Logistically Minded: Freight booms, subscription delivery services buckle

After various resignations, President Trump disbanded two CEO advisory councils. Next week's solar eclipse may trouble truckers, as traffic descends upon highways. Streamlining supply chain finance can help balance risk and opportunity. Just ask Nike. Freight industry growth may have slowed in the past few years, but in general, transportation services remain in high demand and at levels far above those recorded during the Great Recession, according to a recent Bureau of Transportation Statistics report.All but one mode of transportation (rail carloads) grew by more than 20% since June 2009, at the end of the Great Recession. In that time, rail intermodal has grown the most, recording a 50.6% increase through December, 2016.However, the growth rates are measured against a rather weak comparison, at the end of the recession's trough. Air freight, for example, grew 21.7% since the recession but has failed to reach its pre-recession (2007) levels. The mode took the steepest hit during the economic trough, perhaps because it is also the most expensive mode of transportation. Similarly, while rail intermodal has shown rapid growth, its increase from pre-recession levels are more modest at roughly 23%.