Industry Insights

In the face of sluggish consumer demand, fewer airline routes, changing inventory strategies and other issues, shippers are increasingly looking to test out ocean transport in lieu of air carriers despite the fact it takes longer to deliver goods. Yet airfreight forwarders are stepping up to the challenge, working hard to manage these headwinds and leverage opportunities by increasingly offering integrated solutions, facilitating end-to-end cargo delivery processes, and enabling exporters to focus on their core competencies. This is according to research firm Technavio in a summary of its 2015 Global Airfreight Forwarding Market report. The Airfreight Forwarding Landscape The airfreight […]

In observance of the upcoming Christmas holiday, our offices will close at 1:00PM on Friday, December 23rd and remain closed through Monday, December 26th. We will resume normal office hours on Tuesday, December 27th. In observance of New Year’s, we will also close at 3:00PM on Friday, December 30th, remain closed on Monday, January 2nd and resume normal business hours on Tuesday, January 3rd. Wishing you the best during this holiday season, and happiness in the New Year!

In the transportation and logistics industries dealing with counterparts in companies overseas is an inherent part of international trade and our global supply chain. Negotiating shipping terms and conditions and other agreements can be a little tricky when there are language barriers. International trade consultant John Freivalds says to try using “guerilla linguistics” – a small set of foreign phrases – to improve your negotiation position and make an impression when dealing with foreign entities. The key, however, is knowing the right words. “Hola” and “bon jour” aren’t going to cut it. Freivalds says to find one or two phrases […]

As the leading provider of insurance solutions for transportation and logistics providers, at Roanoke Trade we handle many different types of Cargo insurance claims – from freight forwarders and property brokers to third-party logistics providers and customs brokers. We’d like to share these claims with you in a new series, “Cargo Insurance in Action,” to provide you with further insight of the type of exposures and incidents that can result in a significant loss and to underscore the importance of carrying Cargo insurance. The first claim example in our series involved freight in an old warehouse believed to have been […]

Peak season for higher-than-normal cargo thefts is in full swing, particularly during holiday weekends when transportation companies, shippers, and manufacturers need to be on maximum alert. Organized theft rings recognize that shipments during holiday weekends can be left unattended for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, according to FreightWatch International, the spike in theft activity during the peak season, which typically kicks off after Labor Day and runs through December, is due to the “surge” of goods flooding the supply chain ahead of “Black Friday,” the day after the Thanksgiving retail shopping extravaganza. FreightWatch estimates that in the last six years […]