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“For the remainder of the year, we see a slow but steadily improving market environment, but we recognize that there are still significant geopolitical uncertainties that could influence the market,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of the world’s fifth-largest ocean carrier.

Maersk and IBM have fleshed out their designs for an industrywide blockchain solution – an open-source platform called TradeLens. There are a host of other blockchain initiatives in development, but as one stakeholder noted, they joined the Maresk-IBM venture based on Maersk’s history of innovation and IBM’s technological prowess, which gives the platform a “high probability of success.”

Union Pacific sent a notice to shippers Friday that the UMAX interline service would cease in 197 lanes on Sept. 17, blaming CSX Transportation service changes. CSX said the service change was necessary to manage evolving needs, the first step in CEO Jim Foote’s vision to implement precision railroading into the intermodal network.

Maersk said it continues to encounter very high bunker prices, which have not been fully compensated for in freight rates.

The loss of supply chain time, not truck drivers, has squeezed US truckload capacity; and there’s one segment of surface transport that’s seen a substantial service change.

“We do expect a big peak this year because the economy is so good,” Bradley S. Jacobs, chairman and CEO, said in an interview. “...We’ve started staffing up already. That’s one of the reasons we began adding all the technology we’ve been developing.”

Terminal underinvestment points to trade growing at a stronger rate than terminal expansion in the immediate years ahead. Further, there’s another container shipping trend that’s placing an additional demand on terminals/ports.

Record high margins were driven by continued improvement in productivity across the organization, DSV said, and the company had equally encouraging news regarding the UTi integration.

The leading container ports still call the shots — thanks to the schedules of the three powerful alliances — but rival smaller ports are adding business and in the process are giving shippers options to northern and southern Europe.

The mode-shifting by shippers is not only caused by tight US truckload capacity, but also changing retail dynamics in the “Amazon Era.”

However, shippers should still expect some robust peak season pricing from the airlines that are seeking to extend their profitability, which grew at a strong rate in the first quarter.

At mid-2018, nearly every segment of Europe’s supply chain is straining to keep pace with strong container shipping volume growth — particularly barge and inland haulage. The good news is Europe’s impressive trade growth story continues — a welcomed economic rejuvenation.

The decision may have positive implications for other public blockchain solutions reliant on a token to underpin transactions.

One thing is certain regarding blockchain technology circa mid-2018: it has the potential to transform and dramatically improve logistics efficiency. But that potential will remain only that — potential — until many paramount issues are resolved to universal satisfaction.

Although trade tensions between the United States and the European Union and their impact have been muted so far in 2018, trade stakeholders know that could change dramatically and quickly.

A move of three unassembled air cooling condensers to three different construction sites added layers of complexity to an international logistics solution.

Freight demand remains strong, even in summer, carriers say, and that’s allowing them to pick and choose the most profitable freight, with peak season just ahead.

Log-Net’s $14.4 million jury verdict provides hope to small logistics providers seeking to defend their proprietary value added, but the case also serves as a note of caution for smaller, growing tech companies.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance argues the market share loss is due to cheaper intermodal rail rates, but Prince Rupert says that is not the case — that two other factors are driving its value proposition.

The two candidates standing for election appear to have identified the correct formula concerning two leadership factors.

Geopolitical factors have driven outlook revisions by key container shipping stakeholders.

Many truckload carriers are on their second round of pay hikes this year as freight demand grows faster than driver supply. Can they keep pace with the peak?

Acquisitions boost revenue, profit for Iowa-based Heartland Express as US freight demand pushes the limits of ‘transportation infrastructure.’

Shorter (and sometimes longer) contracts, volume commitments, and even higher rates are among the many types of bait shippers are using to capture elusive truckload capacity.

Once cyclical, problems such as the driver shortage are becoming systemic. That threatens to ‘bake’ higher costs into transportation rates.

Growth at the Port of Baltimore is driving up truck turn times and forcing operational changes.

In a trade advisory, the port trust announced substantial tariff reductions for domestic and foreign ocean carriers handling export-import containers for transshipment.

It took the new management team at APL’s Pier 300 in Los Angeles only three months to improve truck turn times from the worst in the harbor to the fourth best among the 12 terminals. And they accomplished it by deploying a "customer focus/consumer focus" strategy.

Pushing data back to users may very well prove to be the pivotal point at which the container shipping industry shifted en masse to portals. But getting to that step will likely require another cultural shift.

The trucking and logistics operator — the 15th largest in the United States — may issue new stock or consider new equity or debt capital as it restructures.

US importers plan to bring in record container volume this peak season, which will translate into an impressive 2018 year-end gain compared with 2017.

Beneficial cargo owners can anticipate higher rates this peak season as Yang Ming and its THE Alliance partners announce removal of a trans-Pacific string. This development follows a similar service reduction in late June by the 2M Alliance and was accompanied Friday by an increase of 20 to 30 percent in spot rates.

With supply and demand in more of a balance, sector analysts say shippers should expect higher reefer rates.

The Landair Holdings acquisition underscores strong shipper demand for dedicated services to meet delivery demands.

The port is attracting new business — aided by two infrastructure improvements and stronger international demand. But the situation, like so many trade sectors, is fluid: a trade war would likely affect the bullish trend.

A series of negative factors are lining up to deny ocean carriers a good year.

A shrinking supply of qualified truck drivers, combined with above-trend European GDP growth, is pushing the continent's truck rates higher, and analysts had words to the wise for shippers for the year ahead.

Like the US airline industry earlier, the global container shipping industry has reached a point where cost cutting and mergers will yield little if any additional value. This is the view of a longtime carrier executive, a Maritime Hall of Fame inductee who argues creating value for customers will characterize the current era, with customer service the first visible change area.

Amazon’s new network could help reduce shipper costs, and even aid other transportation providers, as volumes outstrip capacity. But as one might sense, Amazon’s latest play also will affect resources in an already beyond-tight US trucking sector.

Industry leaders generally agree that the Goods and Service Tax has tapered the cascading effect of multiple central and state levies on supply chains — and that has resulted in substantial cost and productivity benefits.