TAKEAWAYS
SNAPSHOT: CARGO THEFT What commodities do cargo thieves most commonly target? And from where are they usually stolen? Data in the recently published Annual Cargo Theft Report 2023 from TT Club and BSI SCREEN Intelligence answers these questions.
MEASURING THE HEALTH OF GLOBAL TRADE The global supply chain got a recent check-up and the prognosis is surprisingly healthy: Q1 2024 marked the third consecutive quarter of upward momentum after a prolonged period of sluggish activity, according to Tradeshift’s Q1 Index of Global Trade Health . Spurring the diagnosis are the following data points: • Transaction volumes across the transport and logistics sector reached their highest levels in nine months as order volumes across the manufacturing sector showed fresh signs of recovery. • Total trade activity across the Tradeshift network improved by one point compared to the previous quarter. • Demand signals across the manufacturing sector climbed to one point below the expected range while new orders rose at one point above expectation. It’s not a completely clean bill of health, however. The report indicates Q1 was the ninth consecutive quarter of overall growth below expectations. Here are some key trends that impacted the wellbeing of global supply chains during Q1: • China turnaround : Trade activity in China rose at the most significant rate in Q1. Transaction volumes grew at two points above the expected level, the highest in more than two and a half years. • U.S. moves up a gear : The United States also continued gaining momentum in Q1, with total trade activity tracking one point above the baseline. Order volumes surged to seven points above the expected level. • Eurozone edges higher : Activity levels across the Eurozone improved to three points below the baseline in Q1 having sunk as low as nine points below that level just six months earlier. New orders grew at six points above anticipated levels. • UK orders disappoint : UK trade activity improved to four points below the expected level in Q1, but order volumes were sluggish, tracking five points below expectations.
Source: TT Club / BSI SCREEN
Cargo Theft Types Theft from facility Theft of vehicle Theft from container/trailer Theft from vehicle Hijacking Theft of container/trailer
Theft of employee belongings/truck parts Other
Source: TT Club / BSI SCREEN
LAST MILE GETS FLEXIBLE With new supply chain disruptions popping up all too frequently, flexibility has become a big buzzword. It’s also widely sought after as a key to e§ciently addressing last-mile delivery challenges—a new essential for brands aiming to improve e§ciency and customer perception. Flexible last-mile processes have a crucial impact on shipper revenue, loyalty, and bottom line, finds a survey of retailers in the U.S. and Canada conducted by digital insights firm Incisiv and last-mile provider Veho. The survey also revealed that: • Delivery choices are a must for D2C brands. 77% of brands emphasize the need for a wide range of last-mile delivery options for growth, and 81% identify two-day delivery as critical to satisfying customer expectations. • Fast, flexible delivery options increase sales. Giving shoppers choice and control increases ecommerce conversion rates by 8.9%, and having options increases average order value by 10.6%. • E¡ective last-mile strategies reduce operational costs. 92% of brands reduced operational costs by avoiding issues related to delivery mishaps, returns, and customer service.
16 Inbound Logistics • May 2024
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