November 2018

In the runup to 2018’s round of U.S. tariffs, many companies stockpiled vital materials and components to avoid higher rates. For some U.S. warehouses, that’s led to swelling stock and a proliferation of SKUs. Even when managers find ways to handle increased demand (some of which we discuss here[link to blog titled Tariffs, Stockpiling, and U.S. Warehouses: Finding Capacity in an Age of Pulled Forward Demand]), they’re still left with the challenge of managing increasingly complex inventory.

Nov. 28, 2018 — St. Louis, MO — Solus Group, a leading provider of equipment for warehousing, material handling, and waste management, is expanding its online library of industry resources with a new, ongoing series. Each resource page in this collection provides deeply researched information specific to the industries the company serves.

Lift trucks are getting more expensive, reports the news service Forklift Action. Several leading forklift brands announced price increases set to go into effect November 1. 

In a statement to Forklift Action, the companies attributed higher price tags to "steadily increasing costs from freight providers...and the ripple effect of recently imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, and durable goods."

Electrical contractors can’t take the whole winter off. However, cold weather can create all sorts of safety problems for electricians — especially those who work outdoors, or in unfinished construction projects that lack heat.

Executives use all sorts of metrics to plan for changing supply chain costs, but the load-to-truck ratio is often the first warning sign of upcoming rate fluctuations. The truck tonnage index, fuel pricing trends, and past rates can all help shippers plan for future costs, but the load-to-truck ratio tends to be a leading indicator; after all, it most directly measures capacity and demand against one another.

Global trade norms changed dramatically in 2018. Multiple rounds of U.S. tariffs led to fears of rising material prices among U.S. manufacturers. Many companies behaved like any rational institution anticipating a time of scarcity: They stockpiled. The more shoreside materials they could import before the tariffs struck, the longer they’d be able to delay raising their own prices.