Cathy Roberson

Air carriers and forwarders are benefiting from the growth in e-commerce. But is it sustainable and, more importantly, profitable? For the first two months of 2024, air cargo demand increased by 13% compared to the corresponding period last year. January demand increased by 17%, while February demand increased by 8%, according to WorldACD. DHL Group […]

A combination of automation investments and a sluggish parcel market is leading to job cuts at UPS. The carrier said during its fourth-quarter earnings call in January that it planned to cut 12,000 positions throughout its global network. The impacts have been seen at several sorting facilities and have expanded to sorting facilities supporting […]

UPS highlighted innovations and plans at an investor and analyst day meeting on March 26 — its first such meeting since June 2021. Chief Executive Carol Tome commented on how the market and the company have changed since 2021. “The convergence of several megatons and macroeconomic forces has us at a critical crossroads, where we […]

DB Schenker is the latest supply chain provider to introduce a standardized onboard courier service to assist customers needing urgent courier solutions for small and high-value shipments. The launch of the onboard courier (OBC) product expands DB Schenker’s growing portfolio of white-glove service solutions. “Sometimes, the high value of an item is not related to […]

E-commerce accounts for 20% of global air cargo volumes and the share could increase to 30% by 2027, according to IATA. However, this growth could slow if the United States revises its de minimis rule, making it more expensive for some e-commerce imports to enter the U.S. market. A shipment is categorized as de minimis […]

UPS is betting on the health care market and Asian trade to boost its overall revenue, while FedEx and DHL are considering similar strategies. UPS recently expanded its UPS Premier service in China. The service combines tracking, prioritization and recovery for time- and temperature-sensitive health care shipments. “The expansion builds on our existing capabilities […]

It was a disappointing start to 2024 for UPS, as the company reported a 5.3% year-over-year decline in the first-quarter, a consolidated revenue of $21.7 billion and a 36.5% YoY decline in consolidated profit of $1.6 billion. “Our financial performance in the first quarter was in line with our expectations, and average daily volume in […]

Parcel, express and other logistics providers are particularly interested in small and medium-sized businesses, and in offering services tailored to the sector. There are 33,185,550 small businesses in the United States, representing 46.4% of private sector employees and generating 32.6% of known export value, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. […]

DHL Group yesterday reported first-quarter 2024 revenue of 20.3 billion euros ($21.8 billion), a 2.9% decline from Q1 2023, and operating profit of $1.4 billion, an 18.3% year-over-year decline, but an improvement from Q1 2019’s $1.3 billion pre-pandemic. The company’s Supply Chain, eCommerce, and Post & Parcel Germany divisions reported positive revenue and operating profit, […]

Volumes turned positive for several freight forwarders during the first quarter. But, due to excess capacity and low rates, it was difficult for many to correlate the volume growth to strong financials. “Both air and ocean carrier capacity continue to grow, further pressuring rates that have already come down significantly from their peaks,” Expeditors […]