Today's Pick-Up: European Trucking Slow On Alternative Fuel Use; China Logistics Firms Winners In Trade Spat

Good day,

Europe has a long-held reputation for being ahead of the curve when it comes to green transportation. However, a recent study supported by the European Union's COLHD project found that it is not the case in transitioning from diesel to alternative fuels (AF) to power heavy-duty trucks. "Our research shows there is no common European support strategy towards AFs, and a clear lack of political and financial support, together with the discontinuity of policies and low economic appeal of alternative fuel solutions." The study also pointed to the limited number of refilling stations along European road networks, mainly due to the insufficient availability of brands and models of alternative-fueled vehicles (AFVs) in the market.

Did You Know?:

The global intermodal freight transportation market will grow at a 7 percent compounded annual rate through 2026, according to Global Market Research

Quotable:

"This battle between UPS UPS, Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and USPS is extremely complicated, political and financial, impacts a tremendous number of people, and is far from over."

– John Haber, CEO of consultancy Spend Management Experts, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to deny UPS' appeal of a lower court ruling that upheld the U.S. Postal Service's controversial cost accounting structure. The ruling was a victory for the Postal Regulatory Commission, which has authority over postal rates, and for Amazon.com, Inc., which supported the Commission and the status quo.

In other news:

Chinese logistics firms benefiting from U.S.-China trade war

The trade war has created an unlikely winner – Chinese logistics companies facilitating the exodus of Chinese manufacturers. (South China Morning Post)

India's B2B boom: Why logistics is the new darling of investors and startups

Recent funding rounds by startups Blackbuck, Locus and Rivigo are shining a spotlight on business to business logistics. What makes the Indian B2B logistics sector an interesting bet? (YourStory)

Fear-driven oil price rally won't last

Geopolitical tensions will give way to shale production oversupply and concerns about the global economy. (OilPrice.com)

Did bird strike cause Ethiopian Airlines crash?

U.S. aviation officials think that an attack by a flock of birds – the same phenomenon that brought USAir Flight 1549 flight to the brink of disaster over the Hudson River more than a decade ago – could have caused the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to go down. (CNBC)

The extreme downside of the rideshare model

Ever think that ridesharing actually puts more vehicles on the road than it takes off, and that it contributes far more to congestion than the companies let on? This article thinks so, too. (BoingBoing)

Final thoughts:

Walmart is bringing serious ammunition to its delivery battle with Amazon – namely its network of thousands of stores that, while not being utilized for its just-launched one-day delivery program, would likely be weaponized for same-day delivery service if the battle is joined there. What may be lost in the discussion, though, is Amazon's ability to erect delivery nodes seemingly everywhere, and out of nowhere. Walmart may have the brick-and-mortar advantage, but Amazon still holds the cards with its technology and its ubiquitousness. One should never say never, but if Walmart Inc WMT can't stop the Bezos bulldozer, it's hard to think of any U.S. company that can.

Hammer down, everyone!

Image sourced from Pixabay