Chain Links: What we're reading (and watching) this week

Putting the pieces together

As a way of testing the skills of its technicians, Ryder took one of its new tractor cabs and put it through a gauntlet of destruction that included an exploding debris field, a destructive spike strip, and the impact of a two-ton wrecking ball. Then, Ryder gave a team of 10 of its technicians 24 hours to repair it. 

Source: Ryder System via YouTube  

 

Wal-Mart’s Suppliers Are Finally Fighting Back

Wal-Mart has a long history of demanding that its suppliers meet high standards while simultaneously squeezing costs out of their supply chains. But new storage fees and a 90-day payment schedule are causing some suppliers to push back.

Source: Bloomberg Business

 

How the new CBP requirements may affect your global shipments

On Aug. 31, 2015, Customs and Border Protection announced that the mandatory deadline for filing ACE Entry Summaries and ACE Cargo Release Entries has been delayed from Nov. 1, 2015 to Feb. 28, 2016. What does this mean for global shippers? Craig Seelig, WiseTech Global product manager for customs and compliance Americas, explains, and tells why it’s important to take action now.

Source: WiseTech Global

  

A Hard Road: Why CPG Companies Need a Strategic Approach to Transportation

Transporting goods to retailers is now the greatest worry of consumer-packaged-goods supply chain leaders, according to the 2015 Supply Chain Benchmarking Study conducted by Boston Consulting Group and the Grocery Manufacturers Association. More than 80 percent of the leaders interviewed cited transportation as their top-of-mind concern.

Source: Boston Consulting Group

 

Amazon’s new Boston warehouse could be springboard for one-hour delivery

Amazon.com Inc. has leased a 96,600-square-foot section of a food and beverage warehouse in the Boston suburb of Everett, Mass., sparking speculation that the e-commerce giant is laying the groundwork for one-hour delivery in the region.

Source: The Boston Globe

 

California's Department of Transportation seeks to build largest animal bridge in the country

Doing so would allow wildlife to avoid dangerous freeways and spread back into other natural areas of the state.

Source: Consumeraffairs.com

 

Summit will show how logistics can impact sports

Sports will take center stage during the 13th annual Indiana Logistics Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Indianapolis when three key executives of major sports organizations share stories of their biggest logistics issues. Executives from the Indianapolis Colts, INDYCAR, and NCAA will participate in a segment titled “A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Logistics in Sports” to discuss how logistics is a critical success factor for sports.

Pete Ward, Indianapolis Colts chief operating officer, will recount his team’s legendary 1984 nighttime move from Baltimore to Indianapolis with nine hours’ notice, and what goes into taking an NFL team on the road week after week.

Source: Batesville (Indiana) Herald-Tribune