Beer. Currently included as part of the most looted cargo items in the U.S., it is easy to sell on the black market. Trucks.com says "Food and beverages have the highest heist rate worldwide, accounting for 27 percent of all cargo theft incidents..." Many thieves attempt to steal from trucks in transit because they are seen as a "vulnerable link in the global cargo chain". Unfortunately, for one truck driver in Phuket, Thailand thieves were able to easily plunder thousands of cans of beer when a truck driver lost control of his truck and spilled nearly 80,000 cans of beers on to the street. The pilferers may face charges for theft if the police are able to identify them. 
If you are unexpectedly in an accident and something happens to your load contact Morgan, Cohen and Bach, an expert in recovery and towing to make sure that you are not overcharged by other parties. 

  Controversy is brewing around an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to deregulate the sales and use of “Glider Kits” in the United States.
    Glider kits are trucks which are sold with key parts missing, usually the engine or transmission. Third party manufacturers then install older refurbished parts. Using older parts allows these rigs to sell at a cheaper rate and avoid some of the environmental regulations that newer trucks are held to.
   24 members of congress are pushing for the proposal but are receiving push back from a coalition of trade groups, manufacturers and suppliers.
    “The EPA proposal, if finalized, would have broad negative ramifications beyond allowing the sale of glider vehicles, which could undermine hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment by manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and truck purchasers in the U.S. and jeopardize states’ ability to meet their clean air goals,” said the coalition.
    The coalition demands the EPA perform a regulatory impact analysis (RIA) to understand potential impacts of deregulation. 
    Only a few studies of Gliders have been conducted but one made public on Nov. 20, 2017 showed that gliders emit 43 times the amount of nitrous oxide as new trucks and emit particulate matter at 55 times the rate of new trucks.
    Deregulation “risks major impacts on air pollution and public health,” said senior attorney of the Environmental Defense Fund, Martha Roberts. “For these major decisions, it’s required, and it’s common sense, that the administration should properly weigh and share with the public the impacts that are at stake.”
    EPA officials responded in a letter saying “It is our understanding the EPA does not need to conduct a RIA for deregulatory issues and taking such a step would delay the regulatory action unnecessarily.” Performing an RIA “may adversely impact the U.S. economy by $1 billion and jeopardize 22,000 jobs.”
   If you are dealing with overinflated tow bills and need your truck and trailer released expediently, call Morgan, Cohen & Bach at (520) 442-1303.

​  America’s Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released their 2017 report card of American Infrastructure and the results are not great.
   Overall the United States received a D+ for quality and upkeep of infrastructure. Congestion, aging equipment, and large improvement costs are frequently mentioned problems facing our country’s upkeep.
   Only 4 of the 16 categories received grades higher than a D.
   American roads, which received a grade of D, “are often crowded, frequently in poor condition, chronically underfunded, and are becoming more dangerous,” according to the report. “One out of every five miles of highway pavement is in poor condition and our roads have a significant and increasing backlog of rehabilitation needs.”
 “The areas of infrastructure that improved benefited from vocal leadership, thoughtful policymaking, and investments that garnered results,” says the ASCE per their website. “These improvements demonstrate what can be accomplished when solutions that move projects forward are approved and implemented.”
  If you are dealing with overinflated tow bills and need your truck and trailer released expediently, call Morgan, Cohen & Bach at (520) 442-1303.

    Cargo theft is a substantial problem. Roadscholar.com estimates that in 2016 there was almost $173 million lost because of cargo theft in the United States and Canada.
    Wayne Hummel, a cargo and auto theft investigator or the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), gave advice for how to prevent this theft.
    “Any loaded trailer with cargo in it that’s sitting is at risk,” Hummel said. “My suggestion to anybody with a load, don’t leave it sitting. If you have to leave it sitting, have some kind of security on it, especially if it’s an expensive load.”
     Thieves have many different strategies to steal cargo ranging from a simple grab while the truck is parked in a trucking yard to setting up fraudulent companies that gain possession of the cargo.
   Some companies are combating the theft by keeping their trucks on the move at all times. Drivers trade off cargo at rest stops so they can take breaks while not allowing cargo to stay in one place too long.
    Hummel recommends that if your cargo is stolen to immediately report it. The IBC and law enforcement were able to recover half of all reported theft claims. ​

