Ocean Freight Contracts: How Data Steers One Shipper’s Approach
Shippers are turning to data analytics to reshape ocean‑freight contracts amid heightened market volatility. Bluspark’s consulting platform helps Emser Tile integrate multi‑dimensional metrics—rates, carrier performance, vessel routes, and port efficiency—into procurement decisions. By visualizing these data points, Emser Tile can assess landed‑cost implications of sourcing shifts, such as moving production from Vietnam to Turkey. The approach also fosters strategic collaboration with carriers, balancing cost control with reliable service delivery.
How AI Is Changing Food Supply Chains
The pandemic disrupted food supply chains, making logistics resilience critical. Because food is perishable, companies like CookUnity must guarantee precise, temperature‑controlled deliveries. AI platforms such as Blue Yonder now act as a “copilot,” boosting demand forecasts from 50‑60% to 80‑90%...
WD-40 Braces for Iran War Impact on Supply Costs
WD‑40 warned that the Iran‑driven oil shock is raising the price of petroleum‑based specialty chemicals used in its formulas. The company said the cost increase will take 90‑120 days to filter through inventory and affect gross margins, with the first...
Sportsman’s Warehouse Hones in on Inventory Timing
Sportsman’s Warehouse trimmed its inventory by $29.1 million, an 8.5% year‑over‑year decline, and plans to keep levels lower throughout 2026. CFO Jennifer Fall Jung said the spring inventory will arrive later to improve turns, while the retailer continues SKU rationalization, especially...
UPS Growing RFID Usage to Boost Shipper Visibility, Trim Manual Scans
UPS announced a U.S.-wide expansion of its RFID package‑sensing system, adding sensors to hubs later this year and offering RFID label‑printing to customers in 2026‑27. The rollout aims to eliminate nearly 20 million manual scans each day, improving visibility and delivery...
Iran War Is ‘a Concern, but It’s Not a Worry,’ Los Angeles Port Director Says
The Port of Los Angeles says the Iran war is a concern but not a worry for its operations, noting no current disruptions despite ongoing Middle East tensions. March throughput fell 3% year‑over‑year to 752,520 TEUs, while April is projected...
PVH Expects Improved Tariff Mitigation Results in 2026
PVH Corp., the parent of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, expects $195 million in gross tariff costs for 2026 and plans to offset 60% of that impact, double the mitigation achieved in 2025. The company’s guidance assumes a 15% duty rate that the...
Norfolk Southern Focuses on Freight Growth in Latest Partnership
Norfolk Southern announced a partnership with Jaguar Transport Holdings to expand capacity at its Doraville transload facility near Atlanta. Jaguar will manage local switching and fund yard upgrades, boosting freight handling and truck‑to‑rail connections. The initiative aligns with NS’s strategy...
Why Agentic AI Is Emerging as the Next Layer of the Modern TMS
Logistics teams are drowning in repetitive, high‑fatigue tasks such as shipment tracking, invoice reconciliation, and carrier performance monitoring. Shipwell’s new transportation management system (TMS) embeds agentic AI that automates these “invisible” workflows, delivering real‑time alerts and optimization suggestions while keeping...
Strategic Intermodal Integration: Efficiency, Visibility and the New Length-of-Haul
Intermodal freight is shedding its reputation as a slow, low‑visibility option as carriers like Werner Enterprises introduce GPS‑tracked containers and proprietary EDGE technology. These advances make regional rail‑truck combos competitive on 600‑ to 1,000‑mile lanes, delivering truck‑plus‑one‑day transit, end‑to‑end visibility,...
Building Resilient Supply Chains in an Era of Constant Disruption
Supply chain volatility has become the new normal for manufacturers, prompting a shift from reactive tactics to proactive resilience. Leading firms are embedding visibility, integrated processes, and cloud‑based technology into the product development lifecycle to anticipate risks before they materialize....
CBP: Tariff Refund Process Will Take 60-90 Days to Issue Returns
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that its new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system will take 60‑90 days to issue tariff refunds for eligible entries, extending the previously stated 45‑day window. The agency reports the system is...
Georgia Ports Authority to Open Inland Port, Targeting Manufacturers
The Georgia Ports Authority will launch the Gainesville Inland Port in May, a $134 million rail terminal that can handle 200,000 containers a year and links directly to the Port of Savannah’s 40 weekly ship calls. The facility targets roughly 330...
Target Fuels Next-Day Delivery Expansion with Shipt
Target is expanding its Shipt‑powered next‑day delivery service, called Target Last Mile Delivery Direct, to 20 additional metropolitan areas this spring. By the end of 2026, more than 100 stores across 50 markets will ship orders directly from the retail...
Lamb Weston Warns of Supply Chain Pressures Amid Iran War
Lamb Weston warned that the ongoing Iran war could spark heightened volatility in key commodities such as packaging and fuel, adding pressure to its already‑tight margins. The company now projects a 250‑ to 300‑basis‑point decline in adjusted gross margin for...
