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Just because we had a short week, thanks to July 4th, doesn't mean the supply chain took time off to enjoy fireworks and BBQ. In fact, it's been firing on all cylinders! FedEx lit up the healthcare sector with a $500M boom in new business. At the same time, UPS dropped a bombshell on 540 workers with plans to close its Baltimore facility. Ocean shipping's feeling the heat too, with Red Sea troubles pushing Asia-U.S. West Coast rates to a sizzling $7,052 per container. Amazon's not chilling either, aiming to spark another Prime Day record with $14.7 billion in sales. Meanwhile, as U.S. and Mexican truckers unite for better conditions and corporate giants scale back due to high interest rates, budget apps Shein and Temu disrupt air cargo markets, straining capacity and inflating rates. So grab a cold one and settle in — we're unpacking all these hot topics and more this week.
First, let's examine FedEx's major victory: a $500 million haul of healthcare contracts that will surely intensify the competition for healthcare logistics dominance against rival UPS.
So far, in 2024, FedEx has taken big leaps in healthcare logistics. They're not just delivering packages anymore but crafting custom quality agreements for delicate medical shipments and upping their tech game. For instance, their FedEx Surround platform now offers real-time tracking and delay alerts, a major perk for time-sensitive medical products. The numbers reveal the benefits: Surround users alone now bring over $1 billion in revenue.
FedEx’s healthcare commitments don't stop at customized shipping procedures- we're talking package-level temperature control and special tags for medical shipments. It's all about getting those crucial supplies where they need to be, fast and safe. And they're not stopping there. FedEx is setting up shop in the Netherlands with a cutting-edge new Life Science Center, promising quick, temperature-controlled deliveries all over Europe. Why the big push? That $500 million is also FedEx flexing their muscles while UPS and DHL nip at their heels in this fiercely competitive space.
UPS is hitting the pause button on its Baltimore hub as part of its ongoing modernization strategy. However, it will impact hundreds of workers beyond the dollars and cents. Here's the scoop on what's going down.
UPS will temporarily close its Baltimore customer center on Vero Road on August 23, 2024, as part of its ambitious "Network of the Future" plan to modernize its operations. The downside? This move means the layoff of 540 employees, adding to the 118 who had already lost their jobs in March. It's a tough blow for sure, but UPS says there's a silver lining. They plan to reopen the facility in late 2025 after a major upgrade. In the meantime, they're promising Baltimore won't miss a beat — nearby facilities are ready to step up and keep packages moving despite the short-term pain.
This closure in Baltimore is just one piece of a much larger puzzle that could save the company $3 billion annually by 2028. Earlier this year, UPS announced plans to close up to 200 facilities over the next five years as part of a nationwide push for modernization. Other strategic closures include a facility in Worcester, Massachusetts, which will consolidate four regional centers, and another in Albany, New York, aimed at increasing capacity. UPS has also shuttered 15 centers in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Ocean freight rates are skyrocketing, and shippers are feeling the pinch. The Red Sea crisis has thrown a wrench in the works, turning what was already a tough situation into a real headache, and there’s more going on than what meets the eye.
What's driving the surge in shipping costs? It's a perfect storm brewing in the Red Sea. Vessel attacks have forced ships to take the long way around, adding 2-3 weeks to their journeys in each direction. Think of the domino effect: longer trips mean more fuel burned, higher operational costs, and a port scheduling nightmare. Hence, freight rates have gone through the roof. We're talking $7,052 per forty-foot container from Asia to the U.S. West Coast and an eye-watering $8,253 to the East Coast. It's not quite the pandemic peak of $10,000+, but it's enough to make shippers wince with fewer ships available and demand staying strong.
Ocean carriers have had no choice but to pull out all the stops to keep things moving and treat their operations like a high-stakes chess game. They're shuffling ships around and trying to plug gaps in their routes. Maersk's CEO, Vincent Clerc, says they're using different-sized ships to fill in the blanks, though he admits it's not a magic fix. Then there's the "blank sailings" strategy — skipping ports or canceling routes to keep schedules somewhat sane. It's a band-aid solution, but it shows how tight things are. With the U.S. peak shipping season looming, it's looking like a case of too much stuff and not enough ships, and prices, as a result, could climb even higher.
Amazon's Prime Day is about to blast off on July 16-17. Even with wallets feeling the pinch, deal-hunters are ready to pounce, with forecasts pointing to a record $14.7 billion in sales in just 48 hours.
