by logisticsplus | Dec 11, 2019 | News
Members of the Logistics Plus China team recently attended a three day international transportation conference. From December 6th to 8th, the LP China team participated in the 2019 Zhejiang International Intelligent Transportation Industry Expo, the Future Transportation Conference 2019, and the Yangtze River Delta Region Comprehensive Transportation Development Forum. All three events were hosted at the Hangzhou International Exhibition Center. For the duration of the conference, Logistics Plus was proudly displayed with an international enterprise exhibition area and branded booth.
At the conference, Logistics Plus was recognized as a leading freight forwarder due to its wide-range of capabilities and service offerings. The Logistics Plus China team welcomed and held numerous meetings with companies located across Zhejiang province, and built good relationships for future business opportunities. One major person of note, the Principal of Transportation and Communication, visited the Logistics Plus booth to express his gratitude to the team and to invite Logistics Plus to participate again next year.
Photos from the three day conference can be seen below.
by logisticsplus | Dec 5, 2019 | News
Gretchen Blough, Licensed Customs Broker and Brokerage Manager for Logistics Plus, was featured on a recent airing of the Marketplace podcast hosted by National Public Radio (NPR). Gretchen has made several appearances on Marketplace Podcast in the past year due to her unique insight into the ongoing U.S. trade wars and tariff changes. In the latest segment, Gretchen commented on the continuous tariff and trade war uncertainties consumers have.
You can listen to the full ‘Who gets to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange?‘ episode below. Gretchen appears briefly at the 1:47 mark of the episode.
Marketplace® is on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country. Its core programs — Marketplace®, Marketplace Morning Report®, Marketplace Tech® and Corner Office® — are broadcast on more than 800 public radio stations nationwide and heard by over 14 million listeners every week.
by logisticsplus | Dec 4, 2019 | News
In case you missed the first month update, Pieterjan (PJ) De Smedt, a close friend of Global Project Manager Frederik Geirnaert, set sail with his family of five on a trip from Greece to Australia. After hearing about this journey, Logistics Plus offered to equip his ship with one of our own tracking devices to showcase our tracking and visibility capabilities.
Month 2 Update:
This month, the dauntless crew of the Vite-et-Reves crossed the western Mediterranean Sea. Crossing the sea in this case meant playing a constant game of hide and seek with thunderstorms. When mother nature called, the crew took cover for each storm and tried to make the best of it by visiting historic places or doing mundane chores such as washing clothes, repairing the ship, or shopping for groceries.
The second month of this long voyage (tracked by Logistics Plus) saw the crew travel from Sicily to Sardinia, and then on to Menorca and the party island that is Ibiza. Pictures from month two of their adventure can be seen below.
For more details or to read the captains blog, visit here: https://vite-et-reves.com/
To follow the path of the sailboat, visit here: https://vite-et-reves.com/static/route/
by logisticsplus | Dec 3, 2019 | News
Global Trade Alert Message:
President Trump has accused Brazil, Argentina, and France of economic actions that he believes disadvantage U.S. companies and American farmers. The President announced Monday that the U.S. will be reimposing steel and aluminum tariffs on these three countries, opening new trade war fronts.
The President also stated that the Federal Reserve should, “act so that countries, of which there are many, no longer take advantage of our strong dollar by further devaluing their currencies.” Compared to the U.S. dollar, Brazilian currency has fallen about 8% this year and Argentinian currency has lost 37% of its value.
Read the full article on the Washington Post: www.washingtonpost.com/trump-tariffs-steel-aluminum
by logisticsplus | Dec 2, 2019 | News
Now that peak shipping season is here, how do you decide which is the best LTL carrier for your freight? As the average demand for goods rise during peak season, shippers are forced to reconsider their shipping strategies as they look to save time and money. The continuous rise of e-commerce shopping has led to a higher demand for more less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping options. LTL freight is in a unique position in that it does not meet the criteria for a full truckload, but is also too large and expensive to ship via parcel. Rather than just selecting the first option that shows up in your Google search or on your transportation management system (TMS), here are a few tips for selecting the best LTL carrier that will meet your needs.
Using a TMS For The Selection Process
A modern transportation management systems leverages electronic data interchange (EDI) and application programming interfaces (API’s) to connect a TMS user with a freight quoting and scheduling system. Factors such as the amount of freight you ship can also impact the rates that appear due to special discounts or waived accessorial fees. By using a third-party logistics provider, you can instantly view rates and schedule shipments with most industry leading carriers.
Choosing The Best Carrier In The TMS
Although most transportation management systems list their lowest cost carrier options first, the first option doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right choice for you. For example, some shippers are more interested in the transit time or safety of their products, rather than the cost. Shippers should follow the tips below when considering a less-than-truckload carrier for inbound or outbound freight:
- Don’t get too hung up with discounts and accessorials; the net price quoted should be the only number you need to know.
- Research carrier performance (or ask your 3PL for their input). Have you used any of those carriers before and did you have success with them?
- Look into the available cargo insurance offers. Do you need insurance for your shipment?
- Pay attention to transit times. How quickly do you need your shipment delivered?
- Review available guaranteed options. How important is the delivery date to you?
- Make sure the carrier offers the accessorial services you require (lift gate, residential delivery, etc.)
Making an informed decision for LTL shipping is in your best interest because the carrier you choose today may not always be the best choice tomorrow. Shippers should continuously research and consider their LTL partnerships (or work closely with a 3PL that does this for them), especially during peak holiday season as demand rises.
by logisticsplus | Nov 21, 2019 | News
Just after midnight on New Years Eve 2020, nearly $130 million dollars of Investment Tax Credit (ITC) from commercial and industrial solar projects will be dealt to investors. Taking advantage of the current 30% ITC qualification may be beneficial as the ITC qualification drops to 26% on January 1st, 2020. To help you receive your investment tax credit in full, Logistics Plus (LP) offers a comprehensive safe harbor warehousing solution, nationwide, to ensure that solar projects won’t fall short of reaching completion. Through our extensive solar experience, beginning in 2009, we are experts in safely handling your modules and accurately capturing the necessary ITC data requirements.
How does a project qualify for Safe Harbor?
1.) A project must be deemed as “started” before the drop in ITC rate with “continuous work”. This means that the project must be started and remain under active construction without interruption in the process.
2.) By investing 5% of the total project cost by midnight of December 31, 2019, you can qualify for the current 30% ITC safe harbor rate.
Planning Ahead
If you plan ahead, the IRS has created legal methods to freeze the 30% ITC rate for future projects that will be completed in 2020, or even a few years beyond. The IRS currently gives an organization four years to complete a safe harbor project, and two years to put it into service. This timeline makes it crucial to select the right safe harbor warehousing partner that will meet all of your projects needs and deadlines.
Safe Harbor Warehousing Solutions
Logistics Plus offers customized Safe Harbor warehousing for just the right size, in just the right place, for just the right length of time. By offering a dedicated team of solar experts, secured facility, customized storage programs, automated inventory control and scanning, trucking access and much more, we are the right partner to manage your solar project.
For additional questions regarding safe harbor warehousing, please contact Michelle Fontaine or Jenny Melgert below.
Michelle Fontaine -Global Sales Manager
michelle.fontaine@logisticsplus.com
Jenny Melgert -VP of Supply Chain
jenny.melgert@logisticsplus.com
