February 3, 2023 You’ve Come a Long Way: A 20-Year Retrospective on the Logistics Industry When Odyssey Logistics & Technology began providing outsourced logistics management services to the chemical industry and other process manufacturers in February 2003, the world looked a lot different than it does today. It’s the year that the US Department of Homeland Security officially began operations, smartphone technology was emerging, Tesla was founded and iTunes music… Continue Reading
January 3, 2023 What’s Ahead for Transportation & Logistics in 2023? The way companies handle transportation and logistics changed dramatically in 2022 as organizations worked through the lingering impacts of the pandemic, dealt with new challenges and revisited their long-range success plans. Just a few years ago it wasn’t unusual at all to see warehouse employees walking around making notes on clipboards, transportation managers sending individual… Continue Reading
June 21, 2022 Tips for Choosing the Right Warehouse Warehouse space is in big demand as companies adjust to the uptick in e-commerce orders, ongoing labor constraints and other pandemic-driven fulfillment challenges. “As retailers and logistics companies try to stockpile goods to hedge against supply chain problems, they are facing a new challenge: In many parts of the United States, there is little to… Continue Reading
June 14, 2022 Why You Should be Working with a Multimodal Transportation & Logistic Partner As they continue to grapple with supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, rising freight costs and other uncertainties, companies need reliable logistics partners that can manage more than just one freight mode or transportation option. By serving as “one stop shops” for most of these companies’ transportation needs, multimodal partners help shippers work faster, save money… Continue Reading
May 11, 2022 Supply Chain Industry Faces a Sustainability Crossroad Sustainability in the transportation and supply chain industry has been a concern for decades. Conversations have been ongoing about how to reduce the carbon footprint, incorporate electric vehicles into fleets, and adopt alternative fuels. Now, however, we’re at a crossroad. The global climate crisis has reached a tipping point, highlighting transportation’s contribution to the problem… Continue Reading
May 5, 2022 What the Current ILWU and PMA Contract Negotiations Mean for Shippers A look at how the upcoming port labor negotiations could impact transportation networks and the shippers that rely on them to get their goods from origin to destination. As of May 23rd, contract talks between the ILWU and PMA have been suspended until June 1, 2022, however, individual committee meeting between both sides are continuing…. Continue Reading
April 21, 2022 Storage & Capacity Constraints Continue as Another Peak Season Looms Shippers are facing a litany of constraints and challenges as we move closer to peak season. Here’s what you can expect and some tips for navigating the challenges. The US industrial market achieved record-high asking rents amid extremely tight space conditions in 2021, and that wave followed shippers right into 2022. While demand well outpaced… Continue Reading
April 11, 2022 Picking the Right Logistics Partner for Your Operation Don’t ever settle for second best when selecting a logistics partner to run your transportation, fulfillment and freight forwarding operation. Here are five things to keep in mind when picking the right one for your operation. The need for adaptability and resilience is greater than ever, and many shippers are turning to logistics providers to… Continue Reading
March 30, 2022 Managing Port Congestion and Disruption With the US port congestion problems now migrating to the East Coast, shippers are coming up with creative ways to manage the current challenges and plan for a more resilient future. After watching the West Coast ports overflowing with ships anchored out in the Pacific Ocean, waiting to come in and unload, it looks like… Continue Reading
March 22, 2022 Railroad Contract Negotiations Update UPDATE 3/22/2022: On March 22, 2022, the “TCRC – Train and Engine Negotiating Committee agreed to enter binding arbitration with CP, ending the TCRC strike action that began over the weekend.” The unions applied to the National Mediation Board (NMB) for a federal mediator to be assigned to the negotiations March 11th-16th, 2022. If the mediation… Continue Reading