RWI, an asset-based 3PL specializing in temperature-controlled transportation, recently conducted a survey of shippers with cold supply chains to better understand their needs and challenges. Chris Taylor, director of sales and marketing, discusses the results.

UPS has officially opened its healthcare facility in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, which significantly expands its Asia healthcare distribution network. The facility is equipped to maintain product safety and integrity and is designed to offer seamless, global solutions to healthcare companies looking to expand into, transport within, and export from China.

Prof. John Langley of Penn State gives a preview of the 18th Annual 3PL Study, to be released in October 2013, and discusses the methodology and analysis behind the annual global study.

The average container freight rates from Asia to North Europe continues to drop, to $2,352 per 40-foot container and to $1,359 per 20-foot, as of tracking on May 24, according to Xeneta, a sea freight price comparison service. Due to overcapacity and various types of economic turmoil in the market, the market index for 40-foot containers has taken a massive dip with it being down 52 percent from May 2012.

Shipping along the Arctic northern sea route is set to grow more than 30-fold over the next eight years and could account for a quarter of the cargo traffic between Europe and Asia by 2030.