Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

Forward Thinking

U.S. logistics costs decline as a percent of GDP

One of the major findings of CSCMP's annual "State of Logistics Report": In 2008 U.S. logistics costs reached $1.3 trillion, or 9.4 percent of the country's $13.8 trillion GDP.

Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
By Supply Chain Quarterly StaffSep 18, 2009
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
See Full Bio

CSCMP's annual "State of Logistics Report" measures the impact of logistics costs on the U.S. economy. One of the major findings of this year's report: In 2008 U.S. logistics costs reached $1.3 trillion, or 9.4 percent of the country's $13.8 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). Although transportation costs rose by 2 percent, carrying costs declined 13.2 percent due to decreased inventories and lower interest rates. As a result, logistics as a percentage of the overall economy dropped from the previous year's figure of 10.1 percent of GDP.

The full report is available to CSCMP members at cscmp.org/memberonly/state.asp.

Article Figures
[U.S. logistics costs decline as a percent of GDP]


[U.S. logistics costs decline as a percent of GDP]Enlarge this image

Source: 20th Annual "State of Logistics Report," CSCMP, June 2009

Article
quarter 3 2009
Article
quarter 3 2009

Recent

exxonmobile oil field with pumps in texas
Technology

Kinaxis and ExxonMobil will design supply chain planning tools

AMRs and a drone operate in a warehouse environment. Overlaid are blue lines and data indicating that they are all connected digitally.
Blog

The Urgent Call for Warehouse Robotics Interoperability

More Stories

A man wearing a safety vest kneels in front of a neon green and black autonomous mobile robot. They are in a warehouse facility with picking carts. A light from the robot shines on the man's knee.

Amazon's new fulfillment center in Shreveport, Louisiana, utilizes Proteus autonomous mobile robots.

assets.aboutamazon.com

Amazon's Latest Distribution Center Boosts Efficiency with Surge in Robot Population

Mega-retailer Amazon says its newest fulfillment center, located in Shreveport, Louisiana, uses 10 times more robots than previous warehouse designs, and relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to direct the eight different models deployed in its bustling operation.

“Over the years, we’ve built and scaled the world’s largest fleet of industrial robotics that ease tasks for employees and improve operational safety while creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs along the way,” the company said in a blog post Wednesday. “For the first time, we have introduced technology solutions in all key production areas at the site, meaning our employees will work alongside our growing fleet of robotic systems seamlessly in a way that wasn’t possible until now.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

weather map hurricane milton florida
Article

Florida measures the damage of Hurricane Milton

hands shaking
Plan

Building trust in touchless planning

CSCMP EDGE 2024 Recap
Videos

CSCMP EDGE 2024 Recap

SCX24_03_omnichannel_1200x800.jpg
Article

AI in omnichannel retailing: A revolution in the making

ASTM A53 Steel Pipe Specifications
Products

ASTM A53 Steel Pipe Specifications

hurricane milton rainfall forecast map florida

Supply chain networks prep for delays as Milton storms in

Hurricane Milton was just beginning to unleash its slashing wind and pouring rain on Florida’s western coast on Wednesday, but the supply chain disruptions caused by the enormous storm have already been unfolding for days.

For example, millions of residents and workers in the Tampa region have now left their homes and jobs, heeding increasingly dire evacuation warnings from state officials. They’re fleeing the estimated 10 to 20 feet of storm surge that is forecast to swamp the area, due to Hurricane Milton’s status as the strongest hurricane in the Gulf since Rita in 2005, the fifth-strongest Atlantic hurricane based on pressure, and the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane based on its peak winds, according to market data provider Industrial Info Resources.

Keep ReadingShow less
robots working in factories

North American manufacturers cut back on robot orders in Q1 and Q2

The North American robotics market saw a decline in both units ordered (down 7.9% to 15,705 units) and revenue (down 6.8% to $982.83 million) during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, as North American manufacturers faced ongoing economic headwinds, according to a report from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

“Rising inflation and borrowing costs have dampened spending on robotics, with many companies opting to delay major investments,” said Jeff Burnstein, president, A3. “Despite these challenges, the push for operational efficiency and workforce augmentation continues to drive demand for robotics in industries such as food and consumer goods and life sciences, among others. As companies navigate labor shortages and increased production costs, the role of automation is becoming ever more critical in maintaining global competitiveness.”

Keep ReadingShow less
weather map florida and hurricane milton

Hurricane Milton takes aim at weary Florida

The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico are brewing up another massive storm this week that is on track to smash into the western coast of Florida by Wednesday morning, bringing a consecutive round of storm surge and damaging winds to the storm-weary state.

Before reaching the U.S., Hurricane Milton will rake the northern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula with dangerous weather. But hurricane watches are already in effect for parts of Florida, which could see heavy rainfall, flash and urban flooding, and moderate to major river floods, according to forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of number of containerships off east coast ports

East Coast ports work through hefty backlog of containers

Shippers and carriers at ports along the East and Gulf coasts today are working through a backlog of stranded containers stuck on ships at sea, now that dockworkers and port operators have agreed to a tentative deal that ends the dockworkers strike.

The agreement between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance Ltd. (USMX) hinges on a compromise deal on wage hikes and returns both parties to the negotiating table to hammer out a remaining debate over automation by a new deadline of January 15, 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Copyright ©2024.