On June 16th, 2022, President Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act into law. The law, which represents the first major shipping legislation to come out of Washington in over twenty years, is ostensibly designed to help the U.S. ocean logistics industry remain competitive in a global logistics marketplace increasingly dominated by super-sized carrier alliances. However, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act(OSRA) of 2022 takes bold regulatory actions unexpected by many shippers. With regulatory bodies squaring off against ocean shipping mega-corporations for the first time in over twenty years, what do shippers need to know?

Supply chains across the globe are under pressure as more and more ports become congested, loading times continue to rise, delays occur, and both demurrage and detention fees increase. These issues can be paralyzing or crippling to your business, and finding the right port or container drayage trucking service provider to partner with is crucial.

In a globalized world, countries have become reliant on international supply chains to bring people food, commodities, and other consumer goods. Over 80% of global shipping arrives via containers, which makes drayage service one of the most important modes of transportation in logistics.   

Warehouse managers have a lot on their plate. Maintaining safety requirements with warehouse efficiency adds up to a delicate balance of numbers, products, and the people that make the warehouse more than just a building. Key performance indicators (KPIs) keep track of the effectiveness of the multiple moving parts within each warehouse. KPI tracking provides companies with actionable analytics to guide future expansion, minimize costs and give employees a goal to reach company-wide. 

Every day countless industries and individuals depend on 18-wheelers to provide for almost every need. Yet, it took a pandemic for the supply chain to finally get its five minutes of fame. Although many articles and news segments discussed the pandemic’s effect on the supply chain, transportation and logistics experts have watched the industry’s weak spots, such as the container chassis shortage, develop over the last few decades. The chassis is the wheeled trailer component that connects to the truck and carries the container itself. 

As many industries and people shed off the strategies and relationships required through the pandemic, drayage logistics management continues to be defined as “It’s Complicated.” Atypical weather patterns, pandemic shockwaves, and stuck cargo vessels have changed what is required when planning drayage services. As a result, dray teams need to be resilient, efficient and have supply chain visibility because they never know when the next wave of issues will hit. Yet, 2022 shipping has continued to be marked by an overwhelmed market with inadequate carrier capacity to move containers to and from ports.

Port truck turn time should ideally be a cut-and-dry process. A container is picked up at a truck port, delivered, and returned to the port. 

Shipping and transportation industry services concerning port drayage are constantly changing and adapting to current market trends and customer demands. Of all the services involved with efficient shipping,  drayage shipping services are among the most critical. According to a Supply Chain 24/7 article, “The truck driver shortfall hit 80,000 drivers in 2021 and is expected to grow to 160,000 by 2030.” Those statistics demonstrate how important drayage container shipping and transportation remains. 

The supply chain and freight management industry, in general, have experienced unprecedented levels of change and upheaval over the past few years for those specializing in import management and logistics. In times like these, with ongoing market instability and volatility in nearly every niche, the importance of 3PLs cannot be overstated. Freight management services remain in high demand, even as growth and recovery from supply chain failures and disruptions continue. Navigating the complicated waters of shipping in 2022 requires industry partnerships and expert guidance.

Many things impact the day-to-day operations of your local trucking company, but the most impactful often are the most mundane seeming of them all. Load management and capacity procurement inefficiencies remain the highest issues many transportation companies face. Therefore, knowing today's top trends impacting the trucking industry and in-demand shipping services is critical for ongoing growth and recovery.