Goodman Group Doubles Down on Sustainability with New Multi-Story Industrial Development on Seine Axis

June 12th, 2021 Goodman Group Leave a comment

Today HAROPA PORT announces the creation of a major river and seaport complex. It is the outcome of a call for logistics projects initiated by the Port of Gennevilliers (French département 92). Goodman has been selected for the development of a 90,000 sqm multimodal logistics platform – unique in Europe. The platform will be constructured over four levels, linked directly to the Seine and targeting the development of river transport and urban distribution for the Greater Paris region. The project is a perfect illustration of the new river and seaport’s positioning and ambitions for the development of decarbonised logistics.

Key features include;

+90,000 sqm of logistics space including 10,000 sqm of offices

+16 units of 5,000 sqm

+Four levels accessible to all vehicle types

+11,000 sqm solar PV

+17,000 sqm rooftop urban farm, of which 7,000 sqm is greenhouse space

+BREEAM Outstanding certification, BiodiverCity and Low-Carbon labels

+One river transhipment dock

Named GREEN DOCK, this cutting-edge logistics project will be ideally located in the port of Gennevilliers, the leading port facility for the Greater Paris area by size and activity and only five kilometres from Paris and 20 minutes from Roissy – Charles de Gaulle airport. 250 companies from a diverse range of sectors have already chosen the area due to the ports location and multi-modal offerings, which include a combination of river, sea/rail, oil pipeline and road transport modes. GREEN DOCK will allow urban distribution businesses to provide “final-kilometre” delivery and to develop river-based transport deep into the French capital.

The vision for river transport is becoming increasingly important for many operators. STEF, DB SCHENKER and CEVA Logistics have already expressed interest in GREEN DOCK, providing input for its design. GREEN DOCK will be developed, held and managed directly by Goodman.

Goodman’s approach utilized a multi-disciplinary team to conceptualise this prime multimodal site combining modularity and a contemporary eco-design. The modern architectural lines of its façade will be constructed in natural, recycled materials including wood and concrete to integrate the site into its Seine riverbank surroundings. The building’s structure has been conceived for total flexibility and will allow its working areas to evolve in line with the needs of the occupants. Lastly, its roofing will be home to the largest urban farm in Europe, run by Cultivate it will cover 17,000 sqm, including 7,000 sqm of greenhouse space.

GREEN DOCK also sets out to be a model of economic land use and sustainable development, aiming for BREEAM certification at Outstanding level plus the BiodiverCity and low-carbon labels. Covering 90,000 sqm over four levels, supplemented by an access zone and underground parking, the project will have a density four times higher than standard. Energy management on the site will also benefit from innovations unparalleled in terms of scale: a solar PV plant covering 11,000 sqm of roof area intended for the site’s own supply, a heat exchanger connected to the Seine for heating and cooling the building and a geothermal plant. The dock, a key component of the site’s multimodality, fully funded by Goodman, provides a direct link between the project and the river. It will offer users direct, functional access to river transport, both upstream and downstream.

“We are honoured to have been awarded the project initiated by HAROPA PORT for the Gennevilliers flagship site. Green Dock, our multimodal project design is the outcome of a year of studies and discussion and embodies the firm belief that river transport will be central to tomorrow’s urban distribution. Its vertical design is inspired by our completed projects in Asia, but its functional architectural quality and environmental performance make Green Dock unique. It exemplifies the level of excellence we aim for in each of our developments.” says Philippe Arfi, Director of Goodman France.

“It is with pleasure that we sign this commitment to working with Goodman on this highly auspicious day on which HAROPA PORT comes officially into being. This project for a multimodal platform is an innovation for Europe and confirms the role of the new HAROPA PORT in ambitious, decarbonised logistics. This agreement is a perfect illustration of our ability to offer end-to-end logistics solutions right from the maritime terminals of Le Havre and Rouen up to the final kilometre and to pursue alongside our partners projects on a scale and of a quality never before seen in our ports” confirms Stéphane Raison, CEO of HAROPA PORT.