     Three European cargo ships are being fit with strange new sails. Rotor sails, unlike traditional sails which catch wind to generate thrust, use large smooth columns which the wind rotates generating thrust.
It’s expected that these rotor sails will save almost $200,000 per ship every year.
    “The ability to harness the wind as an additional power source to enable a reduction in fuel consumption is a natural next step for the maritime transport industry,” said Tuomas Riski, who took the old concept of rotor sails and updated it with modern technology.
    The sails cost between 1-2 million euros meaning the sails should pay for themselves in a few years.

     To read more about these sails and their future check out the link below.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliversmith/2018/03/12/norsepower-why-european-ships-are-switching-back-to-sails/#496fead126a0 ​

   The Amazon smart home Device Alexa scared some users after some devices started displaying ominous behaviour. Users reported their devices “mysteriously laughing” unexpectedly during the day.
    Amazon engineers think they have figured out the problem.
    “In rare circumstances, Alexa can mistakenly hear the phrase ‘Alexa, laugh,’” said the company in an email statement. “We are changing that phrase to be ‘Alexa, can you laugh?’ which is less likely to have false positives, and we are disabling the short utterance ‘Alexa, laugh.’”
    So the robots are not becoming self aware as some people thought but this still does bring up a problem for the tech industry. As technology keeps advancing, bugs like this are harder to catch.
    While some robotic laugher might unsettle some users, Alexa has access to so many different aspects of our lives and a small bug could lead to substantial complications.
   You can read more about the topic at the link below along with some interesting user experiences.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/business/alexa-laugh-amazon-echo.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FAmazon.com%20Inc.&action=click&contentCollection=business&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection ​

   Huawei, A Chinese tech company is taking large strides to create and implement new 5G networks.
    The company is trying to beat American competitors to market to establish themselves as the first company to offer 5G services.
    While you might be happy to see your internet speeds increase, US intelligence officials are wary of prospect.
     “We’re deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don’t share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks,” said FBI Director Chris Wray. “That provides the capacity to exert pressure or control over our telecommunications infrastructure. It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information. And it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage.”
     In response ZTE, a company working closely with Huawei, promised to follow “all applicable laws and regulations of the United States.”

     To read more you can follow the link below.

https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/03/china-vs-usa-in-5g.html ​

    In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the gun debate has reached a fervor in the US.
     To preserve their public image, multiple companies have started cutting ties with the pro-gun group National Rifle Association (NRA).
   Enterprise, MetLife, and Delta Airlines are some of the big names who no longer offer discounts or special services for NRA members.
     Delta released a statement on the matter. “Out of respect for our customers and employees on both sides, Delta has taken this action to refrain from entering this debate and focus on its business.”
     In response Georgia Republicans plan to respond by removing Delta’s $40 million tax break for the airlines.
     "Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back," said Casey Cagle, lieutenant governor of Georgia.
    To read more and see other companies that announced cutting ties you can follow the link below.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/25/news/companies/companies-abandoning-nra-list/index.html ​

   On Tuesday, Venezuela launched a presale for its state backed cryptocurrency. The highly controversial “petro” is backed by the Venezuela oil reserves.
   Venezuela’s previous currency, the bolívar, has fallen victim to massive inflation problems. While the numbers vary widely, Google’s currency converter estimates 1 US dollar is equal to 25,000 bolívar.
     Government officials are hoping this will help boost the economy and help deal with sanctions the US government has put on the country.
    The plan has some opponents within the Venezuelan government.
  “This isn’t a cryptocurrency, this is a forward sale of Venezuelan oil,” said Jorge Millán, a Venezuelan legislator. “It is tailor-made for corruption.”

