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Western Canada port backlog to take weeks to clear: Canadian National

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor | Jul 26, 2023, 12:00 PM EDT

CN said it will take up to eight weeks to clear the cargo backlog at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert as the industry waits to see if ILWU Canada’s rank and file will accept terms of the tentative deal reached last week.
North-American railContainer shippingTrans-PacificNorth American portsIntermodal providers

Strategic focus on higher-margin business pays off for forwarders

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Jul 26, 2023, 11:49 AM EDT

The decision by DSV and Kuehne + Nagel to protect yields at the expense of volume is allowing the forwarders to move into an uncertain second half in a solidly profitable position.
MaritimeAir CargoContainer shippingAir cargo forwarding

New Jersey port stakeholders say state police ready for oversight task

Michael Angell, Associate Editor | Jul 25, 2023, 4:55 PM EDT

Maritime employers expect New Jersey State Police oversight of longshore hiring in the state will be easier and less burdensome than it was under the soon-to-be dissolved Waterfront Commission.
North American portsMarine terminalsLongshore labor

Major forwarders riding out slow return of traditional freight markets

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Jul 25, 2023, 2:10 PM EDT

The CEOs of DSV and Kuehne + Nagel, shrugging off heavily distorted year-over-year comparisons, described their second-quarter results as “solid” and reflective of the evolving normalization of the air and ocean markets.
ForwardingContainer shippingAir cargo forwarding

LTL carrier TForce Freight moves closer to new contract with Teamsters

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Jul 25, 2023, 1:09 PM EDT

Teamster local leaders endorsed a new five-year pact with LTL carrier TForce Freight, while the union eyes talks with Yellow.
SurfaceTruckingLTL

UPS, Teamsters reach deal on tentative five-year contract, averting possible strike

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Jul 25, 2023, 1:01 PM EDT

A tentative agreement removes the threat of a disruptive strike that would have roiled supply chains, giving UPS Teamsters several weeks to vote on the new contract.
SurfaceTruckingTrucking laborSupply Chain

ILA chief calls for global union fight against port, maritime automation

Michael Angell, Associate Editor | Jul 25, 2023, 9:56 AM EDT

The president of the International Longshoremen’s Association says automation and new technology are an existential threat to union members and other maritime employees worldwide.
Longshore laborContainer linesMarine terminalsNorth American ports

Savannah reopens berth at Garden City Terminal, boosting capacity by 25%

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor | Jul 24, 2023, 5:01 PM EDT

The Georgia Ports Authority has acknowledged the added berth capacity was sorely needed during the worst of the pandemic-driven port congestion when Savannah’s queue hit more than 30 ships in September 2021.
North American portsTrans-PacificMarine terminalsPort infrastructure

US LTL carriers plan expansion despite market uncertainty

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Jul 24, 2023, 4:55 PM EDT

Several large LTL carriers, including XPO and Estes, are adding terminals as freight flows change and customers shift business among carriers as questions linger over Yellow’s future.
SurfaceTruckingLTL

Asia-Europe ocean carriers look to steady market with August rate hikes

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Jul 24, 2023, 2:37 PM EDT

The new price levels signal the intent of carriers to drive up freight-all-kinds rates in a move to capitalize on any increased buying should a peak season emerge.
MaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesAsia-Europe

ILWU Canada caucus approves tentative deal; membership vote expected this week

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Jul 24, 2023, 10:10 AM EDT

The rollercoaster developments of the past three weeks, which began with a 13-day strike by ILWU Canada on July 1, have disrupted cargo handling at Vancouver, Canada’s largest port and a gateway to US and Canadian markets.
MaritimePortsLongshore laborNorth American ports

Retail 3PL GSC expands service scope with MacMillan-Piper acquisition

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Jul 24, 2023, 9:40 AM EDT

GSC intends to combine its expertise in servicing containerized imports in the retail sector with MacMillan-Piper's experience in warehousing and transloading of primarily export commodities.
North American portsTrans-PacificSupply Chain

Heightened biosecurity program drives Australian ro/ro port congestion

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Jul 24, 2023, 8:00 AM EDT

A rigorous hunt for seeds and pollen is disrupting vehicle and high & heavy imports into Australia, leading carriers to pull back on services.
Breakbulk shippingRo/ro cargoPorts