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About HAROPA PORT

Since 1 June 2021, the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris, already united under single banner of HAROPA since 2012, form the “major Seine Axis river and sea port authority”. As the fifth largest north-European port complex, HAROPA PORT has connections to every continent based on an international maritime offering in the very first rank (calling at nearly 700 ports). It serves an extensive hinterland centred on the Seine Valley and the Paris region, together constituting France’s biggest consumer catchment area. From Le Havre to Rouen, the port complex can point to 2.5m sq. m. of logistics warehousing currently in service and over 1m sq. m. of available warehousing space. Today in France, HAROPA PORT provides a transport and logistics system capable of proposing holistic, end-to-end service offerings. It generates annual maritime and river traffic in excess of 130m tonnes and its activities represent approximately 160,000 jobs.

For more information, please contact:

Marie HERON T +33 2 32 74 72 87 – +33 6 79 69 36 09 marie.heron@haropaports.com

Nicolas BOUDET +33 1 40 58 29 81 – +33 6 74 35 22 17 nicolas.boudet@haropaports.com

About Goodman

With assets under management totalling A$52.9 billion and 366 properties under management, Goodman is the largest listed industrial property group in Australia and one of the largest managers of listed specialist funds worldwide. Its market vision and its specialised teams in each country, create solid investment opportunities and develop spaces and working environments that meet the individual needs of each customer.

With over 900 staff and 26 offices in 14 countries, Goodman has the global reach to meet the needs of its clients as their businesses expand or develop. In Europe, Goodman is present in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

For more information on Goodman in France, go to: www.goodman.com

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Software

Why Your Supply Chain Software Has to be User-Friendly

May 30th, 2021 Fabien Bergeron, Key Account Manager Leave a comment

When it comes to supply chain software, companies are quickly learning that user experience or “UX” is everything. Put simply, it doesn’t matter how much a company invests in technology systems that provide all of the latest bells and whistles, if employees either don’t know how to use it – or, if they simply won’t use it – then those supply chain solutions will gather “virtual” dust in the corner as workers go back to their old ways of doing things.

Digital Natives’ Expectations

This is particularly true for the younger generations who are entering the workforce, and who know a good (or, bad) user interface when they see one. These digital natives grew up with mobile phones, devices, and applications in their hands, and expect the same experience with their business technology.

As the Baby Boomers continue to retire—and as they take their memories of using IBM Green Screens with them—Generations Y and Z are becoming the next supply chain managers and leaders. These new entrants to the field expect to have technology tools that make their jobs faster, easier, and more accurate.

Professional and End-User Friendly

“Making things as easy as possible for the end user is the best way to ensure successful adoption and use of any new communication tool,” InformationWeek states. “While organizations are understandably keen to arm workers with the best technology to boost productivity, end users’ needs aren’t the only priority. Throughout the evaluation process, it’s important to remember that the user interface (UI) is just as vital for IT professionals as it is for the end user when it comes to adoption.”

What is UX?

As the name implies, UX is all about creating an immersive experience for the user while keeping costs of development and implementation under control. In the context of software development, user experience looks like something focused purely on design and entertainment.

“UX has become a cornerstone of custom software development. Companies aiming to develop customer-facing software use this as a top competitive advantage, while those creating enterprise applications for internal use have learned to pay attention to this dimension to improve user acceptance of new software,” UX Planet explains. “This is no longer just a nice-to-have layer added at the end of the development cycle, but a significant aspect included right from the design phase.”

It’s important to note that where user interface (UI) is the collection of tangible elements that allow a user to interact with an application or website, UX is not defined by a specific set of visual objects, but rather what the user takes away from interacting with those visual objects that make up the experience. In this sense, UX is all about the subjective, internal feelings of the user. For example:

-How does the experience leave users feeling?
-Are users empowered or inhibited?
-Are users engaged or distracted?
-Are users encouraged or frustrated?

“In a world where we spend most of our workday interacting with technology,” bakertilly writes, “shouldn’t we at least feel empowered, engaged, and encouraged while we are doing it?”

Functional, Intuitive, and Easy to Use

When supply chain software has a good UX, the typical user can learn the program by simply using it, rather than reading a manual or taking lessons. For example, a program with intuitive icons and simple menu bar options may be easy for a new user to understand, TechTerms points out. “However, if a developer creates a program with non-standard icons and complex menu options, it will make the program less intuitive, likely resulting in a negative user experience.” Efficiency is maximized when a solution such as a WMS enables users to streamline their processes in the easiest way possible. Find out more about ease of use and results, click here.

