GlobeCon Freight Blog

Last mile delivery has long been one of the toughest challenges for ecommerce retailers. That hasn’t changed, but now that more buyers than ever are turning to online shopping channels to get the products they want consumer expectations for delivery speed and service are increasing rapidly. Even some of the biggest big box retailers are having difficulty keeping up with mounting demand.

The disruption that defined 2020 is still impacting most retail supply chains in the U.S. in significant ways. As the dust continues to settle, a number of trends will almost certainly transform the retail outlook in the years to come. 

Container imbalance is a perennial issue that plagues the freight forwarding industry, but never before has it felt like such an insurmountable obstacle. The extreme circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic have pushed this slowly growing but persistent challenge to the forefront.

If the global supply chain is to operate as efficiently as possible, intermodal containers must flow harmoniously between destinations to ensure supply is able to meet demand. The economic effects of COVID-19, however, have created a gross imbalance between capacity and demand.

Let’s take a deep dive into the current container imbalance and what it means for the industry as we move forward into a new year.

With the near certainty that Joe Biden will be the next U.S. president, eyes are turning toward carbon emissions regulations that will impact the freight industry.

Experts predict a focus on vehicle emissions, specifically tight standards for trucks and incentives to replace fossil-fuel powered vehicles with electric ones. There is also the possibility of federal regulations on emissions for retailers and shippers, with a focus on Scope 3 emissions that come from the supply chain.

While tighter standards are undoubtedly good for the planet, a new regulatory regime has the potential to shake up the shipping and logistics industry. As pressure from the federal government, large economies like California, and consumer demand increases, large companies will be looking for ways to cut emissions — and many will heavily scrutinize their supply chains.

The most likely scenario is that new regulations (and new spending and support from the public sector) will accelerate several sustainability trends that are already under way in the freight industry. 

COVID-19 has rocked the freight world in expected and unexpected ways, and many businesses have struggled to keep up. As we enter the final quarter of 2020, a lot of uncertainties about the future of the industry remain.

One of those uncertainties is centered around transpacific freight. Right now, surging transpacific volume is causing problems on both sides of the Pacific. From an imbalance in intermodal container availability to the increasing importance of dual transactions at key logistics hubs, the heat is on. How are you going to adapt?

Here are our recommendations for keeping pace amid an ever-evolving situation.