The world is in constant growth and it’s difficult to keep up sometimes. We as a population grow, and as we grow, the more is needed. Everything from building materials for homes, consumer goods for pleasure, and barrels of oil for our vehicles are circulated around the world. But how do we keep up with such a demand? Well, the answer is the same that we have had in the past, truck drivers.

We all hope we never have to deal with freight claims. It always seems very hypothetical and unreal – until your first shipment is lost or damaged. Unfortunately, if you are an active supply chain participant, you will most likely end up with a freight claim at some point in your career.

When you picture Valentine’s Day in your mind, what do you see? Chocolates, hearts, giant stuffed teddy bears, and “lovey-dovey” cards. But isn’t there something that is even more common on that day? Yes, flowers! But not just any flower, roses, vibrant red roses. These beautiful and delicate flowers are a true symbol of love and a staple when February 14th arrives. Their growing popularity has called for higher import numbers. In fact, an average of 198 million roses are produced each year just for Valentine’s Day. That’s a lot of flowers…

The discussion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been popular the month of January with officials from the US, Mexico, and Canada ending round 6 talks in Montreal, Quebec on the 29th. Ever since President Trump made the announcement that NAFTA was the “worst trade deal the US has ever signed” during his 2016 election race, tensions have been high in North America because of uncertainty.

International shipping comes in different shapes and forms. Shippers can choose the most suitable transportation mode for their shipment depending on what they need: quick transit or cost-savings. Air shipping will offer fast transit times, but it will come at a cost. Ocean shipping will be significantly slower, but at the same time, much friendlier-priced.

2018 Winter Storms Were in Full Effect inga-snow-recap-noaa.jpg Early January was the time for snow. The East Coast was hit hard at the start of the year with snow squalls reaching as far as northern Florida. Regions around Lake Erie saw heavy snow the first week of January, with record-breaking accumulation of over 133 inches. Major roadways were shut down causing large delays and disruptions to markets with restrictions to trucking. Not long after, the major storm Inga swept through the Northeast, Midwest, and South. Inga was one of the largest winter storms in recent history. Many states were unprepared and lack the means of snow and ice removal creating gridlocks. Airports where heavily disrupted, roadways were closed, and schools/ businesses shut down.

Winter is in full swing, and we are “lucky” to have an opportunity to experience all the negative side effects of severe winter weather. Last week we discussed a few tips to help you handle your shipping in winter. Today we want to continue the topic and get a bit more practical. Significant parts of the U.S. suffer from all kinds of severe weather during winter season, including very low temperatures.

Busy holiday season is long over, but there are more winter challenges we still have to face! Winter weather is one of these things we all know about, but somehow it finds a way to always catch us off guard.

With all the discussion about capacity and high rates in the transportation industry, the task of finding a new 3PL to move your product is not any easier. 2018, the time of record diesel prices, higher than normal truck rates and a pretty tight capacity. You may have looked into a new provider recently but were faced with the daunting question of WHO? Well, look no further, as well have a thought out list of what to look for when choosing a 3PL that works for you.

The driver shortage is a complex issue caused by a variety of factors. According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), the driver shortfall will grow to more than 175,000 by 2026 if the trends don’t change.

It’s not a secret that we are all currently operating in the conditions of the record-breaking capacity crunch. The crisis has been caused by several factors which we have previously discussed in our post, even more so with the ELD mandate finally going into effect on December 18th. This fact adds up to the reasons to use a 3PL in the tight capacity time.

The ELD mandate went into effect on December 18th, 2017, despite the attempts to delay it. The start hasn’t been smooth, many have been feeling the effects of it, but many are getting used to what is now a reality. A big topic of discussion is whether the mandate will remain in place, but it appears it is.