Recently, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association made changes to the language on the back of Bills of Lading. The first point to make, and to be sure is understood, is that a Bill of Lading is a legally binding document. The changes address many areas of the Bill of Lading and have the potential to impact anyone using this standard form. We will highlight the changes for you in summary form below to educate and hopefully help you protect your company's interests. 

Uber unmanned cars are being tested in Pittsburgh this month. Uber will allow customers in downtown Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones, crossing an important milestone that no automotive or technology company has yet achieved. Customers will request cars the normal way, via Uber's app, and will be paired with a driverless car at random. Trips will be free for the time being, rather than the standard local rate of $1.30. Specially-equipped Ford Focus and Volvo SUV's will be equipped with driverless technology and a physical driver to take over if necessary, but the driver's presence is more to ease the passengers and satisfy legislation.   

In February, we blogged about the Hyperloop. The Hyperloop is a conceptual train-like design to provide ultra-high-speed transportation for passengers and freight. The concept is the brainchild of Elon Musk, and the fuselage would travel inside a pressurized tube on a cushion of air.  Hyperloop technology is fast-tracking into the freight sector. Hyperloop One Inc., is one of two companies racing to build the futuristic speed-of-sound transportation technology.

The lateral applications of the social sharing economy are becoming exceptionally interesting. Commonly, in any given market and at any given time, there are various companies that have more warehouse /distribution space than needed, while others are struggling with little room and are constantly seeking additional space. So why is it so difficult to transition from residential room, board and Uber services to commercial warehouse space, operational accommodations and related transportation services?

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Jet.com, Inc. announced their entry into a definitive agreement for Wal-Mart to acquire Jet for approximately $3 billion in cash − a portion of which will be paid over time. Additionally, $300 million of Wal-Mart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction.

7-Eleven, the world's largest convenience store, has partnered up with a tech startup company called Flirtey, and is now delivering the first order ever by drone to a customer’s home in Reno, Nevada. Industry watchers would have assumed that Amazon would be the first to make a drone delivery, however, they announced this week that they are moving their drone delivery operations to the UK to avoid the restrictive regulations of the United States. Given the feasibility, demand and safety precautions of U.S. regulations are expected to ease at the pace of Congress. 

The evolution of the supply chain is morphing into, what is referred to as, "Always-On" Supply Chain. This evolution is defined as “an integrated set of supply networks characterized by a continuous, high-velocity flow of information and analytics, creating predictive, actionable decisions that better serve the customer.” 

In the past decade the 3rd Party Logistics (3PL) environment has changed perhaps more than it had in the previous three. This change has been fueled by technological advancements allowing for advanced mobility, market globalization and the ability to effectively manage massive amounts of data.  Accurate and efficient 3PL processes geared to decrease costs while providing 24/7 services will be crucial for owners to adopt for future success. The cost reduction goal of operational and employee related expenses will be most efficiently reached by partnering with a qualified 3PL capable of managing global supply chain services. Emerging technology adoption will be key to staying competitive and reaching efficiency goals. Here are some things to expect. 

History of the System

UPS is adding 300 self-service package-pickup lockers across the country to solve a problem annoying both UPS and its customers: missed deliveries. The move is intended to address several issues facing the delivery giant including the cost of missed deliveries, theft of left packages and the anticipated increase in residential deliveries from online orders.