Commentary

Following a philosophy of short-term pain for long-term gain, a series of US actions have been taken against China regarding what is seen as its unfair trade practices, particularly as relates to intellectual property rights. Here's what you need to know.

Technology has tremendous potential to bring drivers back into trucks, but it will not replace truck drivers. And there are several reasons why this is so.

To paraphrase the late, great Brooklyn Dodger play-by-play man Red Barber, US trucking companies are in “the catbird seat.” Shippers — you don’t want your cargo left at your loading dock or warehouse, so here’s how to stay in good graces with truckers and become a “shipper of choice.”

Despite current events you may read about, this is an age that provides advantages to those who proactively cultivate relationships. And there’s perhaps no better case study to support that theory than a shipper’s/forwarder’s relationship with an ocean carrier.

Led by the above-trend growth in the United States, the global economic expansion continues. That should make 2018 a promising year for container shipping, right? Not quite. Consider: ocean carriers' perennial efforts to increase market share, rising fuel costs, ditto for charter/feeder/inland costs, and the threat of a trade war.  

Despite political isolation by many countries, Taiwan, its people and economy, have outperformed. How much more would it contribute to global trade and society if its people and nation were given equal rights on the international stage?