Theft from freight vehicles in the USA is a major problem. It is becoming worse as the economy declines – the overall number of stolen freight shipment increased by 8.3% last year.  One company has managed to reverse the trend by proactive communication for the entire length of the supply chain from shippers to drivers [...]

A cross border freight shuttle planned for cargo between Mexico and the USA is planned to overcome the problem of maintaining security when crossing the border. The idea is to develop a Universal Freight Shuttle to carry the wagons from one secure compound to the next. If the Governments can find the $800 million or [...]

Ports on the West Coast of the USA came to a halt earlier in the week as Occupy Wall Street protesters blocked freight trucks at ports.  Freight and logistics terminals in Oakland, California, Portland, Oregon and Longview Washington had operations halted. The organisers are claiming victory, because although the freight drivers are still waiting in [...]

The US department of Justice has succeeded in its prosecution of six Japanese freight forwarders, all of whom pleaded guilty to price fixing.  This means that a total of 13 freight forwarding companies from around the world have now pleaded guilty to price-fixing charges and will be paying a total of about $100 million in [...]

The Customs authority in the USA has announced a pilot plan for simplifying air freight imports. During the pilot scheme, the importer or broker will provide 13 data items and 3 optional data items, instead of the 27 currently required. The scheme was developed in coordination with representatives from the National Retail Federation, National Customs Brokers [...]

With demand from the European Union and the USA slowing in September, China is expecting the export sector to face difficult times in the months ahead.  Imports of processing materials remained slow in September. China engages a lot in the processing trade – the country imports raw materials and half-finished goods, processes them and exports [...]

Freight rates for containers between the USA West Coast and China are rising, according to the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index. This could be a reaction to reduced capacity on the route, as shipping lines remove vessels in response to lower world demand. In contrast, the Shanghai-Rotterdam freight rate and the China-Europe rates are reducing. Indications [...]

The Cass Freight index report shows that volumes increased 5% in September and were 7.5% higher than in 2010. Although all modes reported volume gains during the month, they were not expected to continue to expand at this level – partially as a result of smaller orders globally in recent months. However, costs for trucking [...]

New technology is allowing the Federal Highway Administration to measure truck speed at any given place and time on key freight routes. Data is collected from 250 different locations in the USA. The most recent data shows that congestion increased at 61 of the 100 freight bottlenecks between 2009 and 2010. The American Transportation Research [...]

The US government is considering a Piracy Suppression Act, which has been approved by the Transportation Committee.  The Act is designed to protect equipment, freight or commodities being shipped on behalf of the government.  Vessels carrying government cargo will be authorised to carry armed guards when steaming in dangerous waters. The government will reimburse the [...]

President Obama has introduced a Jobs Act to Congress designed to stimulate jobs growth with a focus on freight.  Roads, railways, airports and sea ports will receive a huge investment, as the transport infrastructure is ‘failing.’ $27 billion of the investment is geared specifically for freight, for the restoration, repair and construction infrastructure.  There will [...]

The International Transport Forum is an intergovernmental strategic think tank for transport policy with 52 member countries. Their latest data indicate a marked macroeconomic slowdown, noting that freight by sea in the EU and the USA stabilised below pre-crisis levels, while freight by air has declined in the EU. The report also emphasised the dangers of [...]

Criminals in the USA are stealing the identities of legitimate business to help them steal cargo, according to a crime analytics unit.  They can also set up false businesses which appear to be genuine so they can access freight companies’ shipments; they take company information from the internet to make them appear legitimate. In some [...]

Food exports from Scotland passed £1bn last year according to figures from HM Revenue and Customs.  Sales of salmon and potatoes were particularly strong, while nearly two thirds of food sales came from fish and shellfish, which increased by 12% in the year.  Exports were helped by a fall in the value of sterling. The [...]

The President of the American Soybean Association has announced that exports to China are expected to rise by 5 % more than last year.  It is hope that this will promote relations between China and the USA and help to balance trade between them. China imported a quarter of the USA’s domestic production last year; [...]

The US National Retail Federation has commissioned a report showing that imports are expected to remain at about the same level as last year in July, with increases beginning again later in the summer.  Consumer spending has slowed down due to rising fuel prices and general economic difficulties, but the National Retail Federation expects long [...]