The supply chain upheaval that began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is persisting through 2021 and has been recently exacerbated by the port and airport closures in China in recent months. Manufacturers and other shippers who may have previously relied on as-needed updates from their logistics partners are now taking a more active role to avoid transportation pitfalls and keep their products on shelves. 

In this episode of “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Audrey Ross, in-house logistics and customs specialist at Orchard Custom Beauty, a cosmetics and personal and home care product manufacturer. The two discuss the changes in in-house supply chain management for major shippers, how to mitigate some impacts of the reductions in ocean, air and road capacity, and vulnerabilities in sourcing that will likely take years of planning and investment to correct.

Listen as Roberson and Ross take a deep dive into these topics in this Air Cargo World podcast.

The recent surge in e-commerce amid the pandemic, alongside technology improvements for logistics, is driving demand for warehouse space in markets around the world, but availability varies widely by market. 

In this episode of “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Melissa Alexander, vice president of the Industrial Services team at real estate company Foundry Commercial, about the high demand for warehousing space, the factors behind shortages in U.S. commercial real estate markets, and Alexander’s outlook on future demand and development in the space.

While some growing metros are more development-friendly from a policy and geography standpoint, others may be constrained by local regulation, geography or less land available for development. Advancements in warehousing technology are also driving up customer expectations for warehouse features and capabilities, making some existing properties outdated by today’s standards. Combined, these factors are pushing warehousing prices up significantly from even five years ago.

Listen as Roberson takes a deep dive into these topics in this Air Cargo World podcast.

The increased focus on digitalization in air cargo during the pandemic is by now well established as logistics companies seek to become more agile and adapt to a rapidly changing global airfreight market. Legacy processes that relied on phone calls and emails are now too slow to accommodate shipper needs in today’s disrupted market.

Years before the pandemic began, major forwarders began adopting transportation management systems (TMS), which allow logistics companies plan and optimize their freight flows across modes. But the abrupt changes in freight flows and demands during 2020 have reinforced the need for visibility into supply chains and are prompting more companies to utilize TMS as a foundational part of business planning.

In this episode of “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson speaks with Ron Lazo, vice president of professional services at Manhattan Associates, about technology trends and demands the supply chain solutions company is seeing.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of most brick-and-mortar retail locations in countries around the world, retailers and many other businesses entered the e-commerce space or grew their e-commerce investments to adapt to changes in consumer behavior. The growth in this sector of retail has been a major driver of airfreight strength over the past year, and is leading to investments that will expand logistics footprints for decades to come.

Despite the recent increase in cases in India and some other countries, vaccinations are well underway in several countries and some lockdowns are easing, leading to the reopening of many retail businesses. The higher airfreight rates driven by the current capacity shortage will also eventually return to more normal levels when passenger aviation increases, meaning express carriers may no longer realize the record profits that peak surcharges have helped them achieve during the past year. Airfreight’s place in e-commerce fulfillment beyond the pandemic remains to be seen.

In this episode of “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” Cathy Morrow Roberson talks to Charles Brewer, chief operating officer for Canada Post, about the e-commerce growth of the past year, the longer-term outlook for e-commerce logistics and whether the pursuit of e-commerce cargo will be a viable strategy for realizing profits beyond the pandemic.

The pandemic’s challenges to all modes of transportation have contributed to varied solutions, from passenger freighters to an increase in express ocean freight shipments. The logistics industry is also looking to technology to help mitigate market volatility and smooth processes around capacity booking, airport pickup and drop-off of cargo, and other areas. 

California-based startup Airspace has created a technology platform that expedites transportation and improves accuracy and visibility for time-critical shipments across transportation modes. Airspace’s ability to reroute critical shipments has attracted attention due to the disruption from the pandemic, and has helped the startup secure more than $70 million across three funding rounds, the most recent closing in January at $38 million.

For this launch of our new podcast brand “On Logistics with Air Cargo World,” host Cathy Morrow Roberson, founder of Logistics Trends & Insights and a regular Air Cargo World contributor, is joined by Airspace co-founder and CTO Ryan Rusnak. Hear Roberson and Rusnak discuss the niche that Airspace has carved out in time-critical shipments, and the startup’s expansion goals.