When Longer Port Stays Become a Shipper Cost
Waiting Time Is Now a Planning Variable Drewry’s August analysis found that global average vessel waiting times during the first seven months of the year had nearly doubled compared with the same period in 2019. Total time in port was 31% higher, with a larger share spent waiting for a berth. For shippers, this is […]
Cargo Theft Prevention in 2026: Securing Loads, Yards, and Carrier Data
Why Cargo Theft Prevention Needs a Broader View Cargo theft accelerated through 2026, but securement practices have not always kept pace. Traditional risks remain important: high-value loads can attract organized crews, poorly controlled yards create easy access, and predictable stop patterns can make a shipment easier to target. Yet the larger exposure is increasingly digital. […]
Planning for Tariff Uncertainty Without Betting on the Courts
A 25-state legal challenge to new Section 301 tariffs has added another layer of uncertainty to an already unsettled year. Businesses do not need to predict the outcome to prepare effectively. They need a framework that keeps current obligations, potential refunds, and operational decisions separate. Budget for the Rule in Force For near-term planning, treat […]
Why Omnichannel Margin Depends on Smarter Rate Shopping and Returns
The Order Promise Starts With Live Rate Shopping A home goods brand recently paired a live rate-shopping tool with a custom reverse logistics workflow to support its omnichannel strategy. The example is small, but it illustrates a broader operational shift: fulfillment decisions are becoming dynamic rather than being governed by routing guides that may be […]
From Forecast to Freight Decision: Using Weather Data to Protect Inventory
Weather Forecasting as a Freight Input Severe weather is no longer only an emergency-management concern for logistics teams. Hurricane forecasts, winter-storm models, port closure probabilities, and road-network risk can become operational inputs that help companies act before disruption occurs. One major retailer has described using technology to determine where inventory should be rerouted or repositioned […]
Peak Season 2026: Weekly Capacity Signals and Decision Dates
What to Track From Mid-July Ocean services to China were running at or near capacity through the summer, and one carrier reported that it had exceeded capacity in July. That makes weekly monitoring more useful than relying on a single seasonal forecast. Start with bookings versus allocation: rising bookings with unchanged allocations are an early […]
CMA CGM–FedEx Supply Chain Deal Signals a New Era of Integrated Logistics
The transaction at a glance CMA CGM has entered a $1.4 billion definitive agreement to acquire FedEx Supply Chain, adding the third-party contract logistics business to CEVA Logistics. The deal would roughly triple CEVA’s North American footprint, bringing more than 130 distribution centers and approximately 40 million square feet of capacity into the group. The […]
The Tipping Point for Electronic Bills of Lading in 2026
Why the Bill of Lading Is Different An electronic bill of lading (eBL) is the digital equivalent of a paper bill of lading, but its importance goes beyond eliminating paperwork. A bill of lading serves as a receipt for cargo, evidence of the contract of carriage, and—crucially—a document of title. Control of the document can […]
A Practical Two-Week Plan for the USMCA Six-Year Review
Why Preparation Matters Now The mandatory six-year review process written into the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) formally begins on July 1, 2026. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are already engaged in pre-review negotiations and bilateral discussions, creating uncertainty for companies that depend on North American trade. The goal for shippers should not be to […]
Visibility Shows the Problem; Exception Management Solves It
Visibility Is No Longer the Differentiator Most shippers now have some form of real-time supply chain visibility. They can see where freight is, whether a shipment is delayed, and when an estimated arrival time changes. Yet many organizations continue to miss the same delivery failures. The reason is simple: information alone does not create action. […]