Articles

Public Policy

Uncle Sam’s Infrastructure Spending, Explained

Uncle Sam’s Infrastructure Spending, Explained

With several key federal bills that bring dollars to logistics and transportation infrastructure passing recently, it can be hard to keep track of which funds are going where—and what it all means for supply chain and manufacturing professionals. Commercial real estate firm Savills breaks it down: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Signed into law by […]

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Cynthia Bergmann

Alleviating Gridlock: A Chicago Case Study

To improve the flow of rail operations in the Chicago area, Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman tasked Amtrak’s Gateway Blue Ribbon panel with examining rail congestion in Chicago and offering recommendations to improve traffic flow and alleviate gridlock. The panel derived its recommendations from extensive interviews with freight and passenger rails; federal, state, and local government […]

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Kae-Por Chang

Doing Business in China

Q: What do I need to know about doing business in China? A: Most companies today know why China is a great place for business for manufacturing, regional distribution, and domestic consumption. What companies may not know is that the logistics costs of doing business in China are quite high. China’s trade rules and regulations […]

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Trends—September 2015

Trends—September 2015

Rising Labor Costs Eat Into Fast Food Supply Chains When New York State’s wage board voted to raise minimum pay to $15 in July 2015, it set tails wagging around the country. The wage hike, which will be phased in over the next three years upon approval by the state’s labor commissioner, only applies to […]

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Kathryn C. Thomas

Positive Train Control: Negative Impact On Railroads?

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) mandates that Positive Train Control (PTC), a set of advanced technologies designed to stop or slow a train before accidents occur, be implemented across approximately 60,000 miles of the nation’s rail lines by Dec. 31, 2015. Class I railroad main lines that handle any poisonous, inhalation, or […]

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Steve Syfan

Outsourcing to a Third-Party Logistics Provider

Q: From a shipping perspective, how can manufacturers best address today’s increasing regulations and demand volatility? A: Outsource your shipping to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. The answer might sound a bit self-serving, but I believe most manufacturers would agree if they took the time to crunch the numbers. A 3PL is much more familiar […]

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Chris Scott

A Fresh Route for Latin American Produce

More than 21 million metric tons of fruits and vegetables were imported into the United States in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Approximately 35 percent of that produce comes from Central and South America. While Latin American perishable exports have grown dramatically in recent years, some logistical shortcomings prevent maximum cold […]

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