Transportation TIP List: Week of March 19th, 2017

As the spring season begins, shippers are adjusting to the seasonality of produce and retailers are incorporating warmer-weather wares into their stores. And this week’s TIP List is also in “full bloom” with stories about transformational industry trends like the launch of UberFreight and the impact of wind power on shipping. Spring into all of the stories below!

• Uber: The Newest Entry on Your Carrier Scorecard: Uber officially launched UberFreight right after Christmas last year, but there still isn’t much information on the homepage other than its creative tagline: “We’re in for the long haul.”

• The Next Innovation in Shipping: Wind Power: More than a century after shifting away from wind power, the shipping industry is looking at ways to harness ocean breezes once again—this time to reduce reliance on fossil fuel.

• Tax Refunds are Coming in Slowly, and Retailers May be Feeling It: U.S. shoppers spent more cautiously in February despite the mild weather, possibly because of the slower pace of tax refunds. Retail sales increased 0.1%, matching economists’ predictions.

• March Madness: Conflicts and Confines that Make Up the NCAA Apparel Supply Chain: March Madness is here and most of the focus is on brackets and buzzer-beaters, but there is another source of drama: the supply chain and labor behind the athletes’ outfits and equipment.

• Dedicated Trucking a Ray of Light After Tough 2016: The largest U.S. truckload carriers made the best of a bad year in 2016, as truckload rates tanked and fuel prices and surcharges fell, pulling down revenue.

As you see new industry technologies emerge, which would you consider adopting in your organization?