When you think of Valentine’s Day, you probably associate it with an abundance of flowers, boxed chocolates, and sappy love letters. Valentine’s Day is a holiday where millions of Americans will spend substantial sums of money on gifts to express their feelings of love, as they do every year. However, many most likely have no appreciation for the vital role that the transportation industry plays in the delivery of this special day.
Valentine’s Day is a great testament to how much consumers are willing to spend to show their love. What few people realize is that behind every bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates is an unseen and highly choreographed dance of logistics. This invisible performance can employ numerous modes of transport encompassing airlines, maritime shipping, as well as trucking, and even railroads. The successful execution of this supply chain will ensure that customers receive the gifts they desire, and the providers are rewarded for their efforts.
Achieving and delivering consistent results can be a challenging task for the Valentine’s Day deadline. Many variables enter the equation, including conditions where flowers are grown, as well as the weather on the big day. Also, careful control of temperatures during transport is critical to ensure no degradation of fragile floral cargoes. While other items purchased during Valentine’s Day may not require the demanding conditions as flowers, forecasting supply and demand for these items, like cards and candies, can affect profitability.
Though many do not consider the supply chain to be a vital component of Valentine’s Day, it’s clear how critical shipping is to this fruitful occasion:
$19.6 billion: An estimate for how much U.S. consumers will spend on Valentine’s Day according to the National Retail Federation
36 million: The number of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate sold for Valentine’s Day each year
110 million: Approximately how many roses, the majority being red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day period
$158.71: The average amount of American men spend on Valentine’s Day
$2.0 billion: The amount people will spend on flowers this Valentine’s Day
60%: The percentage of American roses produced in California
We hope you enjoyed these fun Valentine’s Day supply chain facts. Keep Logistics Plus close at heart when considering your transportation needs throughout the year. We LOVE logistics – it’s in our DNA!
Chinese New Year is the first day of the year in the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival in modern China, or simply the Lunar New Year, is the most important and longest of all Chinese holidays. The first day of the Chinese New Year 2018, the year of the dog will be celebrated Thursday, February 15, 2018, until February 21, 2018. As you might imagine, given the prominence of Chinese global commerce, the holiday has a huge impact on global supply chains around the world.
Government, construction, and factories are generally closed for most of the Spring Festival (including the Logistics Plus offices in China), while ports and customs usually operate with a skeleton staff focusing on perishable priority items. Many manufacturers treat the holiday as an annual break and will subsequently shut down for two weeks or longer. With this year’s holiday falling a full 19 days later than it did in 2017, the 2018 Chinese New Year will be different, with normal freight flows resuming in mid-to-late March, according to John Paul Hampstead, staff writer for FreightWaves.com.
If you have Chinese imports or exports, hopefully, you have already planned ahead for this annual supply chain disruption (most suppliers have probably already stopped accepting orders until after the holiday). Different manufacturers might have different schedules, so it is best to coordinate individually with each of your overseas suppliers. Planning and coordination are key to ensuring your supply chain continues to run smoothly before, during, and after the Chinese New Year.
If you need help shifting your supply chain back into high-gear following the Chinese New Year, the global import & export experts at Logistics Plus are here to help. As a top freight forwarder and NVOCC, we can help you secure affordable air freightand ocean freight transportation, and we can provide you with customs brokerage and global trade compliance support. Shipping documents (e.g., BOL entry, arrival notice, custom filings), tariff filings, VGM submissions, cargo tracking, freight rate management, and more – we’ve got you covered! Once your goods arrive in the U.S., we can provide warehousing and fulfillment, and transportation solutions as needed too. Contact us today!
PS: As a reminder, Logistics Plus China offices will also be closed from February 15 through February 21 for the holiday. Those offices will resume normal operations on February 22. During that time period, all other Logistics Plus locations stand ready to help you with your international shipping needs.
Logistics Plus Expands Services on the Amazon Solutions Provider Network
Customs Brokerage, FBA Prep and Storage, and Storage services now readily available to Amazon Sellers
ERIE, PA (February 5, 2018) – Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a leading worldwide provider of transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, and supply chain solutions, is pleased to announce that it has an expanded set of service offerings within the Amazon Solutions Provider Network (SPN). Amazon global sellers will now have ready access to customs brokerage, FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) preparation and storage, and additional short- or long-term storage solutions.
Logistics Plus was one of the very first third-party logistics companies to be a solutions provider within the Amazon SPN when it began offering FBA and self-fulfilled international shipping services back in June of 2016. Although the Amazon SPN has expanded to include additional providers, Logistics Plus remains an important business partner for Amazon sellers looking to source goods, manage inventory, and market products across Amazon marketplaces around the world. Earlier this year, Logistics Plus was named a Top 3PL Provider by Multichannel Merchant, a key resource within the e-commerce industry.
“We have been providing a full array of global logistics services to a growing list of Amazon sellers, retailers, and merchants for the past several years,” said Scott Frederick, vice president of marketing for Logistics Plus. “Effective management of e-commerce logistics will be increasingly important over the coming years, and so having a broader scope of our services readily available on Amazon’s SPN site is a good thing for both us and retailers needing these types of solutions.”
