As part of a 10-year effort to improve technology in the safety inspection arena, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it will be coordinating a field test to see if wireless technology can be used to conduct roadside inspections.
Analyst Insight: There is a growing emphasis on the strategy and management of fleets in the U.S. due to regulatory changes, driver shortages, increased trucking costs and additional focus on customer service. To manage these challenges, companies must assess how best to leverage assets and design their networks to optimize their overall supply chain. – Aaron Pernat, Senior Manager, and Gary Allen, Executive Director, both of Ernst & Young LLP's Supply Chain Advisory Practice
President Obama announced an initiative to improve the fuel efficiency of trucks. That's a lofty goal, but here's an even better idea: Let's make an effort to move more freight by rail and less by road. Trains are far more energy-efficient than trucks "” and they always will be.
Results published by the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI) indicate that the total cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers increased by 1.6 percent in December when compared with November results.
Paradox Software Consulting, a provider of logistics software and consulting services, has released version 10.0 of its transportation optimization suite.
Global forwarding group DB Schenker says it has taken a fresh look at the modes of transport usually chosen for moving freight around Asia and switched to a more efficient multimodal option which it has christened the "Asia Landbridge."
Natural gas has started to challenge oil as the dominant transport fuel with companies building gas-powered ships and installing networks of service stations on water and land.
Ninety-three percent of companies canvassed said the fuel surcharge (FSC) is the most common accessorial published by shippers, with the vast majority utilizing a cents-per-mile-based schedule versus a percentage-based fuel method.
Spot market freight availability rose 10 percent in December 2013 compared to November, according to the DAT North American Freight Index, capping two quarters of unusually strong seasonal volume. Typically, freight levels peak in the second quarter of the year, fall in Q3, and remain low through year end. This year, a high plateau remained through most of the second half of 2013, according to the company.
New federal regulations mandating rest time for truckers could mean increased costs for consumers, according to study from the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.