Knight-Swift expects small uptick in peak season freight volumes

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Jul 21, 2023, 1:55 PM EDT

The company expects a slight increase in truckload demand during the peak season amid uncertainty about the duration of the freight recession and the potential impact of Yellow's financial troubles.
TruckloadLTL

Trans-Pacific preps for weak, shorter peak season before new capacity hits

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor | Jul 21, 2023, 1:48 PM EDT

With a significantly shorter peak season expected this year, the ability of carriers to match capacity to demand will be tested over the next six months as they seek to keep spot rates from dipping below contract levels.
Container shippingMaritimeContainer linesTrans-PacificPortsNorth American ports

NWSA auto imports up sharply amid new business from Hyundai, GM

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor | Jul 21, 2023, 9:30 AM EDT

New and expanded auto imports landing at the Northwest Seaport Alliance come as carriers take advantage of its proximity to Asian ports during a time of scarce ro/ro tonnage.
Ro/ro cargoTrans-PacificNorth American ports

Clock ticking on Europe’s new multimodal green transport proposals

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Jul 21, 2023, 8:58 AM EDT

With European parliamentary elections set for early June 2024, road and rail lobby groups have emphasized the urgency of getting the latest freight transport measures adopted.
MaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesAsia-Europe

Forwarders eager to transition to digital ocean freight booking: study

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 21, 2023, 8:39 AM EDT

Research by ECU Worldwide found that about half of ocean freight bookings are made via email, highlighting the importance of connecting booking platforms to email systems.
Logistics technologyForwarding

GRI success, rising imports drive spot rates higher as trans-Pac peak season nears

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Jul 20, 2023, 2:42 PM EDT

Retailers and NVOs aren’t sure if spot rates will continue to increase steadily through the peak season or whether new capacity expected to enter the trans-Pacific in the coming months will cause rates to fall again.
MaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesTrans-PacificNorth American portsInternational ports

US warehouse vacancies rose in Q2, but market still ‘healthy’

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor | Jul 20, 2023, 1:42 PM EDT

Vacancies are expected to continue rising into 2024 as construction of new warehouses near completion and outpace demand.
Industrial real estateSupply Chain

UPDATE: Western Canada longshore workers retract notice of Saturday strike

Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor | Jul 20, 2023, 12:18 PM EDT

The rejection of last week’s tentative contract deal by a caucus of ILWU Canada narrows the prospects of a resolution without one imposed by Parliament through back-to-work legislation.
Longshore laborTrans-PacificNorth American portsTransport, trade and regulation

Email technology provider Sedna snares funding targeting maritime, forwarding sectors

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 20, 2023, 11:24 AM EDT

Sedna’s approach of allowing companies to retain their email systems while extending their value has won new forwarding and bulk customers and a fresh capital infusion.
Logistics technologyMaritimeContainer shippingForwardingSupply Chain

India-US contract rates tick up after July GRI activity

Bency Mathew, Special Correspondent | Jul 20, 2023, 10:35 AM EDT

Freight forwarder sources in India believe the success of a fourth round of general rate increases scheduled for Aug. 1 will hinge on the ability of carriers to hold firm on recent pricing gains.
Container shippingContainer linesNorth American portsInternational ports

Rotterdam posts sharp drop in H1 volume, provides muted full-year outlook

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Jul 20, 2023, 10:14 AM EDT

A weak global economy and limited demand in Europe has set the continent’s largest port on course for a second year of declining volume.
Marine terminalsInternational ports

Longshore labor unrest a new daily fact of life for North American shippers

Peter Tirschwell | Jul 19, 2023, 3:42 PM EDT

Part of the new dynamic on the waterfront reflects wider transportation labor activism where rail, aviation, trucking and longshore workers have achieved or are seeking to achieve substantial enhancements in pay and work rules, writes Peter Tirschwell.
Longshore laborContainer linesMarine terminalsNorth American ports

Maersk grows air freight services with opening of Atlanta hub

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor | Jul 19, 2023, 2:59 PM EDT

The 123,000-square-foot warehouse will also serve as a forward staging area for the carrier’s South Carolina-based flight operations that link the southeast US to Germany, China and South Korea.
Air CargoAir cargo carriersAir cargo forwarding

Technology providers partner to improve breakbulk rail tracking

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 19, 2023, 1:24 PM EDT

The desire to improve rail and intermodal visibility for bulk and breakbulk customers has led transportation management software provider IntelliTrans to partner with hardware vendor Nexxiot.
Logistics technologyRailNorth-American railSupply Chain

