Logistics/Supply Chains

The chain that brings us Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. faced several challenges

FreightWaves Executive Publisher Kevin Hill chats with Hickey & Associates Managing Director David Hickey about the many factors that companies should consider when looking for a cold storage site.

The company’s disaster relief guru explains how its new program could change the way the logistics industry responds to disasters.

The company says it is on track to hit record earnings this year.

Can Brad Jacobs lift the conglomerate’s discount off of XPO’s back and still maintain its non-LTL businesses?

Also on this week’s podcast: A shoutout to fuel surcharges.

“One customer is projecting year-over-year growth of no less than 25% for the remainder of the year,” said Fallon.

Shipping and fulfillment costs continue to escalate at double-digit levels.

The company posts solid numbers for its transport and logistics units as the logistics business prepares for trading on Monday as a spun-off entity.

Nearly 80% of the nation’s freight moves through Chattanooga, due to the convergence of three major internates: I-75, I-24 and I-59.

Strong second-quarter results give way to second-half volume growth concerns. An analyst calls the share sell-off “overdone.”

Americans were expected to divert disposable income away from goods as the economy reopened to travel, lodging and entertainment. It isn’t happening, most observers say, and the supply chain implications are profound.

A united transportation platform with 2 companies focused on either side of the carrier/shipper divide is seen as driving $2.25B acquisition of Transplace.;

More than one-quarter of survey respondents expect a 20% annual increase in warehouse demand over the next three years.

“The Transfix team is extremely talented, but there’s a quality to the culture that’s got gumption,” said newly appointed CCO Sophie Dabbs.

Company looks to take the lead in the cloud-based manufacturing and supply chain segment.

The two firms reach equity and operating agreements to expand their presence in the Indian market.

Supply chain bottlenecks are raising red flags for inflation down the road.

“We have to compete in a marketplace where my competitors don’t even have to be profitable.”

GXO Logistics looks to capitalize on favorable macro trends.

Vince Paperiello has been named to run the multibillion-dollar unit. The business had been run as a group effort for two years, a source says.

The acquisition modestly bumps Geodis’ brokerage revenue.

The index’s headline number is the second-highest on record, and there appears to be no end to the tightening cycle that has made life tough for logisticians.

“I think about the fact that if we fulfill this mission, the world is better off and not many opportunities have that.”

What does a chief product officer at a trucking sector company do given that the title is usually seen at software firms?

The vision of the collaboration is “for customers to be able to track their products from door to door and understand exactly what’s happening every step of the way.”

The boom in cold storage construction is partly fueled by consumers shopping for groceries online.

The 32nd version of the venerable report waxes philosophical on why more, not less, logistics spending will be needed.

The chaos of the past 18 months will usher in new investments in supply chain technology

The transaction, arranged by CVC Capital Partners, is set to close in the third quarter.

Spartacus will acquire the company in a valuation of more than $1B; more than $400M will be plowed back into the business for growth.

Trips that once took three to four weeks are often taking three to four months, and shipments will undoubtedly miss their season for some retailers.

My 10 takeaways upon diving back into the supply chain game.

Ray Wood, head of global carrier management at World Courier, discusses how the air cargo market has adjusted and maintained relationships with customers.

The pattern of mid- to high-single-digit raw materials price increases continues.

Amazon will store and pre-position supplies for quick release in the event of natural disasters.

Wood is a problem and plastic is expensive; it’s just one more pressure point to worry about in the supply chain.

The company aggregates its cold-chain logistics services into a dedicated unit.

Regulations coming out of SCQAMD are usually for stationary sources of pollution, but the rules on trucks are an expansion of its authority.


In the sense that Redwood Logistics is taking a page out of the Silicon Valley playbook, it still deserves credit.

“Ultimately the pandemic has made everyone realize that there are opportunities here to make all of our lives better going forward.”

Schneider Logistics SVP and General Manager Erin Van Zeeland chats with TriumphPay VP of Sales and Marketing Haley Evans about the top challenges facing logistics companies and what they can do to overcome them.

Bringg’s Klein said COVID showed it’s tough for a logistics provider to scale up quickly when you need to.

Vessels get the green light after a portion of the Mississippi River near Memphis was closed to traffic for a few days. Inspectors found damage to the bridge above it.

The staffing will be weighted toward the fulfillment and delivery centers, Amazon says.

“This is by far the biggest event that we have ever had to deal with,” UPS’ Dan Gagnon said about COVID.

The first-ever deal with Apple is part of $4 billion in logistics contracts for XPO since the year began.

The traditional silo model of suppliers using localized logistics providers is no longer working.

Within maritime logistics circles, an effort is underway to update the technology the industry relies on to take advantage of recent advancements in hardware and software technology.

Aaron Graft has been assuring users HubTran’s open loop system will not be giving Triumph’s factoring business an unfair advantage

FreightWaves introduces FreightWaves Carbon Intelligence. Learn more here!

As construction companies adjust to COVID-19 delays and shortages, many have turned to modular construction — but will supply chain issues limit growth?

Improvements will come in the form of more ship-from-store, but mainly more ship-from-dark-store as retailers realize the unnecessary complexity of the method and seek to transform more stores into localized fulfillment centers.

Not being limited to the modes of a particular carrier or their own private fleet, a business can access more available capacity in the market.

Cross-border platform Nuvocargo raised $12 million in a Series A round led by QED Investors.

I am encouraged to see that President Joe Biden is calling for up to $300 billion of investments by the federal government to begin rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector.

Mercado Labs connects, organizes and optimizes international supply chains, bringing order to the complex and monthslong importing process. End-to-end visibility is table stakes for an agile, efficient and resilient supply chain.

