News

MAY 2016 NEWSLETTER - TO BUY OR BUILD

The Velocity Channel is awash with TV shows covering the details of car-guys and gals who take old Junkers and turn them into pristine, better than new hot rods. These gems are customized to appeal to a particular person, conform to his or her sensibilities, and offer all those elements that appeal to their entertainment and driving rush. There is no doubt that these transformed cars are miracles of technology, comfort, performance and aesthetic. What they are not, however, is cheap. While these vehicles are completed in the hourlong time frame of the shows, they actually take much longer to build out and mostly at a cost well over the planned budget . . . Read the full newsletter by clicking the PDF link below.

APRIL 2016 NEWSLETTER - IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TONNAGE

In reading recent trade journals it continues to be difficult to find anything that points to a turnaround in the ocean transportation business during the next 12 to 18 months. Instead there is a litany of common indicators suggesting continued struggles:

• Charter rates have fallen steadily over the last five to six months.
• Indices in all the major trades reflect record lows.
• Most market growth is projected to be around two percent though added tonnage will increase by eight percent.

It’s the last point that is really the key. Until carriers begin to match their supply with demand they will continue to suffer the consequences of poor forecasting and lack of discipline. . . . Read the full newsletter by clicking the PDF link below.

MARCH 2016 NEWSLETTER - UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

There was a show hosted by Ira Glass entitled "This American Life" in which he discussed issues of the day. In an episode entitled "Pandora's Box," he talked to several people who had fallen victim to the issue of unintended consequences. He first speaks with two scientists who discovered that there is one chemical responsible for memory. In experiments where they remove this chemical, the memories of the animals being tested are erased. When they introduce their findings to the New England Journal of Medicine, they find themselves being bombarded with letters from individuals wanting their memories erased to escape the suffering caused by traumatic events that plague their lives . . . Read the full newsletter by clicking the PDF link below

FEBRUARY 2016 NEWSLETTER - ACE TO BE SYSTEM OF RECORD

By the end of this month ACE will become the “System of Record” for filings dealing with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It is also intended to act as a portal for all trade related filings and is being phased in over the course of this year. It is evident that this portal is integral to the government’s focus and interaction with those industries and individuals involved in the ever-growing global trade and transportation sectors. It is no surprise, therefore, that the system requirements specify Windows operating system (OS) because it is still the predominant operating system throughout most sectors . . . Read the full newsletter by clicking the PDF link below.