10 questions about Freight Spend Management. There are numerous ways a shipper can reduce freight spend. And freight costs are continuing to rise, pushed upward by factors such as globalized distribution and unpredictable fuel prices. Supply Chain Movement and software vendor Eyefreight have developed this checklist to provide to pinpoint the key drivers of Freight Spend Management. This is an important aspect of managing freight spend. MORE

Source: Evan, Flikr. “I I will be wrong again,” I stated last year before making my supply chain and logistics predictions for 2017 , and I was right. But I was right with some of my other predictions, especially my prediction that we would see a rise in cyber attacks in 2017, with supply chain and logistics operations becoming new targets. UPS Joins Top Alliance To Create Blockchain Standards For Logistics. SophiaTX Open Source Platform to Integrate SAP, Blockchain. MORE

Freight In The Year Of The Monkey. China’s role in world trade is so large that even small changes can have a broad impact on the international freight industry. So we’ve mapped out five changing Chinese trends that will echo throughout global logistics this year, carving out opportunities for ambitious logistics experts to realize serious gains. Image Source: Brics-Info.org. China-US freight is getting Amazon’ed. Freight Insights MORE

Moving on to the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week… XPO Logistics to Acquire Norbert Dentressangle SA. Fetch Robotics Unveils Robotics System for Logistics Industry. US Navy to accompany US-flagged ships in Persian Gulf after Iran seizes vessel (Fox News). UPS Freight Adds LNG Tractors. Norbert Dentressangle has leading capabilities in high-growth reverse logistics. Note: JDA Software is Talking Logistics sponsor. MORE

Iran and Spain were highly infected. A natural starting point is the level of single, or sole sourcing, that is put in place. A sole source is a supplier selected because they are uniquely able to provide the materials or components, whether by virtue of intellectual property or other means of going to market with exclusivity. While sole sourcing can provide competitive advantage, and while single sourcing can provide enhanced terms (eg. Subscribe Here! MORE

The huge build-up of containers at China’s docks has created a major ocean freight imbalance, with a shortage of cargo in US and European ports and a shortfall in boxes needed by Western exporters to ship products to other parts of the world. When it comes to air freight, global capacity is down 22 percent compared to last year, with further declines expected. Ocean Freight. Air Freight. Ocean Freight. Air Freight. Ocean Freight. Air Freight. MORE

Freight Rates News. Freight and logistics trends that rate in the news. Check out our roundup of nearly 100 digital logistics/supply chain sources. OUR TAKE There is a lot more flexibility with parcel delivery, but some aspects of this change also applies to freight. First up, no surprises, China slowdown and depressed commodity prices, then the lifting of sanctions on Iran. Overcapacity has plunged freight rates, profit, and prompted mergers. MORE

bln in Hong Kong secondary listing -sources. Germany’s cabinet passed a national hydrogen strategy on Wednesday as part of a wider push to decarbonise Europe’s largest economy, government sources said. German freight tech start-up Sennder merges with France's Everoad. German freight technology firm Sennder said on Tuesday it was merging with French peer Everoad in a deal that keeps it on track for its target of 1 billion euros ($1.1 MORE