Industry News

Editorial by Lauren Pittelli, IndustryWeek
Source: IndustryWeek

On the heels of last year’s difficult trade war, supply chains now face an additional disruption caused by the coronavirus. The virus’s impact on international supply chains is spreading beyond China and creating knock-on effects in other parts of the globe. Here’s an update on the situation overseas and what businesses can do now and over the next 90 days to manage the disruption.

Editorial by William B. Cassidy, JOC
Many shippers were caught by surprise when the ELD mandate helped tighten capacity in 2017. Are shippers ready for the next phase of the US electronic logging device (ELD) mandate? They should be, but if past history is any guide, they may not be the case. Those shipping freight across the United States need to plan, even at the last minute, for potential disruption, even if that disruption is minor.

Editorial by Richard Fisher, BTX Global Logistics Boston (BTX-BOS)
From a sales perspective, most of us are used to asking questions to determine where and how we can match our benefits to our client's needs. Asking the right questions go a long way in establishing a longstanding relationship of trust with customers and in gaining additional business from them. In a climate where trade wars and tariff changes are a consistent reality, asking importer clients about U.S. Customs Bond is key.

It all started in 2008 when New York City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) released the agency’s “Sustainable Streets” strategic plan to reduce traffic congestion and increase street safety for pedestrians and drivers in the City’s busiest areas. Since then, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan has been implemented phase-by-phase throughout the years. Among the City’s many initiatives are new curbside regulations and restrictions that will affect deliveries being made to designated areas in NYC beginning in 2018.

Last year, we saw an incredible paradigm shift in capacity with regards to global supply chains. In the United States, e-commerce traffic took our normal capacity away in November and December due to record level volumes. Severe backlogs with our core vendors forced BTX Global Logistics and others in our industry to look elsewhere to move cargo just about anywhere.