Prime Day 2024 is shaping to be a bargain hunter's paradise fueled by ongoing economic pressures. With inflation still biting and interest rates making everyone think twice, shoppers are laser-focused on stretching their dollars. And the timing couldn’t be better- Amazon's average prices have dipped 3% from last year, while consumer electronics are down 10%. The best part for Amazon? They’re benefitting, too. Amazon's revenue is up 10%, they're moving 14% more products, and traffic has jumped 7% year-over-year. Prime Day is clearly becoming a national shopping event, with shoppers strategically timing their big purchases like Black Friday in July.
That said, this year, Amazon's Prime Day faces stiff competition from newcomers like Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop, attracting a fifth of Americans with ultra-low prices. Meanwhile, Walmart and its size, scale, and sales events pose their own threats, with 21% of shoppers now viewing Amazon as increasingly expensive. So, the e-commerce giant is pulling out all the stops. They're transforming Prime Day into a spectacle, even partnering with Megan Thee Stallion to appeal to Gen Z. Amazon is playing the long game, too, by strengthening its cloud computing and ad businesses to keep shoppers hooked.
In a powerful demonstration of cross-border unity, truckers from the US and Mexico are gearing up to drive through West Texas to protest against long-standing issues of low wages and poor working conditions.
About 75 truckers from the US-based Truckers Movement for Justice (TMJ), the Mexico-based United Mexican Carriers (TAMEXUN), and the Binational Carriers Union (STB) will drive a 150-mile protest route in Texas as their way of saying: enough is enough. They demand change and better conditions from the harsh realities facing drivers: violence, poor pay, and tough working conditions. Billy Randel, who started the Truckers Movement for Justice, puts it simply: they want "justice" and "respect." Pay is also a big issue, with some drivers seeing their wages drop from 30 to 19 cents per mile.
Beyond low wages, truckers in the Permian Basin oil region also confront dangerous roads, hours of unpaid waiting time, and sky-high costs without basic amenities like decent restrooms. But crossing the border into Mexico, things get even dicier. Drivers there face daily threats of theft and violence, with authorities barely lifting a finger to help. The numbers are shocking: 700 cargo truck thefts in just five months of 2024, and over 65% of those involved violence. Unsurprisingly, many Mexican drivers are looking for work in the US, even if the conditions there are far from perfect.
As companies deal with higher interest rates and borrowing costs, some of the biggest names on the market are creatively and strategically scaling back their supply-chain finance programs and short-term financing strategies.
First, AT&T's making waves, slashing its supply-chain finance from $5 billion to $2 billion in just 12 months. Why the drastic move? CFO Pascal Desroches explains that short-term financing has become a financial migraine, thanks to the Fed's aggressive rate hikes. But not everyone's singing the same tune. Keurig Dr Pepper takes a different approach, wheeling and dealing with vendors. By negotiating lower prices on goods in exchange for dialing back financing programs, they see it as a way to kill two birds with one stone: tackling sky-high borrowing costs while trimming the fat off their expenses.
Krispy Kreme is another example of a company getting smart about its money in these uncertain times. They've put their vendor financing on a serious diet, trimming it from a hefty $139.1 million to a lean $29.6 million. Beyond pinching pennies, this move could also give their earnings a sweet boost year after year. Rather than mere cost-cutting, these strategies maintain a competitive edge by maximizing resources and flexibly maneuvering through a challenging market.
Lastly, brace for turbulence in air cargo. As Temu and Shein soar, they're sparking a fierce battle for freight space from China. With peak season looming, skyrocketing rates and shrinking capacity are forcing logistics players to get creative. How will the industry weather this perfect storm?
The meteoric rise of Temu and Shein has ignited a cargo space war from China, sending shockwaves through the air freight industry. With these e-commerce giants commandeering over 30% of capacity on some routes, freight rates have surged 40% year-over-year during what should be the off-season. Traditional commodities like electronics and perishables are now jostling for dwindling space, as spot rates from South China to the U.S. doubled to $5.27 per kilogram in late June. Xeneta's Chief Airfreight Officer, Niall van de Wouw, sounds the alarm: unprepared shippers are in for a rough ride ahead.
With these conditions, DHL Global Forwarding urges clients to secure contracts now, even at premium rates. CEO Tim Scharwath warns that October's last-minute requests might face rejection due to the capacity squeeze. The numbers add context: IATA reports a 12.7% surge in global airfreight demand, outpacing a 10.3% capacity increase in the first four months of 2023, with Asia-Pacific demand soaring 14% in April alone. Add Red Sea shipping disruptions, and the air transport pressure cooker intensifies. And it will only intensify more as Temu and Shein's aggressive pricing and direct-from-factory model reshape e-commerce, with Amazon following suit. Adapt or risk being left on the tarmac.
As the logistics world lights up with FedEx's boom, UPS's bust, and e-commerce giants setting the air cargo market ablaze and beyond, your supply chain needs a steady hand more than ever. That’s where Intelligent Audit and its solutions can help you out with the following:
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