“Thank you for your service.”
I have to admit, I never used to say that to active duty military men and women at the airport, or to veterans at the coffee shop, or anywhere else where I might see them. It’s only been in my graying years that I have gotten in the habit of thanking them.
This past Monday, my oldest son Matthew boarded a flight to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri to begin basic training. He’ll be there for 10 weeks, then spend another 12 weeks at Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning in Georgia. Upon completion, he’ll be a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves.
What drives a young man or woman to serve their country? Why did my son, who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cornell this past May with a degree in Computer Science and has a job waiting for him at a leading financial firm, decide to join the Army Reserves? I can’t (and won’t) answer for him, but he made his decision more than a year ago. When he told my wife and me, after we visited the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, he summarized his decision this way: “I know if I don’t do it, I will always regret it.”
Other than a scripted text that he arrived safely at Fort Leonard Wood and will be “in processing for the next few days,” we haven’t heard from Matthew yet. He won’t have his phone for most of basic training, so we’ll be writing letters to each other, which I’m actually looking forward to. Writing letters, which I loved to do when I was in college, is a lost art.
I can’t wait to see my son again, standing tall in uniform. I will hug him and kiss him, and after “I love you” and “I’m so proud of you,” I will step back and look at my son, the man he’s become, and be among the first to say to him, “Thank you for your service.”
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Moving on, here is the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention today:
- UPS to Acquire Estafeta, Providing Powerful Global Logistics Solutions and Trade Opportunities for Customers in Mexico and Beyond
- XPO Launches Significant Expansion of Cross-Border Mexico LTL Service
- U.S. Importers Are Rushing Goods in Early Ahead of Shipping Disruptions (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- How a Canada railroad workers’ strike could affect supply chains (Supply Chain Dive)
- C.H. Robinson Launches Digital Dispatch To Maximize Efficiency And Earnings For Carriers
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 1.6% in June
- Kodiak makes first driverless haul on Texas oilfield (CCJ)
- FedEx Tests eActros 300 Electric Tractor in Linehaul Operations in the United Kingdom
- Shipping’s Carbon Emissions Soar as Houthi Attacks Fuel Longer Voyages (gCaptain)
- When This Supply-Chain Essential Goes Missing, It’s Time to Bring in the ‘Pallet Detectives’ (WSJ – sub. req’d)
Mexico’s Growing Role in Trade and Logistics
As reported by the AP this past February, “For the first time in more than two decades, Mexico [in 2023] surpassed China as the leading source of goods imported by the United States.”
And in a survey we conducted earlier this year with members of our Indago supply chain research community — who are all supply chain and logistics executives from manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies — Mexico topped the list of countries they plan to add to their global supply chains in the next 3 years (see “Is China’s Role In Your Supply Chain Increasing Or Decreasing?”).
This helps explain, in part, why logistics service providers are investing in Mexico. The latest examples are UPS and XPO.
UPS announced this week that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Estafeta, a leading Mexican express delivery company. Here’s what Carol Tomé, UPS’s chief executive officer, says in the press release:
“Global supply chains are shifting, Mexico’s role in global trade is growing, and Mexican SMB and manufacturing sectors are looking for reliable access to the US market. There is no better way to capitalize on these trends than by combining the size and scale of UPS with Estafeta. As the shift to nearshoring continues, our combined business will give customers in Mexico unprecedented access to global markets with seamless service and greater efficiency.”
And XPO recently announced “a major expansion of its cross-border service between the US and Mexico with the launch of XPO Mexico+.” Mario Harik, chief executive officer of XPO, says the following in the press release:
“For more than 40 years, our North American network has set the standard for LTL freight transportation between the US and Mexico. Now, we’re at the forefront of growth in cross-border trade, with nearshoring trends driving increasing demand for LTL services. XPO Mexico+ delivers an industry-leading network of border crossing points, expanded Mexico coverage and purpose-built technology. Our customers‘ shipments arrive safely and on time, with door-to-door visibility.”
Simply put, the growing role of Mexico in global trade and logistics is one of the key trends that will shape the market in the years ahead. I’ll write more about this in a future post, but check out “Nearshoring To Mexico Is Booming: What Shippers Need To Know To Keep Up” for related commentary.
And with that, have a meaningful weekend!
Song of the Week: “The Promise” by When In Rome
