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Helpful Articles - Logistics

Port BackupsA record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. A record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. read more Stranded ContainersA record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  Big retailers chartering dedicated vessels to bring stranded containers of goods over from Asia. read more Price IncreasesA record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Cargo prices anywhere from five to eight times higher than a year ago. read more That’s the current state of the global ocean freight industry....

In the United States, transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases. That dubious distinction previously belonged to power plants. However, starting in 2017, transportation eclipsed electricity generation in terms of emissions. In fact, transportation is currently estimated to contribute 29% of all U.S. greenhouse gases.i  For its part, the freight and transportation industry has made a significant push toward sustainability. Ocean freight in particular has leveraged new technology to power more sustainable ocean transportation, including LNG-powered container ships.  Other prevalent modes of freight transportation—road, rail, and air—are making moves of their own to reduce their environmental footprint. Let’s take a closer look at the technology behind the sustainability efforts in these three arenas. ...

If you don’t work in freight or logistics, you might not think much about how the everyday products we rely on get to the shelf. However, if you do work in the industry, you likely have an appreciation for the intricate dance between suppliers, manufacturers, carriers, and retailers that ensures we have everything we need to live, work, and play.   That said, it’s challenging to appreciate the full magnitude of the industry, the sheer volume of goods that get moved, and the impact on the global economy. Below, you’ll find 12 surprising statistics that reveal just how huge the freight and logistics industry really is, both in size and importance. (In fact, some of them might even surprise veterans of the industry!)  0%of international goods estimated to move by sea...

Although last year’s scramble for household items has mostly passed, supply chain challenges continue to crop up in 2021. The backup at US ports, semiconductor chip shortages, and other supply issues have affected industries across the board. Even national chains like Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A are feeling the pinch.  We’ve seen our customers face several supply chain challenges of their own this year, and we’ve helped them create solutions that kept their businesses moving forward. To share some of these solutions with you, we called on our Approved experts who have been navigating supply chain issues alongside our clients. Below, you’ll find their top tips for surviving the supply chain challenges of 2021.  #1: It Might...

Like many other specialized areas, the logistics and transportation industry has its own set of terminology. In fact, if you’re listening to two logistics pros chat about an upcoming shipment, it might even sound like they’re speaking an entirely different language.   To help you decode the transportation, freight and logistics words you might hear, we dug deep into our glossary of transportation terms and pulled out one common one that causes an uncommon amount of confusion for many: freight forwarder.   We’ll walk you through exactly what a freight forwarder is, what a freight forwarder does, what kind of services a freight forwarder offers and why you might want to use a freight forwarder when you’re shipping...

It’s something thousands of people ask Google every month, and, if you’re not in the freight/logistics industry, it’s not really common knowledge. So we’re here to clear up the answer to this frequently asked question:  What is a 3PL?  In addition to explaining exactly what a 3PL company is, we’ll also take you on a quick tour of what a 3PL does—and how they can help you with your business logistics. Let’s dive in!  What Is a 3PL?  3PL is actually an acronym that stands for 3rd–Party Logistics. When someone hires a 3PL company, they’re turning over their logistics—including things like warehousing and fulfillment—to a third party. That third party, the 3PL, is a company...