Ripple Effects of Current U.S. Stance Toward Trade with China

Amid shifting trade policies impacting goods from China, importers grapple with supply chain uncertainties. This paper delves into the repercussions of accelerated purchasing timelines on logistics, spanning from escalated ocean freight rates to increased warehousing demand.

Impacts of Trade Tensions Between the U.S. & China (1)

Ocean Freight Market Reacts to Crises at the Suez and Panama Canals

To keep our partners informed about the current situations at the Suez and Panama canals, we’ve developed a white paper that details the ripple effects we’re seeing due to droughts in Panama and instability in the Middle East.

Use the link below to gain some insight into the impact these events are having on the ocean freight industry.

The Effects of Crisis Related Bottlenecks at the Panama and Suez Canals

Starting March 1, the European Union (EU) shipping documentation requirements have changed in efforts to aid safety and security with customs. Carriers transporting shipments to or via EU are obliged to transmit relevant shipment data to customs prior to loading, and to transport shipments only after receiving clearance from customs authorities. Shipments that could endanger flight safety and security are identified early on through this new “Pre-Loading Reporting” and sorted out before loading onto an aircraft bound for the EU.

All goods being shipped into or transiting through the *EU, Northern Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland by air will need to have the following:

• Mandatory Harmonized System (HS) codes.
  • You should be able to find the correct codes for your items on your country’s government website. This should be a minimum of six digits for each line.
• Consignee Trader Identification number (EORI number (Economic Operators’ Registration and Identification)), where assigned
  • Include the EORI in the Recipient Tax ID field of your shipping application (if available) and on the commercial invoice. This will reduce delays and is necessary for general compliance.
• Accurate and specific data regarding the description of the goods
  • The description of goods should include what the items are and what they are made out of (material composition breakdown).

Failure to provide this data will result in your shipment being held until the required data is received.

Why is this necessary? By taking these extra steps, the EU is not only protecting its citizens, but it allows customs to identify high-risk shipments and intervene in an appropriate and timely manner. This is the 2nd of 3 releases. The first was on March 1, 2021, which included air express preloading and postal air preloading. The third and final release will occur on March 1, 2024, and will include maritime, road and rail.

*EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden).

Tranco Global, a leading provider of North American logistics services, is excited to announce Adam Lovett as its new Director of Trade Lane Development.

Lovett began his career in logistics in 1992 with an England-based company as a Trainee in Export Operations. After just three years in sales, Lovett became the Sales Director, where he oversaw sales in six different offices around the world from 2002 to 2018. It was in that role where he met the President of Tranco Global, Brad Kemp. Shortly after meeting, Kemp knew he wanted Lovett on Tranco Global’s team.

“We’re delighted to have someone of Adam’s caliber come onboard and the timing is perfect,” said Kemp. “We’re preparing for significant growth in our EMEA lanes, and Adam’s many years of WCA experience will be of great fit to our organization. Adam brings a 30-year career in international operations, sales and trade lane management. We look forward to Adam representing Tranco.”

As Director of Trade Lane Development, Lovett will build regular traffic between the USA and EMEA for Tranco Global. The key to this will be developing trade lane relationships with overseas agents and customers, making face-to-face visits, developing opportunities and assisting with the RFQ process. Lovett is excited to bring positive growth to Tranco Global.

“I’m inspired by the reputation and company culture at Tranco. The team is very passionate and goes above and beyond to exceed customer expectations,” says Lovett. “It’s no surprise that, as a result, Tranco is experiencing rapid growth. With my background in sales and global networking, I’m committed to making major contributions to see the company continue on an upward trajectory. Exciting times are most certainly ahead!”

About Tranco Global

Tranco Global is one of the country’s fastest-growing freight forwarders. Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., Tranco Global provides a full suite of domestic (truckload, less-than-truckload, flatbed, expedited and domestic air) and international (air freight, ocean freight and customs clearance) forwarding services. Since its opening in 2016, the enterprise now has over 100 employees and five offices spread across the United States.

Chattanooga trucking company Tranco Logistics marks 25 years of growth by keeping family-oriented culture.

When Byron and Bruce Trantham started Tranco Logistics in 1995, many of those they talked with about their business didn’t even know what logistics was.

