Supply Chain Solutions Roundup | Put time back in your day

Here is the plan: instead of spending hours going through dozens of news emails in your inbox, put time back in your day by reading our curated content made just for the supply chain industry. Enjoy with a cup of coffee - it’s that fast! :)

OCEAN SHIPPING

Chinese boxport congestion grows in wake of Ningbo closure

Container port congestion has spread across China in the 12 days since a terminal in Ningbo-Zhoushan went offline following a worker catching Covid-19.

Port of Long Beach completes new all-electric container terminal

The Port of Long Beach on Friday announced the completion of the Long Beach Container Terminal at Middle Harbor. The terminal is equipped with nearly all electric and zero-emissions equipment, and is being touted by the port as one of the most technologically advanced cargo facilities in the world.

Value of the global merchant fleet hits a new all-time high

According to Clarkson Research Services, the global merchant fleet is now worth $1.2trn, having risen by 26% in the year to date.

AIR SHIPPING

Shanghai airport terminal closure leads logistics firms to expect cargo delays

Freighter suspensions that began Friday remain in effect at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after the Shanghai Health Commission reported five new COVID-19 cases among cargo workers.

Retailers eye more air cargo as COVID lockdowns intensify in Vietnam

Big apparel and footwear merchants are increasingly trying to switch from ocean to air transport to make up for huge production slowdowns in Vietnam due to COVID and ensure seasonal imports arrive on time for holiday shoppers.

RAIL

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes are mixed for the week ending August 14, reports AAR

Rail carloads—at 235,011—saw a 5.7% annual gain, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 269,799—were down 3% annually.

Union Pacific, Progress Rail to increase biodiesel content for locomotives

Progress Rail, a Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) subsidiary that provides rolling stock and infrastructure solutions to rail customers worldwide, has agreed to use up to a 20% biodiesel blend for specific electro-motive diesel locomotives operated by UP (NYSE: UNP).

TRUCKING

FMCSA medical board wants tighter standards for drivers with vision loss

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Medical Review Board (MRB) recommends that the current field-of-vision requirement for drivers with vision loss in one eye be changed from 70 degrees to 120 degrees in a proposed alternative vision standard being considered by FMCSA.

WAREHOUSE

Interact Analysis: warehouse automation market for 2020 stronger than previously expected

Strong demand in general merchandise, food & beverage sectors, fueled by rising ecommerce fulfillment trends, as well as high demand for automation in parcel logistics, drove 6% market growth.

ECONOMY

Six Elements Retailers Should Have in Place for Peak Season

As e-commerce order-fulfillment provider PFS discovered in its post-peak 2020 analysis, 53% of the retailers surveyed felt they did not have the resources to make the operational changes needed ahead of the season, while 48% felt they didn't have enough time.

Automakers work to increase transparency into semiconductor supply

Multiple automakers have adjusted their supplier relationships and boosted transparency in the face of a semiconductor shortage that's hampered production for months. But these steps haven't been enough to hold off production stoppages.

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