A product that provides a positive user experience is:

-Functional: It does what it says it can do.
-Intuitive: The program was built with a friendly interface.
-Easy to use: It doesn’t make it too hard on the user.
-Reliable: It’s there when the user needs it.
-Enjoyable: The software is easy and fun to use.

When shopping around for supply chain solutions, such as WMS, look for user-friendly software that not only comprises functionalities that can benefit the user, but also makes it easy for users to access all its features. “The goal of efficient software development is to make the product reliable and compatible for end-users,” software development firm Rezaid states. “To deliver an excellent user experience, it is important to know your users well.”

As companies continue to invest in digital supply chain technologies to increasingly automate the supply chain, the ones that put their users first will surely get the best return on investment (ROI) and results from those applications. By seeking out software that features intuitive, easy-to-learn interfaces, companies can more readily integrate those new solutions into their busy operations without missing a beat. Those that ignore this advice may find themselves up against a formidable force when it comes to putting new innovation to work in their supply chains.

Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. Our solutions are in use around the world and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to contact us to learn more.

This article originally appeared on GenerixGroup.com. Republished with permission.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

NIXCOVID ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH WEN-PARKER LOGISTICS

May 28th, 2021 WEN-PARKER LOGISTICS Leave a comment

Medical equipment and technology company NIXCOVID is proud to announce their partnership with leading global freight forwarder WEN-PARKER LOGISTICS, as their official partner for global shipping.

“Wen-Parker Logistics is very excited to enter into this partnership with NIXCOVID to continue on our company’s missions of bringing critically-needed supplies to those affected by this global pandemic,” said Brady Borycki, Executive Vice-President, Global Business Development at Wen-Parker Logistics.

The Elmont, New York-based Wen-Parker Logistics, a leader in wearing apparel transport since 1997, in 2020 delivered over 1 Billion pieces of PPE on chartered flights from Vietnam to the United States through several US gateways.

Ms. Kathryn Bonesteel, co-founder of NIXCOVID and Nixie Technologies Inc., states that, “Wen-Parker has been a strategic ally since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When many of the world’s largest freight forwarders could not meet the incredible surge in demand, Wen-Parker Logistics was able to deliver cost-efficient and optimal solutions for our ever-changing supply chain needs.”

This newly-minted partnership just completed two shipments involving over 2.5 million examination grade nitrile gloves that will go to Illinois and 100 million gloves that will arrive weekly over the next 6 months.

“Our collective team has delivered hundreds of millions of pieces of essential products working together directly for governments, hospitals, publicly-traded corporations and other essential frontline workforces. We are proud to formalize our longtime partnership and continued efforts to supply the world with products to keep people safe,” continued Bonesteel.

Mr. Blake Sherwood, Strategic Partner and Director of Supply Chain Logistics at NIXCOVID and Nixie Technologies Inc. shares this sentiment, “Through this strategic partnership, we have a strong and secure distribution of all products, including PPE, in the U.S. and around the world. After having gained significant insight and expertise transacting PPE, I’ve been extremely impressed with Wen-Parker and their global capabilities.”

_______________________________________________________________________

About NIXCOVID:

NIXCOVID is a global supply and technology company, founded by Kathryn Bonesteel and Jeff Wood to help nix the COVID-19 pandemic. The company, and its parent company, Nixie Technologies Inc, are internationally known for their significant impact to supply and donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to frontline workers. NIXCOVID operates globally with factory and strategic partnerships in over 20 countries. To learn more about NIXCOVID, visit https://www.NIXCOVID.com/

About Wen-Parker Logistics

Wen-Parker Logistics currently services more than 80 countries across six continents and has been recognized as a Great Supply Chain Partner for five consecutive years by Supply Chain Brain Magazine and was named a Top 100 3PL by Inbound Logistics magazine in 2020. To learn more about WPL call 888.978.7817 or visit www.wen parker.com.

