Natural disasters such as droughts, hurricanes and wildfires are becoming more frequent and are likely to wreak sporadic havoc on global supply chains

Truckers  are coping with choked-up freight facilities and troublesome equipment shortages, as bottlenecks at U.S. seaports and warehouses ripple across distribution channels to Chicago.

Capacity restraints and inflation concerns are easing in the transportation sector, says John Haber, chief strategy officer at Transportation Insight.

Drought has depleted river water levels so much that in some spots barges are getting stuck, and low water levels are causing severe impacts to navigation not seen since 1988.

Shippers are worried about the railways’ ability to haul grain, as Canadian farmers harvest the nation’s third-biggest wheat crop on record and 42% more canola than a year ago.

Mexico is becoming an increasingly popular destination for near-shoring among American businesses, but there are many pitfal.

What are the toughest challenges now disrupting supply chains, and how can frictionless applications solve them?

For some supply chain managers, the upheavals of recent years have justified their entrenched approach of relying on excess inventory as an insurance policy. They’ve learned the hard way that old methods don’t cut it anymore.

The shortfall is affecting planning at carriers including American Airlines and United Airlines, as persistent supply-chain problems and regulatory concerns rattle the business.