The Friday Report: November 6th, 2020

Support for Digitization in Shipping Industry Sails Forward

To propel the adoption of digitization in the shipping industry, the Digital Container Shipping Association (DSCA) published standardized electronic data definitions for the port call process.  Adoption of digitization will help improve operational efficiency and facilitate just-in-time execution of port calls.  In addition, this will help reduce CO2 emissions and aid in facilitating vessel speed optimization, providing environmental benefits and reducing fuel consumption.

The idea of digital collaboration is not new and is in widespread use in other areas of the supply chain such as via electronic data interchange (EDI) between supply chain trading partners.  Digital collaboration between terminals, ports and shipping carriers could play a significant part in the creation of integrated systems.

For more details, please continue reading here.

Move Over Superheroes, Exoskeletons Are Arriving on the Factory Floor

Is it really so far fetched that “Iron Man” suits may be used to provide mechanical assistance to humans doing heavy duty manual work?  Not so fast.  High tech exoskeletons have been developed and are already in use to help augment human capabilities.  Several automobile manufacturers are in the process of evaluating exoskeleton technology.  Car makers General Motors, Ford and Hyundai are in this group.

The exoskeleton suits began during a wave of development of technology tools designed to help people who were unable to walk or stand on their own.  Now used in factories, workers wearing exoskeletons find the suits useful in reducing fatigue and injuries.  Exoskeletons have been found to be especially useful for workers who must perform repetitive tasks.

For more details, please continue reading here.

E-Commerce Boom Leads to Spot Rate Changes for Lanes

With warehouses being built in new markets, drivers and fleets are now traveling to locations which had not normally been traversed.  This is leading to new assessments of what these lanes are worth.  As the contract season is ramping up, shippers and fleets are negotiating for these new lanes and this takes time.

Spot rates for new lanes occur immediately.  Here is how the value of new lanes is determined:

• A driver or fleet will either pass on an offer from a load board or accept the rate offered.
• As more of these rates are accepted, this establishes a market value.
• Here is how a new rate is developed. The market value is then used by shippers and carriers as the assessment for an annual contract for the lane. The process takes months to establish a value for the lane.

 For more details, please continue reading here.