Air compressors-what they do and what kind you need

Why do you need an air compressor? If you already know the answer to that question, then what kind do you need? Air compressors come in many shapes and sizes and they are designed for different things. This report will help you choose the right one. There are regular home air compressors and then there … Read more

Intermodal Expo Slated for September in Long Beach

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) will hold its annual trade and industry expo September 21 to 23 at the Long Beach Convention Center. The expo is an important North American intermodal supply chain event where the industry’s leading products and services are showcased and the industry’s issues and challenges are examined. This year’s … Read more

Video of the Week: Excavator or Stunt Man?

In the US, variety shows rely on singers, dancers and comedians to keep their audiences entertained. In Germany, however, the stars of the show are heavy machinery. In this clip from the German variety program “Wetten Dass?” — which is German for “Wanna bet that …”? — a Liebherr excavator is used to climb an … Read more

Two minute changeovers? Now they are possible-see how

Nothing kills production rates like a changeover. The line stops. The changes are made. The tests have to be done. Even if everything works correctly when the line re-starts, you’ve lost that time forever.  It would be nice to be able to stockpile product and avoid changeovers that way, but it’s a fat chance if … Read more

Happy 40th Birthday, Bar Code!

The bar code — those 12 tiny black stripes that are now printed on practically every package and are used for everything from pricing to inventory to tracking through the supply chain — celebrated its 40th anniversary last month. On June 26,1974, the first bar code was used to ring up a 10-pack of Wrigleys’ … Read more

Report: Third-Party Logistics Shows 3.2% Growth

Third-party logistics (3PL) showed a 3.2% growth in gross revenues in 2013 compared to a year earlier, according to a report issued earlier this month the consulting firm of Armstrong & Associates. And analysts predicted that growth will be 5.2% for 2014 as the US economy continues to show improvement A third-party logistics provider is … Read more

Two Supply Chain Management Software Companies Merge

Two of the leading supply chain management software companies announced earlier this month that they were merging to form a single networked trading partner management technology solutions firm. Accellos — which is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado — has joined with the Minneapolis-based HighJump Software to create a new company that wil have 11,000 customers … Read more

Retail Sales Growth Flat But Economists Remain Upbeat on Economy

Retail sales gains between May and June showed relatively little growth, yet at least one economist from the National  Retail Federation said the retail industry could be on the brink of the rapid growth everybody has been waiting for since the start of the Great Recession. According to statistics released earlier this month by the … Read more

TSA Lifts Regulations on Air Cargo Screening

The US Transportation Security Administration has lifted requirements for air cargo screening reports that were implemented in the wake of the World Trade Center attack on 9/11. The TSA no longer will require airlines carrying passengers and cargo to to provide air cargo screening volume reporting, which some industry representatives said was putting a strain … Read more