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Steve

Recent Posts

Motor Carrier Regulations Will Cost Shippers More

Posted by Steve on Dec 7, 2016 8:15:00 AM

During President Obama’s two terms, Washington regulators have produced 600 major regulations with dozens more in the pipeline, many of which will be affecting the trucking industry. They cover everything from emissions, safety reporting of accidents, hours-of-service (HOS), electronic onboard recorders, entry-level training, fuel-mileage standards, overtime pay, hair follicle testing for drug cheaters, speed governors, sleep apnea testing, diesel emission standards and visas for foreign workers who might ease the truck driver shortage. 

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Topics: Third Party Logistics, Industry Trends

How Technological Innovation is Transforming the Transportation Industry

Posted by Steve on Nov 28, 2016 8:30:00 AM

Technology has morphed the way we arrange both personal and commercial transportation. Here's a peek into what ideas are next. 

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Topics: Transportation News

Autonomous Vehicles in the Warehouse

Posted by Steve on Nov 22, 2016 8:30:00 AM

It is likely the logistics industry will adopt self-driving vehicles much faster than most other industries. The primary concern for automated motorized vehicles is personal and property damage liability. Secure areas and minimal personnel minimize liability risks creating ideal conditions for an automated environment. Also, the grid design of a typical warehouse makes for generally simplified navigation of an automated forklift, for example. The limited and repetitive tasks required to stack and transport pallets does not require complicated programming and sophisticated hardware. With these considerations in mind, it’s possible that a warehouse may be the ideal environment for a completely automated storage and distribution facility. Most high volume warehouse facilities today have some degree of autonomous technology in use. It may require a leap of faith to go to 100% automation. 

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Topics: Transportation News

Deferred, Next day, Same Day or Immediate Delivery

Posted by Steve on Nov 17, 2016 8:00:00 AM

The parcel industry is enjoying steady growth due largely to the popularity of e-commerce transactions. Management consultants at McKinsey & Company, maintain that the parcel market in the U.S. is set to double by 2025, with same-day delivery and instant delivery to account for one-fifth of the demand. Furthermore, a new study reveals that one in two customers is willing to pay extra for faster delivery.  

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Topics: Logistics News

Big Data is Increasingly Critical in 3rd Party Logistics

Posted by Steve on Nov 9, 2016 8:00:00 AM

The term "Big Data" is a recent buzz word in the logistics industry. In its simplest sense, the term refers to the analysis of massive amounts of data to retrieve information that may be applied to improve operational efficiencies. Let's take a look at how Big Data is being applied to the Logistics industry. 

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Topics: Big Data

Texas A&M Designs Truckless, Electric Freight System

Posted by Steve on Oct 27, 2016 9:48:56 AM

Texas is among the busiest states for commercial truck transportation in the U.S. The congestion, inbound traffic volumes and security concerns from its southern neighbor all contribute to its high volume of truck transportation. The volume of cargo traffic and private vehicle traffic in many areas has grown faster than the public road infrastructure. Texas has seven of the top 25 freight bottlenecks in the nation, located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. Truck traffic over congested public roads contributes to major economic and quality-of-life challenges. Engineers at Texas A&M have designed a possible solution to these traffic issues. 

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Topics: Transportation News, Logistics News, Industry Trends

Amazon Plans to Expand Grocery Business with Brick and Mortar Stores

Posted by Steve on Oct 21, 2016 8:14:00 AM

It appears to be that Amazon is attempting to compete with the drive-up convenience of stores, like Wawa and 7-11, and the selection of Wal-Mart and Target. Their plan is to invest in brick and mortar locations, and for customers seeking even more convenience, some locations will have drive thru capability where online grocery orders will be delivered to the customer’s car. 

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Topics: Logistics News

New Jersey Turns to a Tax Increase to Replenish the Transportation Trust Fund

Posted by Steve on Oct 12, 2016 8:30:00 AM

The ongoing battle over New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund is approaching a solution. New Jersey’s Senate and Assembly voted on October 7, 2016 to provide $2 billion annually to the transportation fund for the next eight years, thanks to tax increases of 27 cents per gallon on diesel and 23 cents per gallon on gasoline. Currently the tax is 17.5 cents per gallon and 14.5 cents per gallon respectively, the nation’s lowest, other than those in Alaska. 

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Topics: Transportation News

Several Industry Factors Pointing Toward Higher Freight Rates

Posted by Steve on Oct 5, 2016 8:30:00 AM

The Department of Transportation's electronic logging device mandate and the EPA’s coming emissions standards will likely lead to an industry capacity crunch and a big increase in rates. 

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Topics: Transportation News

FedEx is Changing the Equation for Dimensional Pricing

Posted by Steve on Sep 29, 2016 9:53:12 AM

Effective Jan. 2, 2017, FedEx will change the formula used to calculate rates on domestic air or ground parcels based on their dimensions, rather than their actual weight. Currently, FedEx determines a package's dimensions by multiplying its length, width, and height in inches and dividing the sum by 166. On Jan. 2, the divisor resets to 139.  Clearly, a lower divisor produces a higher net number, in this case, by about 15%.  Accessorial charges such as fuel surcharge will be computed using this larger weight calculation as well.  

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Topics: Logistics News