The Wall Street Journal — The trucking industry is stepping up efforts to pass legislation that would curb the ability of states to regulate the business and make it harder for drivers to sue their employers for back pay.



A group of drivers from some of the largest carriers in the country, including Ryder System, Inc., U.S. Xpress Inc.,  Swift Transportation Co., J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and Werner Enterprises Inc.  visited last week with Democratic senators from the Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. 

BCG Perspectives — For many major B2B enterprises, logistics networks have never been more complex. The increasing prevalence of operations that are global-with growing numbers of production sites and clients that could be anywhere on earth-has introduced challenges that didn't exist to the same degree at an earlier time. The good news is that there has also never before been a moment when there were more tools and more opportunities to optimize logistics costs than now.

Fast Company — Though Shyp is often described, inevitably, as "Uber for packages," that undersells its ambition. As with many other so-called on-demand startups, a lot of unseen innovation goes into the simple-seeming service. And in the shipping industry, it's tough to think of a truly disruptive entrant since 1973, when FedEx (nee Federal Express) introduced the mind-blowing concept of overnight delivery.

Reuters — Amazon.com Inc is quietly inviting drivers for its new "on-demand" delivery service to handle its standard packages, as the online retailer known for low prices and razor-thin profit margins looks to speed up delivery times and tamp down its growing multi-billion dollar logistics bill. 

EBN — As manufacturing gets smarter with Industry 4.0 and the ever-expanding Industrial Internet of Things, the workforce skills needed to deploy new technology are falling behind. Baby Boomers are retiring and taking their decades worth of experience out the door, while the newly graduated engineers are not prepared for the brave new world of smart plants.

Logistics Viewpoints — Flashback to 2013, just three short years ago, and you will be reminded of an unstable shipping market with high freight demand and capacity issues for shippers. Today, the slowing global growth of the economy and success of the omni-channel world have shifted those challenges. Multi-channel retailers are working to keep up with consumer expectations created by eCommerce companies. And with the increased demand from consumers, shippers are now faced with even more pressures from big box retailers. They are expected to get their product to a retailer at the lowest cost and also when the retailer wants it, or pay the price - literally. Sound familiar? If you've shipped into a retailer over the past year or so, you've likely felt these pressures. 

Supplychain247 — Amazon.com Inc is quietly inviting drivers for its new "on-demand" delivery service to handle its standard packages, as the online retailer known for low prices and razor-thin profit margins looks to speed up delivery times and tamp down its growing multi-billion dollar logistics bill. 

Industryweek — Two measures commonly used by the government to measure manufacturing's overall impact on society are badly underestimating the impact of that critical sector. One is the proportion of gross domestic product for which manufacturing accounts. The other is the "multiplier effect," which measures the impact on other industries from an increase in economic activity by a specific industry.

Supplychain247 — If successful, the initiative would radically alter the current liner shipping landscape and leave the eight remaining carriers of the Ocean Three, CKYHE and G6 alliances in the lurch. 

MHL News — Looking at issues, challenges and opportunities that manufacturing companies face, a new report, State of the Global Supply Chain, found that 40% of manufacturing companies reported a supply chain disruption that impacted their business over the past 12 months. Despite this, less than a quarter (24%) currently have a Chief Supply Chain Officer in place to help orchestrate the response, and an additional 41% said they have no plans to hire one.

Industryweek — The development of the automotive industry also has had a positive impact on the logistics sector. "In the U.S., we are seeing a significant growth in our operations because of Mexico's automotive boom, which positively affects us." says Frank Guenzerodt, president & CEO of logistics services provider Dachser USA.

MHI’s new Career Forum  enables manufacturing and supply chain professionals to view current job postings of MHI member companies. Go to http://www.mhi.org/careers to find the perfect opportunity for you.

Supply Chain Management Review — Increasing wealth and an emerging middle class will present new opportunities for U.S. shippers in the ASEAN marketplace comprising the nations of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. But as recent research indicates, significant logistics challenges remain in getting the entire bloc fully integrated.

EBN — One of the coolest places we are seeing IoT/M2M technology may be in the logistics areas. Smart trailers are making the whole supply chain smarter. One of the coolest places we are seeing IoT/M2M technology may be in the logistics areas. Smart trailers are making the whole supply chain smarter. EBN Dialogue enables you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries.

MHL News — Fresh and refrigerated foods continue to gain in popularity as consumers demand healthier foods and shun preservatives. One need only visit a local supermarket, peruse restaurant menus or count the number of nearby farmer's markets to know this is true, but statistics also support the claim. 

McKinsey & Co. — In debates about whether growth is a percentage point up or down, we too often lose sight of the absolute scale of China's economy. No matter what rate the country grows at in 2016, its share of the global economy, and of many specific sectors, will be larger than ever. My snapshot of China in 2016? An increasingly diverse, volatile, $11 trillion economy whose performance is becoming more and more difficult to describe as one dimensional.