Media Contact – WPL

Lewis C. Leoce

Marketing Manager

c 914.815.5784

LLeoce@wen-parker.com

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Software

Early Adoption of Agile CTRM Critical for Any Agribusiness Planning Growth in 2021

May 27th, 2021 EKA Leave a comment

While productivity is the long-term propeller of economic growth, technology-enabled innovation is the major driver of productivity growth. Yet, we have seen modest growth productivity even as digital technologies boom. This is perhaps a function of resistance in transitioning towards new technology or being unable to find the right fit for business needs.

Considering the agribusiness, engaged in trading huge volumes of different commodities across continents, technologies like CTRM emerge as the most suited innovation to boost productivity. But how can organizations adopt this technology effectively?

In an industry replete with market-specific risks and challenges, a CTRM solution can provide effective solutions to enhance the efficiency of business processes and manage external uncertainties easily.

For instance, if you are a large agribusiness based in Toronto, exporting agriculture products to difficult-to-reach and risky markets like Libya, Syria, and Yemen, trading commodities can be challenging, especially when it involves high volumes and transactions, with a significant degree of volatility. It’s even more daunting to handle a range of commodities across grains, oilseeds, by-products, and specialty crops that service both feed and food markets, procured in one-half of the world and traded in another.

With an expanding footprint of operations in almost every continent in the world, the scale of operations can be an uphill task and even become unmanageable for organizations. So far, the agribusiness in Toronto deployed ERP systems that would break down tackling the burgeoning load of the growing business. Legacy ERP systems unequipped with the market and commodity-specific functionalities are responsible for loss in productivity. At the end of every month, the agribusiness would spend 5 to 8 days to close accounting books. A sizeable portion of work carried out manually on spreadsheets because their ERP system didn’t fully support features specific to trading in North American markets.

A multi-commodity Canadian agribusiness trading across continents, and many others like it, requires an advanced technological CTRM platform that can optimize their business processes and eliminate manual redundancies. A truly global and growing agribusiness needs a CTRM solution that can provide access to market-relevant data to make critical business decisions swiftly.

After implementing a CTRM solution, the agribusiness reduced their time to close end-of-month accounting books from 8 days to under 15 minutes.

The company also eliminated nearly 90% of its manual processes that required spreadsheets. It now spends less time extracting data manually, CTRM platform enables the agribusiness to bring all the information together in a few clicks.

Automation of redundant processes allowed the company to feed all the relevant information into the application at once and run multiple scenarios across commodities simultaneously and instantly. It enabled the company’s traders to compare more trade opportunities faster. The CTRM platform gave the traders more time to drill into results and rapidly analyze which trades were most profitable and why, so they make better decisions on future contracts.

Digitizing manual operations through implementing a CTRM solution not only increased efficiency but drove predictability and profitability as well. As the platform connected business units across the value chain, it enabled our Toronto-based trader to increase visibility and enhance the level of agility to respond to changing conditions in a volatile global marketplace.

As an upshot, CTRM aided in increasing the efficiency and reliability in its supply chain by planning and optimizing all aspects of the company’s multimodal logistics network. The platform linked Internal Movement Order (IMO) with Sales Movement Order (SMO), tagging respective sales orders with modes of transport and providing superior visibility into stock movement. Through this enhanced capability, the company was also able to optimize its stock adjustment activities while transloading, a common challenge in bulk transportation where businesses often incur additional terminal costs and delays.

An integral aspect of commodity trading as an agribusiness is vessel management. An integrated CTRM system enables traders, logistics, and finance people to look at the status of shipments in real-time. Planned Container Shipment (PCS) and Planned Bulk Shipment (PBS) solutions configured to the CTRM platform provide complete visibility into the movement of international stock shipments. This includes end-to-end vessel tracking, enhanced collaboration, and workflow management.

Having a deployed a comprehensive CTRM suite of solutions ensured optimal productivity at all stages of business, the agribusiness increased efficiency in PBS executions by 65% and PCS shipments by 50%.

Leveraging these applications of an adaptive CTRM suite, the company no longer manually extracts invoices from the system and emails them to finance for payment. The system sends automated alerts to finance on payments to be made, thereby enabling better internal controls.

Today, the Toronto-based agribusiness benefits from improved workflows and activity management escaping the shadows of an obsolete system. It shall continue to drive substantial gains in productivity and profitability, utilizing CTRM solutions which are quickly becoming indispensable for agribusinesses worldwide.