J.B. Hunt says intermodal peak season outlook murky despite June momentum

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Jul 19, 2023, 1:06 PM EDT

That mismatch between container supply and demand has forced intermodal providers to stack boxes, with J.B. Hunt saying it parked about 18% of its container fleet in the first half of the year.
Intermodal providersNorth-American rail

Asia-Europe blank sailings hit two-year low despite sluggish market

Greg Knowler, Senior Editor Europe | Jul 19, 2023, 12:04 PM EDT

Ocean carriers are showing a lack of urgency to blank sailings even as China’s exports weaken and new vessels continue to come online.
MaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesAsia-Europe

Shippers consider options after Yellow misses payment to pension fund

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Jul 18, 2023, 4:17 PM EDT

The missed payment erases a measure of optimism that existed after creditors, including the US government, last week gave Yellow more time to resolve its restructuring dispute with the Teamsters in return for heightened financial oversight.
Trucking laborTrucking

DAT, Convoy settle dueling lawsuits once seen as marker for load board industry

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 18, 2023, 2:55 PM EDT

DAT and freight broker Convoy had challenged each other in federal court over business practices related to Convoy attempting to set up a rival load board.
TruckloadTruckingTruck brokersLogistics technology

Truckstop acquires freight matching platform to target ‘high-quality’ carriers

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 18, 2023, 2:22 PM EDT

Truckstop is building on its 2022 purchase of carrier monitoring provider RMIS with the acquisition of freight-matching technology provider FrieightFriend.
TruckloadTruckingTruck brokersLogistics technology

Antwerp-Bruges H1 volumes slide on weak demand, poor industrial outlook

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Jul 18, 2023, 1:32 PM EDT

The fall hid some upbeat trends, with the number of refrigerated containers rising more than 10% in the first half and the rate of decline in overall volumes easing in the second quarter.
International portsContainer shippingContainer linesAsia-EuropeBreakbulk shippingRo/ro cargo

Logistics technology market grappling with pandemic period overhiring

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 18, 2023, 11:38 AM EDT

A return to normal freight demand is part of the reason for layoffs across the logistics technology sector, but just as important is investor focus on cost controls and a path to profitability.
Logistics technologyMaritimeContainer shippingContainer linesForwardingSupply Chain

Global demand for high and heavy cargo drives secondary vessel ‘spillover’ market

Janet Nodar, Senior Editor, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift | Jul 17, 2023, 5:07 PM EDT

Breakbulk ro/ro shippers are hunting for solutions as carriers deal with high vessel charter rates, tight capacity and port congestion.
Breakbulk shippingRo/ro cargo

GPA’s Brunswick seeing significant growth in auto imports

Teri Errico Griffis, Associate Editor | Jul 17, 2023, 4:23 PM EDT

Brunswick’s growth comes amid rising automotive production, pent-up consumer demand and an easing of the semiconductor shortage that occurred during the pandemic.
Ro/ro cargoPortsNorth American portsPort infrastructure

Post-COVID ocean market has normalized, not collapsed: analyst

Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner, Vespucci Maritime, and JOC Analyst | Jul 17, 2023, 12:06 PM EDT

It’s easy to paint developments in the global shipping market as extreme, but when context is provided, the market is on many levels almost boringly normal at present, writes analyst Lars Jensen.
Container shippingContainer linesTrans-Pacific

Kontainers founder starts new shipper-focused rate management tech provider

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Jul 17, 2023, 10:09 AM EDT

Most of the landscape for container rate management vendors has focused on tools for forwarders, leaving a gap in software targeting shippers.
Logistics technologyContainer shipping

Post-strike recovery for western Canadian ports measured in weeks, not days: sources

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Jul 14, 2023, 4:29 PM EDT

Forwarders, shipping lines and trucking interests are advising their customers it will take weeks — possibly into September — for operations at Prince Rupert and Vancouver to return to normal.
MaritimePortsLongshore laborNorth American ports

CIMC, Singamas issue profit warnings on weak demand for new containers

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent | Jul 14, 2023, 1:40 PM EDT

The expected declines followed a drop in demand for marine containers due to weakened economic and trade growth this year, both companies said in filings to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Container shippingContainer linesForwardingTrans-Pacific