About Logistics Plus Inc. Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur, Jim Berlin, 21 years ago, Logistics Plus is a fast-growing and award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a strong passion for excellence, its 450+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Alma, AR; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; Riverside, CA; San Francisco, CA; Visalia, CA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Charlotte, NC; Lexington, NC; Buffalo, NY; Olean, NY; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Greenville, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Houston, TX; Laredo, TX; Winchester, VA; Madison, WI; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Egypt; France; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Libya; Mexico; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; South Sudan; Taiwan; Turkey; UAE; and Uganda; with additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Scott G. Frederick
Vice President, Marketing
Logistics Plus Inc.
(814) 240-6881
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Thank you to everyone who attended the Logistics Plus 2018 Holiday Party in Erie, PA on January 19th. The Logistics Plus Annual Holiday Party is just a small way for us to show our appreciation to our many dedicated employees, supportive partners, and awesome customers! To both our repeat and first-time attendees, we sincerely hope you enjoyed your evening with us. Included below is a Flickr slideshow of photographs taken at this year’s event by ACD Photography. Have a wonderful and prosperous 2018!
What is Blockchain Technology? Blockchain is an emerging technology that allows for the decentralization of data as well as making that data unalterable. A simple way to view blockchain is as a decentralized digital ledger of transactions. It is most famously known as the accounting method for the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin; but blockchain’s potential expands well beyond the current hype of cryptocurrencies.
The main characteristics of blockchain include being 1) decentralized, 2) verifiable, and 3) unalterable. These characteristics are viewed as having many advantages within the logistics industry. Transparency and trust between parties can be achieved by providing the same verified data to all members on the network. Blockchain technology has the promise of decreasing costs as middlemen are eliminated and antiquated systems are replaced with systems of higher efficiency.
Change in Logistics Blockchain technology has the potential to greatly benefit supply chain management. Examples include:
Improved traceability and trackability
Elimination of middlemen, which cuts costs, reduces paperwork, and shortens the supply chain
Reduction in the cost of regulations and compliance
Increased transparency of price, ownership, and the entire process
Accelerated payment, better security, and reduction of fraud
Simplified claims settlement
Another major advantage will be connectivity through IoT (the internet of things) where physical means of measurement, control and tracking can supply data and information. Blockchain technology will make sure this information is verified, distributed, and hacker-free. Major companies, such as UPS and Walmart, are starting to realize these advantages, and new organizations to implement uniform standards have started to develop. One of the most important is BiTA, the Blockchain in Transport Alliance. It is composed of companies ranging from truckers, freight consolidators, logistics firms (including Logistics Plus) as well as software and information technology firms. Recently, BiTA announced that it would use open standards to encourage adoption and usage.
In preparing for blockchain, BiTA cites the following many use cases:
Performance History – Performance history through the blockchain framework can allow parties to see solid and definitive evidence of past performance in all the relevant metrics. This removes the “trust” aspect from all deals
Vehicle Maintenance – Blockchain allows for the item by item records of vehicle repairs. Instead of one person holding an extensive repair history, it is held within the blockchain. The history can now effectively move with the equipment for anyone to see.
Quality Assurance – Thanks to the distributed nature of blockchain, everyone involved in the transaction has access to all points. Taking photos and evaluating freight at pick-up and delivery locations reduce the likelihood of unsubstantiated disputes.
Compliance – Blockchain and ELDs are a natural pair. ELDs can send a near endless stream of data to the blockchain in real-time. Pairing this information with traffic data, weather data, etc. allows for up to the minute rerouting.
Capacity Monitoring – In trucking, available capacity can change throughout the day. The blockchain can provide the necessary transparency to know when and where capacity opens up, allowing participants to take advantage of shifts in demand.
Payments and Pricing – Payment processing and settlement is all secure on the blockchain, and transaction information is easily accessible. By keeping detailed historic payment records, people can use more data than ever to determine rates.
Fraud Detection – Every transaction that takes place on the blockchain is visible to everyone on the network, and nothing can be removed. This transparency removes many points where fraud occurs and eliminates double brokering.
Theft Prevention – The blockchain can contain detailed information and rules. These can even include ID pictures and rules for the pick-up and delivery of the freight, increasing security and reducing the possibility of theft.
Blockchain isn’t just an industry disruptor, it’s the technology that will revolutionize the way people do business. As blockchain and IoT converge, the result will be that the transportation and logistics industry may never be the same.
When you think of Valentine’s Day, you probably associate it with an abundance of flowers, boxed chocolates, and sappy love letters. Valentine’s Day is a holiday where millions of Americans will spend substantial sums of money on gifts to express their feelings of love, as they do every year. However, many most likely have no appreciation for the vital role that the transportation industry plays in the delivery of this special day.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Logistics Plus 2018 Holiday Party in Erie, PA on January 19th. The Logistics Plus Annual Holiday Party is just a small way for us to show our appreciation to our many dedicated employees, supportive partners, and awesome customers! To both our repeat and first-time attendees, we sincerely hope you enjoyed your evening with us. Included below is a 
What is Blockchain Technology?