One interesting aspect of the report by B Riley: Could TriumphPay and Triumph Capital be headed in different directions?

“We will surely see more local manufacturing in the future due to reshoring activities,” said Engel.

Fleets on the East Coast need to make every attempt to maximize capacity and assets

Working with carriers, adapting to their needs and appreciating them are essential strategies in a freight market with tight capacity, NFI and BlueGrace executives say during a fireside chat at FreightWaves’ 3PL Summit.

Nolan Transportation Group President Geoff Kelley chats with FreightWaves Chief Strategy Officer JT Engstrom about how the logistics industry can move forward with lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Being the biggest or best company in an industry only appeals to customers if you explain how it benefits them, Lee Salz, CEO and author, said during the FreightWaves 3PL Summit.

Turvo’s Luis Pajares explains why software that was traditionally optimized around a particular supply chain function needs to be reimagined from the 3PL customers’ perspective.

Anne Reinke provides insight on current concerns and future opportunities as the president and CEO of TIA in keynote address.

Walmart plans to convert a Dallas store for online order pickup for customers.

With Malcolm Wilson, XPO’s chief executive officer for Europe, taking the lead as the CEO of GXO, the company expects the spinoff will create long-term value for its stakeholders.

The Future of Ports 2021 event will take place virtually on March 18th, 7 PM, UAE time/8AM PT time.

Over the next few years, the team will continue to grow and Red seeks qualified applicants.

Beer maker Molson Coors warns that a systems outage brought on by a cyberattack is causing delays and disruptions to shipments.

How should executives think about the combination of people and technology as they attempt to solve the problems they encounter daily in their companies’ supply chain operations?

There are several tools available to automate the “listening” part of social selling.

The Japanese company is leveraging its logistics facility hardware, like security cameras and bar code readers, with Blue Yonder’s artificial intelligence software that can predict product demand and audit supply chains for inefficiencies.

Across the globe and throughout the supply chain, investors are looking for startup value outside of the U.S.

Innovators worldwide are finding new ways to simplify and disintermediate the execution layer of the supply chain.

The World Wildlife Fund’s Farmers Post concept would connect farmers with consumers through the Postal Service’s delivery network.

Craig Fuller reasons that if “project44 is the Visa of the industrial world, then having the greatest acceptance and connectivity will be a major differentiating factor.”

Vaccine distribution is an inherently complex process. The process is further complicated by this specific vaccine’s short shelf life.

“Ocean Insights has dominated the container-tracking space, and we look forward to providing the industry not only the best ocean capabilities but also the most comprehensive end-to-end visibility platform,” says project44 CEO Jett McCandless.

We are on the cusp of a golden age of technology-led innovation in supply chain.

Ocean Audit’s Steve Ferreira and AutoZone’s Jack Conaghan discuss how beneficial cargo owners should strategize contracts and containers during 2021.

Remember in your pitch that your customer — not you, the company or your solution — is the hero.

Brian Laung Aoaeh of REFASHIOND Ventures discusses the opportunities for venture capital seeking to find the next big thing in supply chain technology in a fireside chat at FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

Verifai founder and CEO Jonathan Kempe chats with cybersecurity expert Rich Mason and supply chain expert Amy Broglin-Peterson on how and why companies should aim for data trustworthiness and become knowledgeable about the ethics guiding their supply chain partners.

Former President Richard Kuehn plans to stay on as an adviser for a period of time.

Geographic information systems pioneer and Esri President Jack Dangermond discusses how spatial data can transform supply chains during a fireside chat with Saybrook Management CEO Jonathan Rosenthal at FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

Berkshire Grey, which provides AI-enabled integrated robotic solutions for the supply chain, will get $413 million in cash.

It appears Google and J.B. Hunt envision that their joint effort will become an innovation platform to support the J.B. Hunt 360 marketplace.

Greg Tuthill, chief commercial officer of SeaCube Containers, sizes up the market for refrigerated shipping containers during a fireside chat at FreightWaves Global Supply Chain Week.

FourKites’ Glenn Koepke discusses how and why collaboration among retailers, transportation providers and brokers enhances supply chain visibility.

Biden’s executive order seeks short-term and long-term review of critical supply chains.

Canadian health care logistics provider Andlauer will acquire most of pharmaceutical trucking firm Skelton Truck Lines for over $90 million – a valuation driven up by the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

A well-developed team that executes consistently and works well together creates leverage in a business like nothing else can.

John Tyson, fourth-generation Tyson family member and chief sustainability officer at Tyson Foods, discusses sustainability strategies in protein systems and food supply chains.

Brett Rose, the CEO of United National Consumer Suppliers, discusses how container ship congestion is impacting the retail sector during a fireside chat with Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC senior editor of guests and American Shipper columnist, during FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

CFI’s facility in Laredo, Texas, has 6,000 square feet of office space on a 40-acre lot, including a staging and transloading area for cross-border Mexico freight.

National Retail Federation’s Jon Gold and CNBC’s Lori Ann LaRocco discuss the impact of empty containers and port congestion and how retailers can protect themselves from future supply chain vulnerabilities.

Geodis’ Jeff McDermott joined FreightWaves to talk about challenges that parcel carriers are facing and lessons learned from the pandemic.

Jennifer Bisceglie discusses how Interos ingests over 100,000 different types of data feeds to map out a company’s extended supply chain and monitors weather and world events to prepare companies for any ripple effects in the defense supply chain.

A ransomware gang has leaked data related to Hyundai Motor America’s logistics operations after an apparent ransomware attack on the automaker and subsidiary Kia Motors America.