You can read more in the link below

https://www.ft.com/content/07b1052c-1648-11e8-9376-4a6390addb44 ​

     The 2018 Winter Olympics are underway and the world’s attention is on Pyeongchang, South Korea. While the increased tourism and promotion helps charge the economy, does the cost outweigh the benefit?
      James McBride, writer for Council on Foreign Relations, argues that the Olympics are a huge strain on the countries economy.
    Take for example Rio de Janeiro. “More than a year later, the city still struggles with debt incurred, maintenance costs for abandoned facilities, under equipped public services, and rising crime” says McBride.
     Looking at costs of the Olympic Games, we see the prices have skyrocketed over the past 20 years. In 1996 during the Atlanta Summer games, the games cost 3.5 billion; Sochi’s 2014 winter games cost over 51 billion.
    Many applicants for future games have withdrawn their applications because of these high costs including Olso, Stockholm, and Boston.
      You can read McBride’s full argument at the link below.

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/economics-hosting-olympic-games ​

     Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon have teamed up to tackled one of America’s most difficult problems; affordable healthcare. The three business men released a statement announcing plans to create a healthcare company that will be "free from profit-making incentives and constraints."
    "The ballooning costs of health care act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," said Buffett. "We share the belief that putting our collective resources behind the country's best talent can, in time, check the rise in health costs while concurrently enhancing patient satisfaction and outcomes."
    The company will only be available for employees of businesses held by the three men and their families. There are rumors that the three may expand the business to the larger population depending on the results of its initial launch.
    "They're going to be using their own spending and resources as a laboratory. But I think their aspirations are bigger than their employee bases," said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Avalere Health, a healthcare consulting firm.
   
      You can read more about the three and their new company by following the link below.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/30/news/companies/amazon-berkshire-jpmorgan-health-insurance/index.html ​

​    Tech giant Amazon is looking at possible locations for its second headquarters which is referred to as HQ2.
     238 cities applied for the spot and Amazon has narrowed its search to just 20 cities. The finalists are…

1. Atlanta, GA             2. Austin, TX          3. Boston, MA           4. Chicago, IL

       5. Columbus, OH       6. Dallas, TX            7. Denver, CO           8. Indianapolis, IN
       9. Los Angeles, CA     10. Miami, FL          11. Montgomery County, MD
       12. Nashville, TN        13. Newark, NJ       14. New York, NY    15. Northern Virginia
       16. Philadelphia, PA    17. Pittsburg, PA    18. Raleigh, NC        19. Toronto, Ontario
       20. Washington D.C
     Amazon promises a $5 billion dollar investment and addition of 50,000 high-paying jobs to the home of HQ2 so each city is trying its best to court the company.
     Previous attempts include a Tucson group sending the company a 21 ft saguaro cactus to send a message that the company had “room to grow in Tucson.”
       Georgia offered Amazon a slice of land which would be a new town named Amazon, GA.
    Charlotte, NC even had a holiday celebrating the shipping company. Busses and billboard touted the #CLTisPrime slogan.
      Amazon has not yet released the final decision on HQ2’s location but says it will this year. Be sure to look out for more elaborate gifts and offers from the top 20 cities as the deadline comes closer.

​   On January 10th fans of automation got great news. Boeing, one of the most prominent aircraft manufacturers, unveiled a prototype for their unmanned cargo air vehicle (CAV).
    The prototype is all electric and powered by a electric propulsion engine that was developed by Boeing’s own Chicago based research lab.
    The prototype is reported to be able to carry 500 pounds of cargo at a time. The aircraft also takes off and lands vertically so large airstrips are not required for travel.
    This announcement came off the tail of Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens announcing their co-developed hybrid electric engine in November.
    "This flying cargo air vehicle represents another major step in our Boeing eVTOL strategy," said Greg Hyslop, Boeing's Chief Technology Officer . "We have an opportunity to really change air travel and transport, and we'll look back on this day as a major step in that journey."

If you would like to learn more about the aircraft you can follow the link below
   
https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Boeing+%28BA%29+Unveils+New+Unmanned+Cargo+Air+Vehicle+Prototype/13675207.html

As the shipping industries’ busy season approaches the first steps in a new global venture have been unveiled. A new Cargo Flight Tracker at Miami International Airport will allow real time access to cargo data that was previously only available directly through airlines. This new process should be much more efficient compared to the current by-hand system and should allow for expedited processing for shippers and carriers by providing real-time data.

Find out more at www.stattimes.com/miami-launches-webbased-air-cargo-flight-tracker