery window, much like a window a homeowner might see waiting for a plumber or HVAC technician. “Each standard operating procedure for Quantum de Mexico will be tailored to the customer,” said Spencer Frazier, executive vice president of sales and marketing at J.B. Hunt. “We will design the service based on customer needs at point of delivery.” The Quantum de Mexico service — based on the US Quantum service launched by J.B. Hunt and BNSF in 2023 — will connect Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey to Chicago, Dallas, and parts of the US West Coast and East Coast which have yet to be named. Quantum de Mexico will fuel rising competition for cross-border freight, both in intermodal and trucking markets. On the rails, Quantum will compete with Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP’s) Falcon Premium and Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s (CPKC’s) Mexico Midwest Express. J.B. Hunt’s direct competitors are Hub Group and Schneider National. Hub Group has partnered with UP’s Falcon Premium and launched a joint venture with Mexican drayage provider Easo. Schneider is the primary customer of CPKC’s cross-border services. The intermodal providers all compete with long-established truckload options. Trucking handles most of the cross-border freight, with intermodal rail accounting for about 10% to 15% of dry freight business, according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The total number of trucks entering the US from Mexico increased 3.5% in 2024, rising to 7.6 million. Just eight border crossings handled 92.8% of those trucks. Those border crossings are a narrow funnel that is getting tighter as cross-border volumes rise. Where it gets complicated Shippers are looking for new solutions and ways to avoid delays and speed cross-border shipments, and time-sensitive intermodal, once a contradiction in terms, is now a real option, J.B. Hunt, BNSF and GTX told the Journal of Commerce. “In Mexico, potential issues with over-the-road capacity and lack of infrastructure investment are driving our customer to say, ‘Hey, we need something different,” Frazier said in an interview. “It’s not just consistent capacity; it’s the high level of service.” The need for speed in replenishment and to avoid penalties for missing delivery deadlines continues to drive changes in supply chains, creating opportunities for services such as Quantum, which will be up to one day faster than regular intermodal service. In the US, Quantum service is more expensive than regular intermodal but not as expensive as expedited trains. The nature of the US-Mexico border makes delivering 95% reliability significantly tougher than hitting such a target on US domestic moves. For example, Mexican regulations allow an electronic submission of customs documents, known as pedimentos, but also require a physical copy to be delivered. That requires a runner to hand over documents for a stamp before a container can be loaded or rejected. Additionally, customs offices are open 24 hours in Monterrey, but others in less populated cities close outside of standard business hours. Quantum de Mexico will set up processes with each customer to clear customs hurdles before freight is loaded, Frazier said. “We will have specific operational spots at GTX terminals [in Mexico] for Quantum shipments at a schedule dictated by the customer,” he said. “We will have someone from GTX in Fort Worth, Texas, for 24/7 oversight of Quantum shipments.” J.B. Hunt’s partnership with BNSF includes a co-located office in Fort Worth, Texas, where employees of both companies monitor Quantum loads 24 hours a day. Contact Ari Ashe at ari.ashe@spglobal.com . Senior Editor William B. Cassidy contributed to this report.

Rail News

North-American rail

Intermodal providers

J.B. Hunt launching Quantum de Mexico for time-sensitive cross-border freight

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Within a span of roughly 24 hours, one court decision blocked the US tariffs and a separate ruling restored the tariffs through June 9, if not longer. </div>

Within a span of roughly 24 hours, one court decision blocked the US tariffs and a separate ruling restored the tariffs through June 9, if not longer.

<div class="phx-topic">US importers ended Thursday with little clarity on the permanence of sweeping tariffs after an appeals court allowed President Donald Trump’s tax to go forward for a least a week-and-a-half. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s decision Thursday to pause the International Trade Court’s <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/federal-court-ruling-blocking-tariffs-resets-shipping-outlook-6013402">rejection of the tariffs Wednesday</a>, citing a lack of constitutionality, comes in the early days of peak season and with inbound capacity from Asia generally booked through next month.The appeals court laid out a briefing schedule through June 9 but did not detail its reasoning for the pause.The Trump administration has said it is also looking at other ways to maintain tariffs, suggesting importers won’t have clarity on the permanence of tariffs in the foreseeable future. The rulings don’t apply to US tariffs of aluminum and steel, which put downward pressure on US breakbulk demand.Amid a flurry of mixed signals, smaller shippers may be gauging whether to rush or slow shipments, logistic consultant Kevin Parkerson told the Journal of Commerce. But, he said, the largest retailers are keeping their strategies consistent with how they’ve operated since tariffs were announced in April: maintain imports to keep goods on shelves, whatever the tariff rate. US importers had little time to change their booking plans given that the two rulings occurred within roughly 24 hours of each other. Before this week, container lines warned that container space from Asia to the US <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ocean-carriers-bring-in-more-trans-pacific-container-services-amid-rate-surge-6012725">would be tight through June</a> as they worked to restore capacity removed following the plunge in bookings out of China. The peak season ahead of the winter holidays generally begins in June and runs through August, though it has moved to other windows in recent years due to various external dynamics. US retail imports are <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/us-retailers-project-first-year-over-year-import-cut-in-19-months-as-tariffs-bite-6001817">forecast to end this month with the first decline</a> in more than a year and a half, according to Global Port Tracker (GPT) published in early May by Hackett Associates on behalf of the National Retail Federation. US imports will end May down 13% May 2024, and will mark the first year-over-year decline in 19 months. </div>

