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Transportation/Logistics

Navigating Troubled Waters: The Contingency Mentality

Logistics contingency plans are just a fancy way of conveying the importance of businesses being prepared when the ship hits the fan—like if the Ever Given lodges itself at the Suez Canal or a viral pandemic hits planet Earth like a meteor, somehow super-charging global consumerism.  In 2021, an estimated 40% of all global ocean […]

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“New” Year, New Rates: The Annual Shift in Global Shipping Post-Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year (CNY) is just around the corner—which means the mundane rhythm of everyday life will soon give way to a vibrant celebration of family and cultural traditions. Beginning Saturday, February 10, 2024, not a single soul will be found in factories or offices, as the Chinese workforce enjoys a week (or more) of […]

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The Haunting Rise of Cargo Thefts 

The Haunting Rise of Cargo Thefts

In a world already fraught with frightening freight challenges, shippers are now grappling with a bone-chilling new threat that haunts their every waking moment—a rising number of cargo thefts. Statistics reveal a total of 566 incidents documented this year, marking a spine-tingling 56% year-over-year increase. These thieves, driven by an insatiable appetite for cash, target […]

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Hindsight 2020: A Look at Potential Impacts of the IMO Global Sulfur Cap

In 1919, people expected the year 2020 to be filled with high-speed trains, flying cars and seemingly utopic metropolitan areas. At the time, Prohibition advocates were fixated on banning the alcoholic content in beverages in an effort to improve what they viewed as a growing public health epidemic, while usage of fossil fuels perpetually increased […]

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2018 TPM Takeaways – The Certainty of Uncertainty

The Trans-Pacific Maritime (TPM) Conference is an annual gathering of supply chain executives wherein industrywide successes and pain points are deliberated, with presentations and discussions typically leading to an overarching path of future resolve in an otherwise fickle trade. However, this year, aside from uniform predictions of relative ocean rate stability throughout 2018, the consensus […]

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How Technology is Changing the Future of Logistics

How Technology is Changing the Future of Logistics

Logistics & Technology The evolution of technology is pushing the boundaries and changing how the world does business. Today, we’re accustomed to everything being online and right at our fingertips for immediate access. Through Amazon, the pioneer of fast-paced delivery service, it’s possible to receive a package less than an hour after ordering, depending on […]

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Five Updated Reasons You Should Buy Your Imports on FOB Terms

Due to the popularity of The Nine Reasons that Buying Your Imports on CIF Terms is Too Good to Be True blog, we wanted to release an update covering why you should buy your imports on FOB terms. At first glance, it can be tempting to buy on a CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight) basis. You don’t […]

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LCL (Less Than Container Load), or FCL (Full Container Load): That Is the Question

When 20’ and 40’ full containers make up 90% of all goods shipped around the world, a common question arises with newer shippers: “What if I don’t have enough freight to fill a full container?” In this case, LCL (Less-than-Container-Load) may be right for you. Don’t judge a shipper by their carton count LCL offers […]

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Winter is Coming: How to Survive the Shipping Season Ahead

As summer winds down and winter approaches, so too begins the eCommerce Holiday Shipping Season!  If you were a seller during last year’s holiday season, you likely remember the rush to get your goods out from your suppliers amid, space tightening, peak season surcharges, general rate increases, trucking timelines, customs exams, and the all-important final […]

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World First Guest Blog: 7 Steps to Selling on Amazon Japan!

Author: Christian Hudspeth – World First  It’s hard to find an e-commerce market with more promise than Japan. For starters, the country boasts some of the most online shopping-savvy consumers on the planet. A whopping 80% of Japan’s population (or 100 million) shop online according to comScore, besting US online shopper rates of around 70%. Japan’s e-commerce […]

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6 Real Tips for New Importers Entering eCommerce

Whether you’re a crowd-funding startup, or a first time seller on one of Amazon’s multi-national programs, it is easy to see that ecommerce is changing the way we purchase – and fast. Rapidly expanding markets with “limitless” opportunities; who wouldn’t want to take the plunge?  But beware the dangers that lurk beneath the surface – […]

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Margie Shapiro’s Annual Review and Outlook for 2017

JOC’s Annual Review and Outlook outlines the major challenges, opportunities and trends in the global transportation and logistics industry via reports from the editorial staff and insight from the industry’s top players. Major segments highlighted include maritime, trucking, rail and intermodal, air cargo, government and logistics. Contributors have years of experience and range from CEOs […]

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5 Tips to Fulfilling Your Warehousing Needs

When I walk into a really sophisticated warehouse, the look on my face is probably akin to that of a kid in a candy store.  Seeing a high-functioning fulfillment center with box-building machines, automated sorters, and any number of other robotic components is enough to make me salivate.  That’s not to say that I don’t […]

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A Maritime Moment for Helen Delich Bentley

On Saturday, August 6th the maritime industry suffered a great loss as infamous Baltimore Port advocate, Helen Delich Bentley, passed. She was renowned for her work in growing the maritime industry as a whole and will be sorely missed. After earning her Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Helen was hired by the Baltimore […]

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A Baby Boomer’s Call for Infrastructure Improvement

As the title of this blog proclaims, I am a baby boomer – but certainly not a curmudgeon.  I’m old enough to remember first-hand when America was still a shining beacon of progress and prosperity. Back when the interstate system was still new and growing; heck, I even remember when I-95 wasn’t even completed yet […]

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Shipping Pitfalls: Surviving the Holidays as an eCommerce Seller

As the holidays creep closer, shoppers are gearing up to spend hard earned paychecks on their favorite aunts, grandparents, and more importantly… marketplaces.  If you were a seller during last year’s holiday season, you probably remember the trauma of last-minute capacity tightening, peak season surcharges and general rate increases, trucking timelines, customs exams, and the […]

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The Secrets of Importing Your Amazon Product – Q&A!

If you are (or plan to be) an Amazon seller importing physical goods from overseas, we hope you took some time watch our Secrets of Importing Your Amazon Product WEBINAR hosted by Shapiro’s very own FBA Manager, Nicola Phillips Malaney. In case you didn’t get your fill of logistics goodness during the webinar, we’re back to […]

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Weighing in on Container Load Limits

Weighing in on Container Load Limits | Shap Blog

When shipping cargo in an ocean freight container, it’s certainly tempting to adopt the mindset that you’ve paid for the space in that box and, dammit, you’re going to use it!  We get it!  But alas, there’s more than that to compliant shipping.  Observance of the maximum load limits of a container isn’t the whole […]

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Margie Shapiro’s Annual Outlook 2016: The State of Logistics

JOC’s Annual Review and Outlook outlines the major challenges, opportunities and trends in the global transportation and logistics industry via reports from the editorial staff and insight from the industry’s top players. Major segments highlighted include maritime, trucking, rail and intermodal, air cargo, government and logistics. Contributors have years of experience and range from CEOs […]

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The Proof is in the Pudding: The Importance of Manifest Confidentiality

Imagine you are back in 4th grade and happen to be the pudding czar of the elementary school’s most lucrative snack trade (you know; pudding for just about anything – mostly lunch money – strawberry Gusher’s for Cheetos, those little fudge elf cookies for string cheese and everything else that falls within the trade; don’t […]

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