Freight shippers are enjoying a buyer’s market at the moment. There’s widespread overcapacity in the trucking industry, forcing carriers to lower prices in an attempt to keep their trucks full. For now, shippers can find low transportation rates relatively easily.

The 27th Annual State of Logistics Report shows that inventory levels are down and logistics costs are rising. Given the extreme demands of the hundreds of millions of online consumers who expect free shipping and fast delivery, e-commerce interrupts transportation budgets and regular shipping strategies. In 2015, transportation costs rose 1.3% year-over-year.

Getting low transportation rates is challenging. The problem is that most people don’t have time to learn the complexities of the transportation industry. And, most people don’t understand the pricing leverage they already have.

Last month, CSCMP and consulting firm A.T. Kearney released the highly anticipated 27th Annual State of Logistics Report. The report reveals a strong shippers’ market in 2016, a slow rise in transportation rates in 2017, and vaguely states there will be large obstacles to productivity in the future.

Deloitte’s 2016 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index (GMCI) displays the influence manufacturing has on economies in terms of infrastructure initiatives, technological developments, employment rates, and contribution to the GDP.

FedEx Delivers to Cuba. FedEx became the first American freight carrier with rights to deliver freight to Cuba. FedEx says they will begin service on January 15, 2017. Their rights extend to July 15, 2018.

Cyber-attacks are an increasing threat in the transportation and logistics industry. Transportation and logistics are integral to the world’s economy, and therefore, a valued target for hackers.

Supply chain mistakes are costly. The smallest error is amplified due to the sheer size of a supply chain. It is crucial for companies to maintain best practices in supply chain management.

In 2015, the FAST Act required FMCSA to remove CSA (Compliance, Safety and Accountability) information from public view. It also mandated that FMCSA repair the CSA program so that scores can be used as a consistent, reliable safety measure.

Despite the negative connotations of the terms ‘broker’ and ‘outsourced’, third-party logistics companies have gained popularity and are employed by nearly every industry in the U.S. How did this happen?

Last mile logistics refers to the movement of goods from a warehouse or distribution center to its final destination. To create customer loyalty, the last leg of transportation needs to be flawless.

Despite the rapid evolution of today’s supply chain and the proven cost-saving ability of a transportation management system (TMS), few shippers are using TMS software. In fact, only around 35% of shippers have a TMS.

History of the Panama Canal During the 1800s, businessmen didn’t have an efficient or quick way to ship goods between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The British proposed a canal through Nicaragua that was never built and the French attempted to build a canal through Panama but evacuated the project due to fatal diseases. Despite the unsuccessful attempts, Americans were undeterred. In 1914, the United States began to build a canal in Panama.

Wal-Mart Testing Grocery Delivery + Drones. To compete with Amazon, Wal-Mart stores are testing a grocery-delivery service with Uber (in the Phoenix market) and Lyft (in the Denver market). Once a customer places a grocery order online, it will be filled and packaged by employees, then sent in an Uber or Lyft to the customer’s location. The retailer is also testing drone use at its warehouses. Drones capture real-time images and spot missing inventory. A drone can complete this task in about 1 day, but it would take a full month if done manually.