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Eka Software Solutions is a global leader in providing digital commodity management solutions for the agriculture industry, driven by cloud, blockchain, machine learning, and analytics.

To talk to Eka experts please write to info@eka1.com

Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Ocean Carriers

CONTAINER PRICES SURGE IN EUROPE AS CARRIERS FAVOR LOADING EMPTIES

May 27th, 2021 Container xChange Leave a comment

For European exporters looking to source shipping containers, existing shortages could deteriorate significantly in the coming weeks, according to the latest data from Container xChange, the world’s leading online platform for the leasing and trading of shipping containers.

Most pricing and availability indicators now suggest carriers are continuing to favor shipping empties back to Asia as fast as possible to maximize yields on front-haul services rather than wait for less lucrative backhaul loads.

The upshot for shippers is rapidly rising prices in Europe for containers even though CAx availability readings point to higher availability of boxes in European hubs – Container xChange figures do not track empty moves.

“The confluence of theoretical high availability and soaring prices for boxes strongly indicates that container lines are prioritizing empty containers over export cargo from Europe,” said Dr Johannes Schlingmeier.

“There were signs of this even before the Suez Canal closure in late March. The latest figures suggest the additional disruption this caused has exacerbated the situation and made it even harder for exporters to find empties.”

The latest container trading data reveals that between January and April average prices for used 20 ft. containers across Europe rose 57% from $1348 to $2119.

In April, price increases for 20 ft. containers were especially severe. In Antwerp, prices jumped by 30% compared to March. In Hamburg they rose by 16% over the same period while in Rotterdam they increased 12%.

Since the beginning of May, average prices for 20 ft. dry containers in Europe softened slightly to $2249 from $2110 in April. However, prices for 40 ft. dry containers have again increased this month, up 13% to $3112 from $2750 in April.

In Container xChange’s Container Availability Index (CAx) an index reading of below 0.5 means more containers leave a port compared to the number which enters. Above 0.5 means more containers are entering the port.

At the port of Genoa, the average CAx reading for a 20 ft. box in 2021 is 0.71, up from 0.26 through the first half of 2020. At Hamburg, in 2021 the average CAx reading has so far this year is 0.75, compared to 0.39 in 1H 2020, while at Rotterdam the reading is 0.71 so far this year, versus 0.46 a year earlier.

After a short dip in incoming containers to Europe due to the Suez Canal closure as measured by Container xChange’s Container Availability Index (CAx), inbound volumes are expected to increase again.

CAx readings for week 19 decreased by on average 4.5% to values of 0.85 across dry-container sizes in Hamburg, 0.79 in Rotterdam, and 83.5 in Antwerp, indicating an ongoing surplus of incoming boxes.

“According to Container xChange forecasts, an increase in incoming shipping containers by 4-5% over the next weeks is likely to not only increase CAx readings but also contribute to slowly decreasing container prices again,” said Dr Schlingmeier.

“These are good times for equipment owners across Europe as indications are that even if container prices dip slightly, scarcity will remain until carriers change tack and start looking for more backloads. As a result, container prices are likely to remain at elevated levels for some time, although we do think availability for exporters will improve in the coming months.”

Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

Nominations Open for Global Trade’s 9th Annual America’s 50 Leading 3PLs

May 27th, 2021 GT Staff Leave a comment

Nearing a decade of recognizing leaders in third-party logistics, Global Trade Magazine announced nominations for its ninth annual “America’s Top 50 Leading 3PLs” are officially open now through August 15. GT Mag’s publisher and editors are looking for logistics movers and shakers transforming operations from meeting client needs and market demands to providing competitive and cutting-edge solutions.

This year’s focus will inevitably highlight resiliency as a key theme for those nominated, as well as looking at how the future of logistics will be approached post-pandemic for leaders in E-commerce/Omni-Channel, Temperature-Controlled, Hazmat, Distribution, Freight Forwarding, and much more.

“Global Trade Magazine continues to support leaders in the logistics arena and our 2021 feature will exemplify the numerous Executives that helped navigate our industry through tumultuous times over the last twelve months,” said Global Trade Magazine Publisher Bret Ronk. “Our call for entries is open, so please take the time to nominate your 3PL of choice now!”

