Transportation TIP List: Week of June 12th, 2016

Transportation TIP List: Week of June 12th, 2016

With Father’s Day being celebrated this weekend, many loyal sons and daughters are looking for the perfect tie, grill accessory or tech novelty to gift to their loving dads. And since necessity is the “father” of invention, we’re showcasing some inventive trends in transportation in this week’s TIP List. Read on for all of the details on truck parking tech, digital beacons and potential disruptions in the ocean supply chain.

• Parking a Truck is a Pain in the Butt. Tech to the Rescue!: If you drive for a living, it stands to reason that you’d excel at parking. Long-haul truckers may be the exception, as they struggle with it because there simply aren’t enough parking spots.

• Beacons are Shaking Up the Consumer Packaged Goods Market: Beacons, which communicate with smartphone apps via Bluetooth, are helping brick-and-mortar retailers enhance customer loyalty, gather data about their customers and provide an entry point for in-store shoppers to become more digitally engaged.

• Final Version of Next Phase of Truck Emissions, Fuel Economy Regulations Advances: A final rule that will further entrench emissions standards and set fuel economy standards for tractor-trailers has advanced closer to publication by being sent to the White House this week for review.

• Confusion Over Liners’ Policies Post-IMO Circular Suggests Disruption Ahead: When the IMO called for leniency after the SOLAS container weight rule takes effect on July 1, some shippers took it to mean that container lines would agree to load containers without a verified gross mass declaration – the latest harbinger that disruption will hit many ports in three weeks.

• North American Intermodal Rebound Not Expected Until Late 2016: The North American intermodal market has weathered the worst of the storm and should begin to see the first green shoots of growth by the end of this year – and peak season turnaround could end historically low pricing.

• Auto-Parts Makers Invest in Mexico, China on Production Strength: Three top auto-industry suppliers are investing a combined almost $500 million in two of the biggest vehicle production hubs, China and Mexico, in new signs of confidence that global demand for cars will continue to rise.

• Supply Chain Keeps America Moving and Working: The intricacies of the nation’s supply chain happen in plain sight every day. And the sector essential to the nation’s commerce and trade looks to create millions of new jobs over the next decade.

What industry technology advancements are you keeping an eye on?