XenonFS Blog

One of the benefits to working with Xenon Freight Solutions is that we take on the task of tracking your containers to ensure that we are fully prepared to pull and deliver once they arrive. This type of advancement in updates will help ensure accuracy so we can continue to plan accordingly and work to save costs like prepull and storage once containers arrive. See the full article  here .

It may feel like volumes have begun to pick back up over the last couple weeks, but according to industry experts, we are a long way away from reaching 2019 numbers. China, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, and Bangladesh make up the region that is responsible for the world's manufacturing and apparel industries. The volume of containers moving along the intra-Asia trade lane will tell you the strength of the world's consumer. More volume means more demand for products, less volume means less demand. Based on year-over-year growth, we have had a 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) volume plunge. This shows the hardship that the world is still facing that will translate into fewer containers being exported out of China to the United States and around the world. Check out the full article  here .

Volumes have been on a heavy decline since the outbreak of COVID-19. Even though we have begun to see some stabilization and many businesses and regions are beginning the reopening phases, we have not seen the sudden spike in volumes in the shipping industry as originally expected. With that being said, if you look at the numbers for May, it appears that China has become an even bigger importer for U.S trade than before. Hopefully, this means that we will start seeing the spike in volumes as the heavy imports into LA/LB are dispersed to various regions throughout the country. See the full article  here .

It seems as though everyone has felt the impact of COVID-19 and the dramatic decline of business. However, there may be a glimmer of hope for those that handle International, primarily ocean freight. With air rates significantly increasing and capacity decreasing, many shippers are turning to the ocean to move their cargo. This could mean a steady, or hopefully speedy, increase in volumes. Fingers crossed! See the full article  here .

"Leasing companies say a neutral chassis pool lacks incentive to invest the tens of millions of dollars each year to maintain a viable chassis equipment." Even though ocean carriers have moved the ownership of their chassis to third party service providers, many believe that they still have influence over the cost to use the equipment. This has upset draymen so much that the IMCC (American Trucking Associations' Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference) is prepared to file legal action if necessary. It will be interesting to see if both the third party providers and ocean carriers are persuaded to make any changes. Check out the full article  here .

There's no denying that the ELD regulations that went into effect a few years ago caused major panic throughout the industry. It caused a number of truckers to refuse longer haul moves and/or minimize the number of loads they would handle. On top of that, we saw a decrease in capacity with many truckers quitting and an increase in costs as many implemented a layover fee to cover those additional expenses. Since that time, many truckers have found ways to make it work but the layover fees and additional costs have stayed in effect. With COVID-19 and the hardship we have already seen as an economy and an industry, it appears that the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) is set to implement "tweaks" to the regulations . Among these tweaks is governing how much time truck drivers may work behind the wheel or on docks each day and week. These changes will create $274 million in annual savings for the U.S. economy and the trucking industry. Check out t...

We, in the logistics industry, have already seen the immediate effects of the Coronavirus to international shipping. With China being the first to experience the Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S saw an immediate slow down of imports. Now that the disease has made its way to the United States, we are experiencing the effects even more with many businesses being forced to close shop until the spread of the virus slows down. This is posing a serious problem when it comes to inbound ocean containers that were already on the water when the pandemic began. Many containers are arriving into ports but have nowhere to go as the receiving facilities are closed until further notice. As you will see in the JOC article below, BCO's are being urged to contest demurrage and detention charges with the steamship lines as blank sailings will cause a rash of penalties if it remains difficult to return empty containers to marine terminals. Recent reports are indicating that China will be increasing prod...

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. With most Asian countries closing for the better part of a week, now is the time to ensure that your customers get their freight moving to ensure production expectations for Q1. The below article explains in detail how delaying your shipments can actually end up costing your company more money in the long run. It is important to plan your shipments accordingly around the holiday.  See the full article  here . 

With bid season quickly approaching, it's important to work with a vendor you can trust. At Xenon Freight Solutions , we have a bid team that is ready to assist with your 2020 opportunities to help secure the business! Contact us at sales@xenonfs.com to learn more.  See the below article from Freightwaves identifying important factors to consider when choosing a vendor to handle your bids: https://lnkd.in/emx9zND

With the new year fastly approaching, we will hopefully see a spike in volumes from the reduction of the tariffs between China and the U.S. See the full article  here .

The China-U.S. tariffs have had a huge impact on both the importing and exporting of goods this year. However, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Representatives from both China and the U.S. are working towards a deal that will allow the tariffs to be rolled back in phases. With the New Year (and Chinese New Year) fastly approaching, it will be interesting to see the impact these reductions in tariffs will have for Q1. See the full article  here .

At Xenon Freight Solutions, we offer our customers a free, web-based tool that allows instant quoting capabilities. Now that the steamship lines are starting to follow in the same footsteps, quoting customers timely can give you the competitive advantage you need to win the business. Contact us at sales@xenonfs.com to learn more!  Check out the full article: https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/ocean-freight-new-era-instant-quotes/567379/

Xenon Freight Solutions has nationwide coverage, including Jacksonville. With the $20 million from the Federal Government for Port of Jacksonville, this will surely help drive business in this area. Xenon has ample coverage in this market and we are excited for the opportunity to further utilize our network of carriers. See full article here .

Although the strike has not gone into effect yet, there are still discussions of a strike happening in the near future. It is said that the strike will not cause any disruption to normal cargo flow. It will be interesting to see if that is the case. Check out the article  here

The new HOS proposal from the FMCSA has mixed reactions with some saying it is in favor of the truck drivers and others saying it is yet another burden. It will be interesting to see how many, if any, of these rules are fully implemented and the effect it has on the drayage/trucking industry. Check out the full article here .

Check out Xenon's updated Terms & Conditions effective November 1, 2019: Xenon's New T&C

Xenon Freight Solutions has made a big push towards implementing more technological advances to help make our customer's overall experience both quicker and easier. Check out the below article on how industry experts say brokerages are just scratching the surface of implementing technology-based resources. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-brokerage-automation-has-barely-begun?utm_campaign=FW%20weekly%20technology%20newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=78376169&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8nxL6EjG9NtjqsrcV_igSfzNJBzKcXnQrT-UuqmMdduVyGDhAVnB4qADmYPwpJkNgUYfJJVirgy__C8DUfiFAw7tZas2KLQK2vpvLiHdQNL-b0zxE&_hsmi=78376169

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/copy-of-us-containers-to-peak-in-november-ahead-of-new-import-duties?utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=78090362&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_qrZhdW3VUli_FjuXv2rbp5FAQhz2c3KL55sWMDfhu0Aa9IGRn0N5QZ9dINMFTRzp5n5shBZCJoTXukvK6meSCPJGk5k7Oimx4I_417Ee_KfQ_4mY&_hsmi=78090362

We have all felt, and are still feeling, the effects of the U.S.-China trade war, from manufacturers all the way to the end consumers. However, the below article in Transport Topics expresses optimism for a strengthening in the economy. It says that if U.S. and China can work out the "trade stuff", we might see a return to above-trend growth. We can only hope! Check out the full article: ATA’s Costello Optimistic About Trucking Industry Economy, With One Exception