Shipments in transit are subjected to numerous perils; goods may be damaged in a storm or fire, stolen by ghosts in the night, involved in a collision, or just plain mishandled, much like the ill-fated journey in “Deliverance.” To help protect against financial loss or another frightful travesty, shippers should consider obtaining Shipper’s Interest Cargo […]

Imagine receiving a message from an ocean carrier notifying you that all the cargo aboard a vessel, including yours, has been impounded—and the only way you can retrieve it is a boat load of cash or a guarantee at the very least. Sounds like extortion, right? Well, it’s actually a very common event in maritime […]

Pay attention, Agents… Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves decoding the latest updates to U.S. Customs Bonds—the unofficial and secret weapon that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other Partner Government Agencies (PGA) have at their disposal to safeguard our national trade interests. Much like the legendary MI6 Agent 007 from […]

Lately, the international trade newsroom has cast a bright spotlight–or should we say dark shadow–on some of the shadier business practices allegedly leveraged by certain popular e-commerce platforms. If you were one of the 123 million viewers that tuned into Superbowl 58, chances are you caught a glimpse of at least one of the six […]

By the dawn’s early light on March 26, we all saw that the Francis Scott Key Bridge had lost its perilous fight with the Maersk Dali. And then we viewed countless videos of the violent carnage, somehow almost graceful, surely caused by bombs bursting in air and not a bump from a boat! Our second response […]

Logistics contingency plans are just a fancy way of conveying the importance of businesses being prepared when the ship hits the fan—like if the Ever Given lodges itself at the Suez Canal or a viral pandemic hits planet Earth like a meteor, somehow super-charging global consumerism.  In 2021, an estimated 40% of all global ocean […]

Chinese New Year (CNY) is just around the corner—which means the mundane rhythm of everyday life will soon give way to a vibrant celebration of family and cultural traditions. Beginning Saturday, February 10, 2024, not a single soul will be found in factories or offices, as the Chinese workforce enjoys a week (or more) of […]

In a world already fraught with frightening freight challenges, shippers are now grappling with a bone-chilling new threat that haunts their every waking moment—a rising number of cargo thefts. Statistics reveal a total of 566 incidents documented this year, marking a spine-tingling 56% year-over-year increase. These thieves, driven by an insatiable appetite for cash, target […]

In 1919, people expected the year 2020 to be filled with high-speed trains, flying cars and seemingly utopic metropolitan areas. At the time, Prohibition advocates were fixated on banning the alcoholic content in beverages in an effort to improve what they viewed as a growing public health epidemic, while usage of fossil fuels perpetually increased […]

The Trans-Pacific Maritime (TPM) Conference is an annual gathering of supply chain executives wherein industrywide successes and pain points are deliberated, with presentations and discussions typically leading to an overarching path of future resolve in an otherwise fickle trade. However, this year, aside from uniform predictions of relative ocean rate stability throughout 2018, the consensus […]

Logistics & Technology The evolution of technology is pushing the boundaries and changing how the world does business. Today, we’re accustomed to everything being online and right at our fingertips for immediate access. Through Amazon, the pioneer of fast-paced delivery service, it’s possible to receive a package less than an hour after ordering, depending on […]

Due to the popularity of The Nine Reasons that Buying Your Imports on CIF Terms is Too Good to Be True blog, we wanted to release an update covering why you should buy your imports on FOB terms. At first glance, it can be tempting to buy on a CIF (Cost, Insurance & Freight) basis. You don’t […]

When 20’ and 40’ full containers make up 90% of all goods shipped around the world, a common question arises with newer shippers: “What if I don’t have enough freight to fill a full container?” In this case, LCL (Less-than-Container-Load) may be right for you. Don’t judge a shipper by their carton count LCL offers […]

As summer winds down and winter approaches, so too begins the eCommerce Holiday Shipping Season!  If you were a seller during last year’s holiday season, you likely remember the rush to get your goods out from your suppliers amid, space tightening, peak season surcharges, general rate increases, trucking timelines, customs exams, and the all-important final […]

Author: Christian Hudspeth – World First  It’s hard to find an e-commerce market with more promise than Japan. For starters, the country boasts some of the most online shopping-savvy consumers on the planet. A whopping 80% of Japan’s population (or 100 million) shop online according to comScore, besting US online shopper rates of around 70%. Japan’s e-commerce […]

Whether you’re a crowd-funding startup, or a first time seller on one of Amazon’s multi-national programs, it is easy to see that ecommerce is changing the way we purchase – and fast. Rapidly expanding markets with “limitless” opportunities; who wouldn’t want to take the plunge?  But beware the dangers that lurk beneath the surface – […]

JOC’s Annual Review and Outlook outlines the major challenges, opportunities and trends in the global transportation and logistics industry via reports from the editorial staff and insight from the industry’s top players. Major segments highlighted include maritime, trucking, rail and intermodal, air cargo, government and logistics. Contributors have years of experience and range from CEOs […]

When I walk into a really sophisticated warehouse, the look on my face is probably akin to that of a kid in a candy store.  Seeing a high-functioning fulfillment center with box-building machines, automated sorters, and any number of other robotic components is enough to make me salivate.  That’s not to say that I don’t […]

On Saturday, August 6th the maritime industry suffered a great loss as infamous Baltimore Port advocate, Helen Delich Bentley, passed. She was renowned for her work in growing the maritime industry as a whole and will be sorely missed. After earning her Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Helen was hired by the Baltimore […]

As the title of this blog proclaims, I am a baby boomer – but certainly not a curmudgeon.  I’m old enough to remember first-hand when America was still a shining beacon of progress and prosperity. Back when the interstate system was still new and growing; heck, I even remember when I-95 wasn’t even completed yet […]