Trucking freight tonnage has increased in four of the last five months across the U.S., research reveals. The American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index gained 0.9 percent in March after decreasing 0.7 percent in February.

Worldwide corporate PC spending is falling dramatically with new data revealing a 11.2 percent decline in shipments from quarter one in 2012.

Experts warn that provision of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to the aerospace and defense industries will be severely impacted.

Most procurement functions are covering the basics of incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) processes, but this effort is more tactical than strategic. According to a recent Procurement Leaders study, 82 percent of procurement functions have managed to include CSR in their supplier selection and evaluation criteria.

After a few years of early adopter successes, 2013 will be the year of larger scale adoption of big data technologies, market watchers predict.

Statistics show a stabilization of airfreight markets on the back of encouraging growth towards the end of 2012. Compared to the previous year, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) latest global airfreight demand statistics show demand for airfreight was "apparently very strong" at the start of this January with a rise of 5.0 percent.

Plans to increase coal rail freight rates by 5.7 percent across India have been outlined in the national Railway Budget 2013-14. India's Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal published proposals to raise the freight rate on coal from Rs 685.10 per tonne to Rs 724.80 - a jump of 5.79 percent.

Most high-performing companies will manage their business processes using real-time predictive analytics or "extreme collaboration" by 2016.