Retail logistics processes replace physical stores … red-hot ocean rates spark intervention … strong air freight demand in China and Singapore … digital shipping environment influences brokers … transportation partnerships offer hope amid COVID-19 … trade war reinforces change in Asia’s manufacturing … Volkswagen invests in self-driving truck … and machine learning-driven demand forecasting all made headlines for this week’s international freight updates. Short on time? Check out our summary of the latest shipping industry news:
Week 39 Freight Updates
September 25th, 2020
Retail logistics processes could replace physical stores: Target’s Valdez
Speaking at the virtual 2020 CSCMP Edge conference, Target’s Arthur L Valdez, Jr., forecasts a reinvention of retailing based on logistics and increasingly precise and rapid transportation.
Red-hot ocean rates could spark government intervention
In tanker and dry bulk shipping, the rate is the rate. It’s whatever the market says it is. It can be below zero (net of costs). It can be six figures per day. No government can intervene. This is definitely not the case in container shipping.
Strong airfreight demand in China and Singapore spur Boeing 737 orders and new conversion lines
Boeing has opened conversion lines in Guangzhou, China, and Singapore to turn passenger planes into freighters in response to a growing demand for air cargo in the region. The company received an order for two 737-800 converted freighters, according to a statement this week, bringing the total ordered or committed conversions to 134.
The role of ship agents and shipbrokers in a digital shipping environment
While the process of digitalisation in shipping has changed the roles of many of the entities involved in the business, it also offers opportunities for these entities to be a part of information sharing communities that transcend the traditional structures of operations.
CSCMP EDGE session highlights benefits of transportation partnerships amid COVID-19 pandemic
Given the challenges and complexities that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought about in freight transportation and supply chain sectors, it goes without saying that things are different these days, to be sure.
US-China trade war reinforces change in Asia’s manufacturing landscape
Despite the disruption this year, the effects of the tariffs remain clear and the long-term shifts that were already occurring before the pandemic are unlikely to be reversed. One of the most obvious impacts is the shift in the Asian manufacturing landscape.
Volkswagen Trucking Business Invests in Self-Driving Truck Developer TuSimple
Volkswagen AG trucking subsidiary Traton Group will work with automation startup TuSimple to develop self-driving trucks and will take a stake in the technology company as part of their agreement. Traton said it aims to begin testing autonomous heavy-duty trucks on roads in countries including Germany and Sweden, without providing a target date.
Covid-19 Separates Leaders from Laggards in Machine Learning-Driven Demand Forecasting
Machine learning (ML) has revitalized demand forecasting by enabling companies to anticipate customers’ buying patterns with remarkable accuracy, but are ML’s powers compromised by Covid-19’s unprecedented demand patterns?