Global Trade Magazine will determine the final 50 nominations based on reputation excellence, outstanding operations, groundbreaking solutions, resilience, disruptive technology solutions, and unmatched levels of innovation. The final candidates display industry leadership while providing opportunities for businesses seeking new partnerships.

To see a complete list of recipients, please visit globaltrademag.com to view last year’s issue.

CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE YOUR 3PL.

For advertising in this issue, please contact Jenny Mason at jmason@globaltrademag.com

Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

How American Companies Are Reimagining the Way Goods Are Shipped Across the Country

May 24th, 2021 Katerina Jones, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Fleet Advantage Leave a comment

Companies across virtually every industry are reimagining the ways in which they move goods from their warehouses and distribution centers to local retail and grocery stores throughout the country. Challenges arise with the increased need to ship items direct to consumers in many cases – a method growing in popularity stemming from online shopping.

The demand for more dedicated and private fleets is a surging trend, as shippers continuously find it harder to identify and utilize for-hire trucks due to tighter capacity, particularly from an outpouring of online shopping, increased driver shortage challenges, and volatile rates for moving freight (spot rates).

Private and dedicated fleets are often more beneficial to all parties involved – the driver, transport company, and customer. Drivers typically enjoy slightly higher wages with regular routes and newer, safer trucks; companies benefit from higher customer service marks as well as improved corporate image knowing their trucks are cleaner; and customers enjoy more accurate, on-time delivery rates that translates into higher quality of customer satisfaction.

Increased Moves Toward Private Fleets

Traditional for-hire transportation companies have taken notice and are shifting more of their operations over to the dedicated fleet side. Notable transportation brands such as J.B. Hunt and Transport America are increasingly moving more of their operations to dedicated fleets1.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced this shift for many retailers and their customers. As the economy saw drastic declines in 2020, some industries saw an increase in demand, such as grocery and convenience stores. This prompted many organizations to place a larger emphasis on private fleet operations to better control costs and adapt quicker to these business climate changes.

For example, Ahold Delhaize USA says it is transitioning six facilities under its three-year initiative to switch to a fully integrated, self-distribution model driven by its own private fleet. With the transition of the six facilities in 2021, about 65% of Ahold Delhaize USA brand center-store volume will be self-distributed. In late 2019, the company unveiled a three-year, $480 million plan2 to expand its supply chain operations and shift to a self-distribution model, which includes e-commerce channels.

According to the National Private Truck Council’s (NPTC) 2020 Benchmarking Survey Report3:

“The primary reason companies reported operating a private fleet was to provide exceptional levels of customer service that is unavailable on the open market, especially at a time when transportation and logistics capacity has been relatively constrained. Operating a private fleet provides control over service levels, guarantees availability, and increasingly assures cost-competitive transportation alternatives regardless of market conditions. In this year’s survey, more than 92% of the respondents, in response to the open-ended question, “What is the Primary Reason Your Company Operates a Private Fleet?” answered “customer service.”

Newer Trucks Drive Better Customer Service

There is a direct connection between a high level of customer service and a private fleet’s focus on utilizing newer, cleaner, more reliable trucks that protect the environment and offer advanced safety features.

According to a recent industry report on truck utilization and costs, newer trucks offer significant benefits to a fleet’s bottom line. Fleet operators can realize a first year per-truck savings of $16,856 when upgrading from a 2016 sleeper model-year truck to a 2021 model. For a fleet of 100 trucks, when upgrading to a 2021 model-year fleet savings can reach $1.7 million4.

Fuel economy represents a significant portion of the savings through truck replacement. Fleets can save $5,084 per truck in fuel in the first year following replacement of a 2016 model-year sleeper, a 15% increase in fuel economy and reduction of CO2 emissions.

Per a recent analysis, a Global 2000 and Top 100 Private Fleet health-conscious wholesale grocer reduced over 8,500 metrics tons of CO2, as well as helped conserve 848,575 gallons of fuel by upgrading to a newer fleet of trucks. At $2.44 per gallon that equals over $2 million in avoided fuel expense, along with improved Miles Per Gallon4. These savings greatly benefit the bottom line and the fleet’s customer can boast about its attention toward conservation.

