I’ve just returned from Transplace’s Shipper Symposium, my first in-person event in more than 18 months. I’ll share my takeaways in an upcoming post, but here’s a quick observation that we all instinctively know: it’s the learning and networking that takes place during the meals and breaks that really set in-person events apart from virtual ones.
Moving on, here is the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:
- Rising Shipping Costs Are Companies’ Latest Inflation Riddle (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- UPS enters into agreement to acquire Roadie
- Echo Global Logistics enters into Definitive Merger Agreement to be acquired by The Jordan Company for $48.25 per share in cash
- Big Truckers Say Vaccine Mandate Could Push Drivers Away (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- Kellogg investing $45M to revamp North American supply chain (Supply Chain Dive)
- Ford, Walmart and Argo AI team up to launch autonomous vehicle delivery service (Reuters)
- Embark Partners with Ryder to Launch Nationwide Network of Up to 100 Freight Transfer Points for Autonomous Fleets
- Google Cloud Brings End-to-End Visibility to Supply Chains with New Supply Chain Twin Solution
- Logistics startup Stord raises $90M in Kleiner Perkins-led round, becomes a unicorn and acquires a company (TechCrunch)
- TrueCommerce Acquires DiCentral
- Vector.ai’s productivity platform for freight forwarders raises $15M A round led by Bessemer (TechCrunch)
- FMC’s first move in crackdown on ‘excessive and inappropriate’ D&D charges (The Loadstar)
- Toyota ditches signature ‘just-in-time’ to fight chip crunch (Nikkei Asia)
- China applies to join Pacific trade pact to boost economic clout (Reuters)
- Food fraud and counterfeit cotton: the detectives untangling the global supply chain (The Guardian)
- Cass Transportation Index Report August 2021
Having been out of the office all week, I’m in serious catch up mode today. So, I’ll share my commentary another day. Until then, have a happy weekend!
Song of the Week: “Anna Sun” by Walk the Moon
