Stifel Nicolaus

This industry expert panel provides an update on all the market shifts in store for parcel shippers, especially when it comes to pricing, service and managing an e-commerce centric supply chain.

Trade and transport analysts see a negative international market outlook worsen, though some contend that this trend could be reversed later in the year, meanwhile, logistics managers should brace for a volatile period of rate fluctuation.

Could the U.S. manufacturing economy be at the start of an extended slowdown or just a brief correction to draw down inventory, and if the economy is slowing, is the U.S. trucking industry on the verge of entering a profit-killing era of overcapacity as it was during the Great Recession of 2008-2010.

Our leading market analysts explain how shippers should ready themselves for sustainable demand and plan for incremental rate hikes.

Crude oil is now trading at about $52 a barrel - its cheapest level in years - and gasoline prices have fallen accordingly - for now, low fuel prices will benefit some transportation companies and hurt others.

The decline in oil prices should have broad implications for transportation and logistics companies - some positive, some negative. Clearly, the impact can vary greatly on a company-to-company basis, but we’ve outlined some of the general impacts.