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.

With industry experts predicting an increase in freight rates later this year, the pressure is growing for shippers to reduce transportation spend. But, if a electronic-logging-devices.jpgshipper pays lower freight rates than their peers, will it negatively affect the carrier’s performance? A recent study set out to answer this question.

Supply chain efficiency is top of mind for companies in all sectors – efficiency means reduced costs and increased output. Today, tech advancements like drone delivery, autonomous vehicles and the Internet of Things enable supply chains to increase efficiency and productivity by connecting to smart components in the supply chain.

Shippers and trucking companies alike could learn a few things from the ways rail companies, especially Union Pacific (UP), are implementing real-time, big data technology to overcome supply chain obstacles.

As of June 2016, the U.S. economic outlook is uncertain. There are hopeful signs: employers are still hiring new workers, more jobs and cheaper gas have led to a small bump in consumer spending, and home builders are in full swing. MarketWatch predicts 2.5% GDP growth in the second quarter of 2016.

Shippers are enthusiastic about drone technology because the devices could greatly cut delivery times and costs. The drone revolution will disrupt an assortment of industries, from agriculture and filmmaking to transportation and healthcare. Logistics will have to adapt to changes as more retailers experiment with drones and the technology evolves to be cheap and efficient. The transportation industry will be transformed by drones, especially in terms of last-mile service.