The Legacy of the Lac-Mégantic Train Disaster

11 years ago

The tragic accident in the Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic was the major transportation story of the past week. As of tonight, the death count is at 33 but it will likely reach 50 people when all the bodies are found. In addition, much of the downtown of that town area was destroyed as 72 tanker […]

Smaller Carriers are “Feeling the Heat” in the Truckload Market

11 years ago

Dr. Richard Mikes, Managing Partner of Transport Capital Partners (TCP) recently spoke on the subject of the Truckload Market on a conference call hosted by Stifel Nicolaus & Company. Here are some excerpts from the survey results presented by Mr. Mikes. “The freight rate market as a whole started switching directions about a year ago. […]

State of Logistics Report Highlights “New Normal” in Freight Transportation

12 years ago

Last week the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals released its 24th annual State of Logistics Report. Last year, business logistics costs were once again 8.5 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the same level they hit in 2011, the new report says. That means freight logistics was growing at about the same rate […]

The Major Freight Transportation Stories of the First Half of 2013

12 years ago

As we approach the mid-point of 2013, here is a peek at some of the major trends that are having an impact on freight transportation. Economic Growth to remain Modest and Uneven The economy continues to deliver mixed signals. In the past week, the US and Canada reported strong growth in employment. In fact, the […]

More on Shipper-Carrier Collaboration and Freight Bids

12 years ago

In last week’s blog, I shared some ideas from the recent SCL – CITA annual conference on how to improve shipper- carrier collaboration. Various suggestions were proposed by a panel consisting of two leading shippers and two major Canadian carriers. Some other thoughts were expressed during other tracks that day. The panelists presented some suggestions […]

Thinking in New Boxes – FCPC’s 2013 Supply Chain Symposium

12 years ago

On April 17, Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) held their annual Supply Chain Symposium. It was an excellent event that attracted many of the top food and consumer products manufacturers in Canada. I have attended a number of very good supply chain educational events over the years. This one ranks up there with […]

Almost 20 years since NAFTA, the Mexican Freight Boom May Finally Be Here – Intermodal Shipping may be Big Winner

12 years ago

It is hard to believe that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect on January 1, 1994, almost twenty years ago. Like so many of us in the industry at the time, my colleagues and I rushed down to Laredo/Nuevo Laredo and other key Mexican points to learn the intricacies of the […]

America’s Major Truckload Carriers Shift Focus to Dedicated and Intermodal

12 years ago

The fourth quarter 2012 financial results for America’s leading truckload carriers tell a story of an industry going through transformation and change. The most dramatic poster boy of this change can be seen at the largest carrier in the group, JB Hunt. Basic point to point truckload carriage has fallen so far that it is […]

Tips for the New Transportation Sales Rep (and his Manager)

12 years ago

For the past week I have been reading with great interest the postings on the LinkedIn Sales Management Group. As of the date of this blog posting, there have been over 40 responses to the question, “What advice would you give a new salesperson”? The tips offered were so good that I thought I would […]

Is President Obama Now Ready to Lead America’s Economic Recovery?

12 years ago

The economic forecast for this year and for the balance of the decade is rather glum. Many economists have projected a two percent growth in GDP will become the norm for the next several years. This scenario is supported by the fact that 24 million Americans are out of work and millions more are underemployed […]