Archive for the ‘CONSUMER GOODS’ Category

Rough seas, not enough sailors — Freightonomics

The West Coast ports are full, according to Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka, but the import flood is just starting as we move into the end of summer. What does the coming flood of goods mean for ocean freight still dealing with rough seas thanks to pandemic influences? Anthony Smith and Zach Strickland […]

Truck transportation jobs continue solid growth in July

Truck transportation jobs continued a steady rise in July, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the not-seasonally adjusted figure again growing at a faster rate than the seasonally adjusted number. Economists generally look to seasonally adjusted data as being more indicative of trends, as it seeks to smooth out short-term anomalies […]

What will the reopening of the Canadian border mean for freight?

Canada is beginning to reopen its borders for nonessential travel after a 16-month shutdown in response to COVID-19. Starting Aug. 9, fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents can enter the country. Even though trade has been exempt from the restrictions — allowing trucks to move freely between Canada and the U.S. — the reopening of the border […]

Despite losing momentum late, holiday sales surprise to the upside

Despite retail sales declining sequentially each of the last three months of the year, the 2020 holiday shopping season was one for the record books. Retail sales during 2020’s November-December holiday season grew an unexpectedly high 8.3% over the same period in 2019. The 8.3% increase was more than double the 3.5% average holiday increase […]

$70.5 billion worth of online purchases will be returned this holiday season

In the first three quarters of 2020, third-party logistics companies leased 27% of warehouse space at properties sized 100,000 sq. ft. or more. They’ve been ramping up to handle the billions of returns sure to deluge retailers that will be processing more than 30% of their sales online this holiday season. Last Christmas, online product […]

For Some Fleets, Adding Drivers Is a Mission

The spread of the coronavirus has created some division in the freight-hauling sector. As the situation at two fleets illustrated, while some loads have dwindled to a trickle in this temporarily locked-down economy, other parts of the trucking industry are booming to meet the demand for necessary consumer goods and medical supplies, and adding drivers […]

Coronavirus Watch: Shopping Behavior Shifts, Walmart Hires Thousands

A new survey finds a dramatic increase in the number of shoppers affected by the coronavirus outbreak, across all ages and genders, over the last month. In the survey by First Insight, Inc., 75% of respondents said the virus is impacting their shopping behavior. That compares with 45% in a comparable survey conducted in February.

Georgia ports employ ‘isolate and operate strategy’ to battle COVID-19

It’s business as usual at Georgia’s ports, but with an “isolate and operate strategy.” That strategy includes spreading out workers at the 1,300-acre Garden City Terminal in Savannah to minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Executive Director Griff Lynch said.