State-of-the-art mobility technology is providing companies with a whole new level of visibility and control over their inventory and shipments, says Frank Arico, director of professional services with Strategic Mobility Group.

As the economy improves, transportation companies that struggled through the recession face a new challenge: providing customers with enough capacity and infrastructure to meet growing demand, says Ron Grove, vice president of supply-chain consulting with TZA.

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. has purchased two privately held Canadian logistics firms that have acted as Wal-Mart service providers: trucking company Translogic Express Dedicated Inc. (TEDI) and distribution centre operator SCM.

Goodman Group, Australia's largest listed industrial property group, says its wholly owned North American subsidiary, Goodman Birtcher, has received approvals for the development of a proposed $350m logistics center in Linden, N.J. The project is part of the recently announced $1.4bn development pipeline in the key U.S. logistics markets of California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Goodman continues to invest in key logistics hubs across Europe, with the expansion of its activities at the Port of Hamburg, where it has acquired a 35,000-square-meter property in the Altenwerder Freight Village – one of Germany's main logistics hubs in the immediate vicinity of the container terminal. It also plans to develop 12,000 square meters of new logistics space at the 81,000-square-meter site.

DB Schenker Logistics is expanding its presence in Africa. Former partner Bochimar Lda. has been integrated into the DB Schenker network, after nine years of a strong and growing partnership.

Online retailers are waking up to the fact that getting logistics right is the key to succeeding in India. While they can do little about the potholed roads and local government restrictions, the ventures are investing and innovating in areas that they can make a difference in.