But over the past 25 years, the company has grown into a global operation with 340 employees, and Chattanooga is now touting itself as the logistics capital of America. “I wish we would have tried to copyright the term,” Byron Tranthom quipped during a celebration this week marking the company’s silver anniversary. “We were one of the first commercial businesses to use the term “logistics” but now it seems like everybody is talking about it.”

Tranco Logistics has grown over the past 25 years to include 192 trucks, including 31 purchased this year, and 542 trailers. The company has also added freight brokerage and other logistics support services over the years.

But for all of its trucking success, Tranco started simply as a warehouse operation with its first facility on 42nd street in south Chattanooga with a single truck. Bruce Trantham continued working at UPS for the first few years of the business while it got started and both Bruce and Byron drove trucks, unloaded freight and ran forklifts even as more warehouses were added and the business grew.

The twin brothers still have their class A driver permits to this day and they say they remain focused on the drivers, brokers, warehouse operators and other employees who are helping build the business.

“Our culture of service is what we focus on everyday,” Bruce Trantham said. “If you want to know what I am talking about, go to Chick-Fil-A and observe their service orientation. That’s what we try to do everyday.”

Byron Trantham said other trucking companies may offer a nickel a mile more in pay, but Tranco works to keep truck drivers on the road and driving more miles than other carriers “in trucks that we keep clean and running.”

“We work to keep unloaded miles down to a bare minimum, so our average mileage is close to 3,000 miles a week on our over-the-road team so they end up with a bigger paycheck,” he said.

Maintaining and building staff has been key to the growth of the company, Woodlief said.

Today, the Chattanooga-based company operates more than 2 million square feet of warehouse facilities and serves about 400 customers around the globe.

Most of the growth of the business has come since 2010. To support the operations, the entrepreneurial twin brothers have also added both a staffing and a finance firm. The personnel placement company, MSI Workforce Solutions, helps recruit and place workers in a variety of companies, including Volkswagen of America.

The Tranthams also operated a medical supply business, MWC Technologies LLC, before they sold that company in 2018 to Zeus Industrial Products.

But the Tranthams say they are not interested in selling Tranco, although they get frequent offers.

“We are a true full service logistics company with both asset- and non-asset based operations and we see a lot of opportunity for growth,” Bruce Trantham said. “Our big growth in our freight brokerage business and our goal is to have offices in Chicago, Savannah (Georgia), Los Angeles and other major markets.”

The company opened an office in Atlanta two years ago, but most of its operations remain in Chattanooga.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Sept. 9, 2020 — Chattanooga-based Tranco Global announced the launch of its Priority Drayage Division, a dedicated container drayage operation servicing all seaports and rail depots nationwide.  Container drayage is the specialized transport of ocean containers over relatively short distances, between the port and the customer’s shipping dock.

“We’ve established a Priority Drayage Division that is fully committed to first and last mile container drayage,” said Kristina Calhoun, Domestic Operations Manager at Tranco Global. “For many forwarders, container drayage is the last part of the transportation process and their last thought.  This approach results in complications during that last mile delivery, which leads to shipping delays and additional unexpected costs.”

Calhoun went on to say, “Many of our competitors wait until the last minute to schedule their container drayage.  Transportation capacity has been extremely tight since the beginning of this summer – 2020.  Having established a dedicated division, Tranco can be very proactive in its approach to drayage.  For instance, rather than waiting until the last minute, Tranco is scheduling drayage services weeks in advance of a vessel’s arrival or sailing.”

“We’re extremely lucky to have Kristina Calhoun heading up Priority Drayage,” said Abe Church, Vice President of Operations for Tranco Global.  “We’re building a team of drayage experts within this Division.  These experienced professionals know the big ports like Los Angeles, the smaller regional rail hubs like the Appalachian Regional Port and everything in-between.”

“In addition to container moves, Priority Drayage provides transload services around the country for customers looking to move freight longer distances,” added Calhoun.  “Many times, a customer needs to move container freight 300 miles or more.  In those circumstances, we can transload the freight into a traditional straight truck at a cost savings.  Regardless of the need, Priority Drayage is positioned to provide top quality service and at competitive price.”

For more information, visit www.trancoglobal.com or contact the Tranco Global drayage team (inland@trancoglobal.com ) to get quotes and or find out more about how Priority Drayage can insure your shipment gets to its final destination safely and on time.