Jennifer Smith
Wall Street Journal
New York, NY, United States
Contact Jennifer
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Jennifer:
Freight Operators Plan to Deploy Thousands of Remote-Operated Forklifts
Two big freight operators are betting on technology that allows workers to operate forklifts remotely as the distribution sector confronts persistent labor shortages. → Read More
Robotic Arms Are Using Machine Learning to Reach Deeper Into Distribution
Advances in technology are moving automated picking systems from the lab to labor-strapped warehouses. → Read More
Investors Are Piling Into Supply-Chain Technology
A flood of big money is pumping up valuations of logistics startups as global bottlenecks raise the profile of a once-overlooked sector. → Read More
White House Revs Up Trucker Recruitment Drive
The plans aims to address longstanding industry issues but isn’t likely to have an immediate impact on supply-chain bottlenecks. → Read More
Trucker Central Freight Lines to Close After Years of Losses
The regional less-than-truckload operator is the largest trucking company to fail since 2019. → Read More
Deutsche Post DHL Names Tobias Meyer as CEO
Longtime company executive Tobias Meyer will succeed Frank Appel as CEO of the express and logistics giant. → Read More
On the Front Lines of the Supply-Chain Crisis
A crane operator, a ship captain, a trucker and other logistics workers describe what it’s like to work amid backed-up shipments, jammed ports and packed rail yards. → Read More
Where Are All the Truck Drivers? Shortage Adds to Delivery Delays
The trucking industry has churned through drivers for years. The pandemic has made the job even harder, and businesses say the worsening shortage is holding back the nation’s ability to keep goods moving. → Read More
Freight Operators’ Profits Are Surging in Strained Supply-Chain Markets
Trucking companies, freight brokers and shipping lines are reaping big gains as companies scramble to move their goods. → Read More
J.B. Hunt Expects Strong Freight Demand to Extend Into 2022
Freight bellwether J.B. Hunt Transport Services expects bottlenecks at West Coast ports to intensify heading into the holidays, with congestion continuing to snarl labor-strapped logistics networks. → Read More
LaserShip Is Buying Package Carrier OnTrac in a $1.3 Billion Deal
The acquisition would extend LaserShip’s reach, bringing the last-mile delivery specialist closer to becoming a national carrier → Read More
House Panel Probes Possible Trump White House Role in Yellow Corp. Bailout
A Democratic-led investigating committee says email exchanges link the Trump White House to a $700 million pandemic-relief loan to the troubled trucking company. → Read More
Logistics Operators Raise Pay, Enlist Robots to Meet Holiday Demand
Warehouse operators are throwing every tool they can at increasingly urgent efforts to hire seasonal workers as they brace for an expected flood of holiday goods amid competition for scarce labor from deep-pocketed rivals. → Read More
Digital Freight Startup Transfix Going Public in SPAC Deal
The blank-check merger would help Transfix, which competes with bigger rivals including Uber Freight, expand its business of connecting shippers with truckers. → Read More
Big Truckers Say Vaccine Mandate Could Push Drivers Away
Big trucking companies say a federal vaccination and testing mandate aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 virus could push more workers away from their operations and deepen upheaval in U.S. supply chains. → Read More
Echo Global Logistics to Sell Itself to Private-Equity Firm in $1.3 Billion Deal
The deal with Jordan Co. would take private one of the largest freight brokers in a red-hot U.S. shipping market. → Read More
Chip Shortage Curtails Heavy-Duty Truck Production
The semiconductor shortfall is cascading into truck factories, cutting into output as demand for big rigs grows. → Read More
Walmart Will Add 20,000 Workers to Supply-Chain Operations This Year
The new hires will be permanent positions aimed at supporting Walmart through the holiday surge and beyond, the retailer said Wednesday. The full- and part-time jobs range from order pickers, freight handlers and forklift operators to technician and management roles at more than 250 Walmart and Sam’s Club distribution and fulfillment centers and transportation offices. → Read More
Schneider National Looks to Charter a Path Around Shipping Bottlenecks
A general cargo ship carrying some 200 Schneider containers is expected to arrive at Oregon’s Port of Portland on Thursday, bypassing a logjam of ships at Southern California ports that has become a major choke point in supply chains buffeted by congestion and delivery delays. → Read More
For E-Commerce Logistics Firm Radial, Christmas Is Coming Early. Very Early
The fulfillment and warehousing provider is making preparations for the holiday shipping season well ahead of schedule, with an eye on clogged global supply chains and the Delta variant. → Read More