US importers ended Thursday with little clarity on the permanence of sweeping tariffs after an appeals court allowed President Donald Trump’s tax to go forward for a least a week-and-a-half. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s decision Thursday to pause the International Trade Court’s rejection of the tariffs Wednesday , citing a lack of constitutionality, comes in the early days of peak season and with inbound capacity from Asia generally booked through next month. The appeals court laid out a briefing schedule through June 9 but did not detail its reasoning for the pause. The Trump administration has said it is also looking at other ways to maintain tariffs, suggesting importers won’t have clarity on the permanence of tariffs in the foreseeable future. The rulings don’t apply to US tariffs of aluminum and steel, which put downward pressure on US breakbulk demand. Amid a flurry of mixed signals, smaller shippers may be gauging whether to rush or slow shipments, logistic consultant Kevin Parkerson told the Journal of Commerce. But, he said, the largest retailers are keeping their strategies consistent with how they’ve operated since tariffs were announced in April: maintain imports to keep goods on shelves, whatever the tariff rate. US importers had little time to change their booking plans given that the two rulings occurred within roughly 24 hours of each other. Before this week, container lines warned that container space from Asia to the US would be tight through June as they worked to restore capacity removed following the plunge in bookings out of China. The peak season ahead of the winter holidays generally begins in June and runs through August, though it has moved to other windows in recent years due to various external dynamics. US retail imports are forecast to end this month with the first decline in more than a year and a half, according to Global Port Tracker (GPT) published in early May by Hackett Associates on behalf of the National Retail Federation. US imports will end May down 13% May 2024, and will mark the first year-over-year decline in 19 months.

Trans-Atlantic

Forwarding

Appeals court temporarily restores US tariffs

Use code GTW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of an annual Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Gold Trials

Become a Gold Subscriber and Save!

Use code MDRW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription - Wide Box

MEMORIAL DAY SALE

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 MDW25 at checkout to save 25% on the first year of any annual subscription! 

Subscribe Now - Free Trials - Wide Box

Use code MDW25 at checkout and save 25% on any annual subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous - 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

UPGRADE TO GOLD AND SAVE: Use code GTW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription!

Upgrade Subscription

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDW25 at checkout to save 25% on first year of any annual subscription!


Subscribe Now - Free Trials - Offer Box

Subscribe Today

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

Group Subscriptions - Offer Box

Group Subscriptions

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDW25 at checkout and save 25% on any annual subscription!

Subscribe Now - Anonymous - Offer Box

MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Use code MDRW695 at checkout and save $800 on first year of a Gold subscription! 

Upgrade Subscription - Offer Box

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

Journal of Commerce Magazine - Rectangle Box

Journal of Commerce Magazine

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

Breakbulk Report - Rectangle Box

Breakbulk Quarterly

Customers scoring their intermodal partners to identify the best service providers

Intermodal Service Scorecard - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Service Scorecard

A must-attend conference for shippers & logistics providers moving goods inland

Inland Conference - Rectangle Box

Attend Inland25

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

ISI Report - Rectangle Box

Intermodal Savings Index

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

Gateway - Rectangle Box

Gateway

A premium access outlook critical to shippers and transportation providers

QI Report - Rectangle Box

Quarterly Intelligence

Discover the news and analysis of supply chain strategies, sourcing and trends covered by the Journal of Commerce. Comprehensive coverage includes customs, trade news, transport news and the latest information about trade regulations.

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

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.

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

Logistics Technology News

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

Cool Cargo News

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

Last Mile News

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

Industrial Real Estate News

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

Acquisition expands Canada’s Mullen Group customs brokerage, forwarding

Asia port disruption wave reaches Singapore

Congress, states join DOT targeting non-English-speaking truckers