A Lack of Innovation in Transportation Practices May Hurt Shippers in the Years Ahead

Each year, Mary C. Holcomb, Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee and Karl B. Manrodt, Professor at Georgia Southern University, in partnership with Con-way Inc., Ernst & Young, and Logistics Management conduct research and prepare an Annual Study of Logistics and Trans­portation Trends (Masters of Logistics) report.  This year the studysuggests that logisti­cians are […]

There is in interesting article in the Thursday issue of the Toronto Globe & Mail that addresses the issue of the differential on the price of goods in Canada versus the U.S.  The situation has become so ludicrous that the article makes reference to Canadian manufactured goods (e.g. Ziploc bags) retailing at a higher price […]

Today’s U.S. job numbers coupled with the latest ISM manufacturing report would seem to suggest the American economy is as “flat as a pancake.”  We appear to be on the precipice of another Great Recession or Contraction, if we aren’t there already.  What can we do “turn the ship around”?  This is what I suggest. […]

This week Canadians lost an exceptional leader and citizen with the sad passing of Jack Layton, the head of the New Democratic Party (NDP), the official opposition party.   The outpouring of grief across Canada and the fact that a state funeral, a rarity in Canada, was held in his honour, is indicative of the impact […]

The wild gyrations in the stock market and the continuing bad economic news, particularly on U.S. unemployment and housing prices, make one wonder if we are coming out of a Great Recession, are experiencing a continuation of 2008-2009 or relapsing into another recession. Kenneth Rogoff, the esteemed Harvard Professor of Economics and Public Policy wrote […]

Over the past several weeks, one of the trucking and logistics groups on LinkedIn has been capturing responses to the question, “How many loads are you turning down per week due to lack of trucks?” As of a few days ago, this question had received 448 comments. I thought it would be interesting to share […]

American Shipper released a new study on Freight Procurement Strategies on June 29, 2011. The study was sponsored by JDA. The results were based on research conducted in May of this year. Data was gathered from over 300 shippers in the manufacturing and retail sectors. Here are some of the key findings. Freight Costs are […]

I have long been a fan of intermodal transportation since the days I ran one of Canada’s largest IMCs. I continue to monitor developments in this sector with great interest. My sense is that the Intermodal industry, which consists primarily of the railroads, IMCs, shipping lines, draymen and truckers, is positioning itself to take the […]

Beginning the week of July 5, Mexican trucks are being allowed to operate in U.S. territory under a new deal between the two countries. The deal was a result of an agreement between Mexican President Felipe Calderon and U.S. President Barrack Obama, putting an end to a decade-long trade dispute between the two countries. The […]

In the “Money” section of the June 30 issue of 50plus, there is an article entitled 5 top tech trends for the post-PC era. “The PC’s place in our lives is slowly being usurped. New technology won’t just complement our trusty desktops and laptops — it will eventually take over,” say experts.   “We’re now living […]