Private Fleets See Stronger Driver Retention Driven by Safety

While there remains a national shortage of drivers, private fleets typically enjoy a higher level of driver retention because of fewer truck breakdowns and a higher level of attention toward their safety. The NPTC’s latest benchmarking survey illustrated that 64% of its drivers reported that they returned home every night3.

Safety and confidence in the maintenance of each truck is a leading motive. A recent industry survey showed that 11% of transportation fleets estimate they have saved more than $1 million in crash avoidance by upgrading to newer trucks with advanced safety features. The survey also illustrated that 55% of fleets said escalating maintenance and repair costs (M&R) is a leading motivating factor for upgrading to newer trucks5.

Each of these factors represents a growing reason why the transportation of goods in America is being reshaped by the structure by which today’s leading transportation fleets operate. Many companies in a variety of industries are retaining their own private or dedicated fleet of trucks, driven by trusted drivers operating newer, cleaner, safer trucks that are more reliable and beneficial to everyone’s bottom line.

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Katerina Jones is Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Fleet Advantage, a leading innovator in truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and lifecycle cost management. For more information visit www.FleetAdvantage.com.

1: https://www.transportdive.com/news/JB-Hunt-Baird-dedicated-fleet-conversion-trucking/589015/

2: https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/ahold-delhaize-usa-readies-six-facilities-self-distribution-2021?mod=djemlogistics_h

3: National Private Truck Council; 2020 Benchmarking survey Report

4: https://www.fleetadvantage.com/press-releases/fleet-advantages-newest-truck-lifecycle-data-index-shows-continued-fuel-savings-carbon-reduction-when-replacing-aging-truck-units

5: https://www.fleetadvantage.com/press-releases/latest-fleet-advantage-industry-benchmark-survey-shows-the-impact-older-trucks-have-on-safety-repair-costs-and-fuel-economy

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News, Trucking

BYD Expands Network Through Dealership Agreement with Mid-West Industrial Equipment Inc.

May 24th, 2021 Sydney Barnes Leave a comment

On May 21, BYD entered a dealership agreement with the Mid-West Industrial Equipment Inc. to expand its presence in the Southeast Ohio market. Mid-West Industrial Equipment has locations in Piqua and Cincinnati that offer full-suite services including forklift sales, service, parts, equipment rentals, and operator training. The collaboration offers a perfect solution to allow BYD to expand its operations.

BYD’s material handling equipment simplifies operations by delivering a single-battery-shift solution, ruling out spare batteries, cooling down batteries, and battery swapping. BYD forklifts charge in under 90 minutes and run for 15 or more hours.

“With BYD, Mid-West will be able to expand our footprint in the Dayton and Cincinnati markets. This will allow us the opportunity to showcase green technology in material handling that hasn’t been seen in this marketplace,” said Greg Meyer, president of Mid-West. “With the material handling market changing and trying to use more sustainable power, we can now offer a truly sustainable product for them. BYD offers us these wonderful opportunities for our current and new customers, saving them tremendous amounts of revenue in the process.”

“Partnering with Mid-West Industrial will bring BYD’s clean, innovative technology to customers in Ohio. This technology will improve their products and help their bottom line,” said Terry Rains, Director of BYD North America’s Forklift Division. “Mid-West Industrial is an ideal partner for BYD, bringing a strong focus on customer service and decades of industry experience.”

BYD’s innovative Iron Phosphate batteries offer high energy density while remaining environmentally friendly, unlike Lead-Acid batteries. Also, BYD supplies 110v/15-amp plug-in chargers that modernly charge Iron-phosphate batteries.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Production of Powder Urethane Surface Coatings to Rise at a Robust Pace in the Coming Years

May 24th, 2021 Global Market Insights Leave a comment

Urethane surface coatings are witnessing higher adoption across several industrial verticals considering their outstanding tensile and tear strength attributes. Due to their versatile properties and ability to retain durability in extreme temperature ranges, they are well-suited for construction, textile, and transportation applications. In addition, the coatings show resistance to water, oil, oxidation as well as abrasion. They are also utilized in plastics, dyes, as well as explosives and assist in protecting valuable equipment from harsh industrial environments.

The urethane surface coatings are incorporated to seal marine hulls from coastal elements, corrosion, and harsh weather. They can be applied to all categories of boats as well as ships and find utility in protecting gas and oil pipelines. However, the coatings bear a significantly higher cost and give rise to odor and smoke during the curing processes. Their chronic exposure can also lead to extreme toxicity and neurological disorders when absorbed by the human skin.

