Putting an NFL team in London? Could that really work? The NFL International Series games that have been played in Wembley Stadium have been a success to date. But will there be enough interest for a full-time team in London? And of course, the logistics are a substantial barrier with competitor teams between 3,000 and 7,000 miles away. But wait. Didn’t I just read about a group of enthusiasts looking to revive the Concorde jet liner? It sounds like a match made in heaven! Finally, the Concorde has a consistent, reliable, and sensible charter – the weekly transatlantic NFL team flight that can transport the team from London to New York or vice versa in 3 hours. Definitely doable!
And now on to this week’s news:
- Transplace Acquires M33 Integrated
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 0.9% in August
- The Inevitable Rise of the Internet of Shipping Containers
- China manufacturing index falls to 6.5 year low in September
- Durable-goods orders fall for first time in 3 months
- Truck hauling hamburger crashes, burns in Michigan, turns into massive cookout for commuters
Transplace announced that it has acquired M33 Integrated, a 3PL based in South Carolina with strengths in packaging, advanced materials, and chemicals. M33 offers its own cloud-based TMS, the Blackbeard Suite. M33 Integrated’s Greensboro, NC operations center and Greenville, SC technology center will serve as Transplace’s Southeastern center of excellence, and will be part of the company’s Transportation Management business.
ATA’s for-hire truck tonnage index declined a modest 0.9 percent in August, following a revised increase of 3.1 percent for July. However, August 2015 is up 2.1 percent compared to July of 2014. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello stated that soft housing starts and falling factory output likely hindered August’s reading. He also stated concern about high inventory levels across the supply chain which could hinder truck volumes over the next few months.
Shipping containers have certainly transformed multimodal logistics for the better. And the internet of things is all the buzz these days. This article on the internet of shipping containers notes a new mobile resource management solution from Blackberry Technology Solutions that is designed for remote management of devices such as shipping containers. The device contains a GPS, sensors, and a modem. However, similar devices have been available for years from providers such as SkyBitz. Reportedly, what differentiates this device is its battery that has a five year life span. Time will tell if this product offers enough value at a reasonable price point to differentiate it from the existing solutions already available today.
China’s economy is once again signaling softness. The preliminary Caixin/Markit index fell to 47 from for September from a reading of 47.3 in August (readings below 50 generally represent a decline). This reading represents the sixth straight monthly decline for the index. I personally find the PMI numbers to be somewhat contradictory to the forecast growth rates for the overall Chinese economy. Although the PMI has been in negative territory for the last six months, the overall Chinese economy is still expected by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) to growth by 6.9 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank expects China’s economy to grow by 6.8 percent this year, still a robust growth rate by international and historical standards.
US durable goods orders fell in August, marking the first time in the last three months that this has occurred. The decline was a modest 2 percent and possibly reflects seasonal factors that are not captured by the seasonal adjustment factors utilized. Looking specifically at transportation equipment, new orders decreased 5.8 percent after two months of increases; unfilled orders also decreased after two monthly increases, by 0.3 percent; and inventories rose by 0.7 percent.
Finally, a spontaneous, roadside barbeque occurred in Michigan after a truck hauling hamburger caught on fire. Nearby motorists took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy free grilled hamburgers with other commuters as they were caught in traffic behind a great smelling accident. Luckily a couple vending trucks were nearby to serve the soda and provide the appropriate condiments.
Have a great weekend. This week’s video, the Concorde jet- bring it back!
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