The inland distribution map changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and is evolving even more rapidly as shippers shift freight among US ports. New distribution points, inland ports, and transportation hubs are emerging, but warehousing and distribution space is still hard to come by, even as inventories are drawn down. The costs of construction have increased alongside interest rates, and zoning restrictions create road (or rail) blocks for companies. How are distribution networks being redrawn in 2023? Where is demand strongest, and where will the hot markets be in 2024?
2022’s economic slowdown barely dented US trade with Mexico, which is growing and promises to grow faster as so-called nearshoring of production in Mexico becomes more a reality than a concept. Rising truck traffic is putting more pressure on border crossings such as Laredo, the largest US land border crossing and a rival entry point to Los Angeles for US imports. How will the pressure to move more goods north through existing border crossings affect supply chains? Is the current infrastructure sufficient to handle what is to come? This panel will discuss how shippers and their partners can best navigate rising demand for cross-border trucking.
The 3PL industry has changed dramatically since Doug Waggoner joined Chicago-based Echo Global Logistics as CEO in 2006. Echo led the first wave of technology-based 3PLs, growing rapidly in its first decade. Acquisitions have fueled Echo’s growth as it competed with a newer generation of so-called digitally native brokerages as well as traditional brokerages that have “gone digital.” Waggoner has been a force in the digital evolution of the brokerage and 3PL industry that is now accelerating, in part due to funding from private equity investment firms such as The Jordan Company, which acquired Echo in 2021. 3PLs face new challenges and opportunities in the post-pandemic world, as new technologies emerge, and distribution networks are reset. In this fireside chat, Doug will discuss his perspective on a changing marketplace, Echo's growth opportunity and shipper priorities, and the logistics intermediary of the future.
The three days of Inland23 have dissected data, analyzed market conditions, and featured forecasts. Pulling everything together, what are the ideas, warnings, lessons, and perhaps even solutions we can take home that will help us catch the rebound when it comes? In this closing session of Inland23, our conference co-chairs will sit down with select experts to cut through the noise and deliver the consensus takeaways you need as you plan for 2024.