It has been suggested that the global urethane surface coatings market size will grow at a significant rate through 2027.

The preference for powder urethane surface coatings is likely to stir in the near future considering their excessive requirement across exterior functional applications. They help to counter chemical exposure as they possess optimum corrosion and chemical resistance, flexibility as well as hardness. Furthermore, these coatings are increasingly favored over epoxy powders as they impart superior exterior durability and overbake stability.

The demand for urethane surface coating technology across the automotive industry will reach substantial traction due to their increasing penetration in the manufacturing of various car parts. Bumpers adhered with urethane surface coatings are more resistant to impact in comparison to traditional steel components. The automotive ceilings and windows also make use of these materials to maintain intactness for proper functioning. Besides, the aerospace industry is witnessing a greater need for urethane surface coatings to protect aircraft and enhance their fuel efficiency.

The electrical and electronic applications are expected to record a higher consumption of urethane surface coatings in order to manufacture numerous significant components. They are widely employed in protective smartphone cases and various parts of printed circuit boards. The coatings are also making their place in microelectronics to offer protection from an optimum number of environmental hazards. They are utilized in refrigerator components like the rack of dishwashers to keep the appliance quiet. Furthermore, the underwater cables also make use of urethane surface coatings to refrain the internal wires from water damages.

Leading suppliers of urethane surface coatings and technology are constantly focused on strategies such as acquisitions, partnerships, and capacity expansions to enhance their production capacities and strengthen their customer base. These firms are also coming up with innovative launches to sustain the increasing competition in the current COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in March 2021, PPG introduced Pitthane Ultra Ls, a high-performance urethane coating line for corrosive applications that need low sheen to reduce glare and hide surface imperfections.

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Amazon Air Launches Daily Cargo Service at Pittsburgh International Airport

May 21st, 2021 Sydney Barnes Leave a comment

On May 12, Amazon Air touched down at Pittsburgh International Airport for the first time, adding Pittsburgh to Amazon’s expanding U.S. cargo network. Amazon’s collaboration has been the biggest cargo win for the growing airport. Amazon Air packages will arrive Wednesday at Pittsburgh via a Boeing 737-800F freighter and depart Thursday morning.

Amazon Air has quickly grown to increase speed and selection for Amazon customers around the country, now flying to more than 40 United States airports. The new operation in Pittsburgh will allow Amazon to supply a growing logistics network in Western Pennsylvania. The partner lease agreement allows Amazon Air to use 50,000 square feet that include an onsite area to sort packages to their next destination managed by an Amazon logistics partner, Trego-Duncan Aviation. The new site is expected to create more than fifty new jobs.

Pittsburgh International Airport CEO, Christina Cassotis shared her excitement about the Amazon Air operations, she said, “We are excited that Amazon is continuing its investment in the region with the addition of Amazon Air operations at our airport, we welcome Amazon Air and look forward to building our partnership. This announcement is a major milestone in positioning PIT as an international logistics center.”

“Growing the network of sites where Amazon Air flies is essential to supporting fast, free shipping for our customers,” said Chris Preston, Director, Amazon Gateway Operations. “Today, with Pittsburgh International Airport as part of our Amazon Air network, we are closer to our customers and can support fast shipping for the items they rely on. We are proud of the investments Amazon has made in the Pittsburgh region and look forward to continued growth.”

In Regions like Western Pennsylvania cargo services great economic benefits due to the downstream economic impacts, including handling companies and trucking. Pittsburgh’s abundant space is the ideal geographic location that makes the perfect business plan to turn the airport into an international logistics center. Other than Amazon Air, Pittsburgh International Airport has also supported Finnair and Qatar Airways causing huge success.

“We are delighted to welcome Amazon Air to Pittsburgh. To have a major logistics company like Amazon locate here reflects confidence in our region and the opportunities at the airport,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “This development, along with Finnair’s announcement, really underscores the fact that Pittsburgh is becoming a significant cargo and distribution hub.”

Pittsburgh is excited about their new collaboration with Amazon Air, they look forward to the possibilities Amazon Air will bring to the growing economy.

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