We continue to see a lot of blanked voyages. Demand must not be shaping up to be very good after all, and prices just won’t stay up. What else would you expect if you make your customers guess about the inventory they have to carry. Once they have bitten that bullet, it will be hard to get them back into a non-competitive shipping mood.
By Mike Wackett 03/06/2020
Alliances schedule 75 blankings for Q3, as hopes of peak season demand fade – The Loadstar
Posted in Logistics, Managerial Econ, Microeconomics, Shipping, Strategy, Supply Chains
Tagged blankings, containers, intermodal, service, transportation
There’s a great graphic in this article showing the container and carload bookings on rail by month over the last year.
I also was interested by the statement that ag and bulk products, which often go in hopper cars, are down considerably. The data come from the AAR (American Association of Railroads), an industry group that provides many statistics about railroad operations.
via Rail volume down for 9th straight month in November | Supply Chain Dive
The Chicago area just can’t seem to get its act together. The result will be delayed cargoes and higher costs for cargo owners. Ian Putzger of the Loadstar gives us the story.
Chicago is unlikely to lose its dominance over this, though if it goes on long enough supply chains will think about shifting. The impact on service delay measures and failure to deliver on time will be quite large. And for more money? Can Kansas City or Memphis do better? How about the East Coast seaports and the Panama Canal?
via Intermodal wrangles just making the pain worse for US shippers using rail – The Loadstar
Supply Chain Digest Port Technology International Marine Link
Supply Chain and Logistics 