Commentary

They go by many names: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Windows Live, Xing, Friendster, Hi5, Yelp, Qzone.

If you think supply-demand dynamics in the freight transportation business have been confused in the economic downturn, just wait for what you’re likely to see in a recovery.

I mentioned in JoC columns over the past few weeks an overwhelming impression from nearly a month traveling in China: The stage is being set for a quantum leap in internal consumption that will drive

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you just might find you get what you need.” That line was used by the British philosopher Mick Jagger in a differ

It probably should not have been a surprise, but in barnstorming across Asia over the past month and spending most of that time in mainland China, the most consistent discussion I heard did not concer

Q: As a shipper, we have long discouraged the use of brokers in general.

“Flash: One of the most famous and respected investors of our time buys one of the biggest, most respected railroads of our time.

If our federal law enforcement colleagues are to be believed, those who trade in counterfeit goods and smuggled currency are not only acting illegally, but also are likely to be supporting terrorists

If there was anything positive to be said about the uninspired end to the legislative measure that authorized transportation spending four years ago, it was that at least there appeared to be general

For trucking and logistics company Con-way, blogging isn't just about touting new services at Con-way Freight or Menlo Worldwide.

During recent longshore contract negotiations for Atlantic and Gulf ports, labor-saving technology was a sticking point.

When beer goes bad, where does it go? Not just down the drain, says Kevin Brady of Satellite Logistics Group in Houston.

A call from one concerned reader regarding the portrayal in print of his company’s earnings isn’t necessarily surprising after a long year of steep declines in profit across the shipping i

Q: Our executive vice president suggested that I send you a copy of a delivery order because we had a question pertaining to the signature in Section 7.

If there is a window on a key source of growth in container shipping, it might be found at a noisy remote construction site along the banks of the Yangtze River near Chongqing, central China’s largest

As we continue to read and hear of the woes of the shipping industry, a few pieces of news seem ironic, and almost funny.

Q: You keep referring in your column to the bill of lading as the “contract of carriage.” Isn’t this tired, old nonsense irrelevant in the modern era?

Britain's Daily Mail newspaper recently featured an article on “the biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history," the empty container ships anchored off Singapore.

Carriers have been waiting and hoping for retailers to restock depleted inventories. With consumer demand still weak, retailers have been cautious about ordering more goods.

How many times have you sat in an industry conference and heard a carrier executive say the words, “Rates are unsustainable.

Anyone looking for a true economic recovery in business landing on U.S. shores may be looking in the wrong direction.

Folks in the fresh fruit and vegetable business find themselves in a fairly unpopulated area these days: They are quite pleased with the idea of a new law regulating their industry.

Q: I am a lifelong forwarder, born and raised in a major European port. In 1986, I became an owner of a company.

The intermodal industry will convene next week for the annual Intermodal Expo in Anaheim, Calif. — literally in the shadow of Disneyland.

Hundreds of idled container ships may be picking up a different kind of cargo — invasive species that could be spread around the globe when those ships go back into service.

Economic research is proving it's not a small world, after all, just a well-connected one.

Q: We recently lost a shipment in a truck wreck. The truck crashed into a highway bridge support when the driver lost control.

Q: We’re a freight bill auditing and payment service. Our shipper client was asked by the consignee to ship collect via their selected carrier.

CSX was the first large transportation company to release its earnings in this fall’s financial reporting season, and that’s as it should be given what has happened to the economy over the last two ye

One of the more unfortunate consequences of our industry’s deep downturn is the waning attendance at industry conferences.

As the dollar falls against the euro, yen and other major currencies, China and other emerging economic powers holding lots of dollars and U.S.

Is there a better way for ocean container carriers and shippers to do business with one another? The answer has to be yes.

Q: In several recent columns you’ve suggested pretty strongly that shippers should forbid their carriers, and their brokers, from brokering or rebrokering shipments.

Customs brokers and importers have long operated under the reasonable-care standard. Exporters and freight forwarders have been required to meet the you-cannot-self-blind standard.

Welcome to 2010.

Has the diversion of containerized imports from West Coast to East Coast ports come to a halt? Probably the most discussed trend in U.S.

Trucks have rammed into low bridges 46 times this year in Westchester County, New York, doing enough damage that New York state is considering severe penalties against truckers.

During this economic crisis, while port tenants are fighting for survival and the City of Los Angeles is furloughing workers, the Port of Los Angeles continues to operate in a world of its own —

The 9/11 Commission Act’s mandate that 100 percent of cargo transported on passenger aircraft be screened for explosives by August 2010 reflects a critical security need of the U.S.

I see several business articles each week from the U.S., Europe and Asia reporting one optimistic piece of information or another, most giving the impression that we are at or near the bottom of the e