I draw on personal experiences to form my opinion for many things I write about. When I do this, my writing is still fiction but broadly based on real happenings somewhere, sometime. My experiences enable me to form ‘hypotheses,’ but well short of ‘theories,’ and there is a difference between the two. Suppose you use scientific test results, existing accepted data, and research to produce evidence and draw a conclusion. In that case, it is a ‘theory,’ which is as close to a fact as possible and still leaves room for modification or challenge. For a hypothesis, however, it is constructed b ..read more

I recently had a customer ask me for a cargo insurance rate for cargo traveling from Qingdao, China, to Germany.  What is interesting about that? It was for ground rail transit that would have the conveyance moving through both Russia and Ukraine, that’s what.  My customer explained that getting cargo cover was possible because he knew other shippers using the same route. The subject rail route through Russia and Ukraine costs much less than the cargo moving containerized by the ocean route. By its nature, container ocean shipping is more expensive operationally, and container volume ..read more

Thinking of capitalizing on the increasing lithium battery demand? Wade into the business slow, there are perils you should be aware of.  Lithium batteries run everything from pacemakers to automobiles and store our solar energy.  The applications lithium batteries can be used for are almost endless.  Comparing lithium batteries side by side to traditional lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries are the clear winner. From depth of charge, capacity, life span, to efficiency, lithium batteries have turned their acid-lead batteries into dinosaurs. Since most lithium batteries are ma ..read more

Container shippers are enjoying relief from the sky-high container rates of the pandemic. Shipping volume has reduced, and congestion has eased, especially at L.A./Long Beach, all from American consumers keeping their wallets in their pockets more. China to West Coast U.S. rates are now at pre-pandemic levels. The long-asked question of the past several years of container rates returning to normal has been answered, the answer is now. But that brings the question, will the rates level now, or will they continue to drop? After all, some spot rates in select lanes have been bumping up. Is that a ..read more

‘West Coast Port Congestion, The Sequel’ Starring the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is coming soon to a store shelf near you. I am betting you saw the first movie in this series of blockbuster stories ‘West Coast Port Congestion’ and have been waiting for Part II to come along ever since. Wait no more. Yes indeed, Covid-19 is the gift that keeps on giving. Due to a Covid related lockdown that started in March 2022 in Shanghai, China, container traffic has slowed through the mega port. Make no mistake, the port is not shut down, but many of those who work there are. Overall Shanghai has d ..read more

If you are an importer or exporter, one of the things you must think about is cargo insurance. In some select circumstances cargo insurance is not your worry, but often it is your worry.  When is cargo insurance not your worry? Importer The first instance is if you are buying goods from overseas delivered to your door as an importer. This is often done using the Incoterm DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid, Named Destination) for ocean shipments. In short, the seller takes the expense and risk of delivering the goods to the buyer’s door, not including the duty. If the destination door is the clear ..read more

As most of you know, there is an ongoing military action in Ukraine due to Russia invading Ukraine February 24, 2022.  Along with hoping for the best for the people of Ukraine, I must also address what Russia’s military action means to your logistics risk and cargo insurance for your international shipments.  Please review the below four bullets to keep in mind in the current shipping environment.   01.   First and foremost, along with normal excluded, sanction, and embargo countries, availability of cargo insurance to and from Russia and the Ukraine is ..read more

Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago (February 8th, 2021, and then again on May 18th, 2021, to be exact) I wrote two articles forecasting high transportation rates and congestion was not going to recede any time soon. You can find the articles here Why I do not believe LA/LB port congestion will vanish in March. | LinkedIn and Will high ocean container and truckload rates continue? | LinkedIn if you want a refresher. My estimate way back then was high ocean rates persist at least through fall of 2021 and high trucking rates to the end of 2021. For both ocean and ground ..read more

When the pandemic started for us in the United States, my wife and I were on vacation. We were in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which are wetlands straddling the Florida – Georgia line, ‘wetlands’ being code for swamp. The swamp is about 438,000 acres with hiking, fishing, and staying away from alligators as high on the list of things to do. I would like to give Stephen Foster State Park, which calls the swamp home, a special shout out. The place is wonderful. Now some fourteen months later to the week, with more vaccines being given every day, many of our leaders ar ..read more

Are you thinking of getting cargo insurance? What are some things to know before paying for cargo insurance? Damages Does your current carrier cover damages? It might. It might not. Coverage can vary greatly. You don’t want to be fully responsible for the cost, right? Choose all-risk, full value cargo insurance– the smart choice. This way your insurance covers 100% of any damage that occurs and pays directly for the physical loss/damage of your item.  Market Rate What about the rate? You want to know if you’re “getting a good rate,” right? Perhaps you have to shop around a bit before pick ..read more