Several economists and market analysts are predicting strong growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector as the country leads the rest of the world out of the deep recession which has nearly crippled growth in most developed nations over the past several years. The Institute for Supply Management index rose to 55.7 percent during the month…
Motorola Solutions has released a new report entitled, “Warehousing 2018: From Cost Center to Growth Center” wherein they define and predict the changes expected in the industry. Among their predictions, distribution centers are expected to get bigger, while the use of cross docking and task interleaving is expected to be on the rise. The report was…
Operating a big rig is a dangerous endeavor. On average, 905 truckers die each year for a ratio of 27 trucker deaths for every 100,000 drivers. Truckers account for about 12 percent of all traffic fatalities. According to numerous research reports, truckers can reduce their chances of dying in a crash by 50 percent if…
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) released a new report based on the group’s research last September. The new report, entitled “Behind the American Export Surge: the U.S. as One of the Developed World’s Lowest Cost Manufacturers,” predicts the U.S. has already started to see gains in manufacturing over competitive nations in Europe and Japan, and…
Supply Chain Digest reporter Derek Ridenoure recently chatted with Wal-Mart supply chain executives Zach Simpson and Darren Robbins about what they see as the biggest challenges in finding vendors to meet their ever-growing needs. According to the duo, vendors are focused on the wrong things when they make product pitches to giant retailers such as Wal-Mart….
In a business climate that’s is trying to operate globally amidst security issues, political and social unrest, natural disasters, and other factors that lead to supply chain break downs, certain types of specialty business insurance is becoming harder to get, and even harder to pay for. This includes coverage such as business continuity insurance, according…
On Thursday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presented “The Future of Our Nation’s Infrastructure and What it Means for Trucking and the Economy” at the Fourth Annual Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference. The presentation was made by Drew Preston, manager of congressional and public affairs for the Chamber, moderator Tom Lehner, and the public policy vice…
Until recently, U.S. manufacturing suffered as companies moved their factories and facilities overseas, primarily to Asia, to take advantage of the cheap labor pool and low shipping costs. The tide is turning, however, and now the U.S. is so competitive in terms of labor costs and shipping prices that U.S. companies are coming back. Furthermore,…
The new logistics system BMW has implemented moves parts from their Dingolfing manufacturing and warehouse facility to 40 distribution warehouses and about 300 automotive repair shops around Germany. The system has broken down, causing a ripple effect and leading to about 180 BMW owners per month who are unable to get the parts they need…
As scientists and politicians study and debate the issue of climate change and what to do about it, the shipping industry, mining industry, and oil and gas industries are celebrating a possible new trade route opening between the Far East and the West. The icy waters of the Arctic are thawing, opening the waters to ships…