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MCM Top 3PLs 2023: Be Listed and Be Seen

| Mike O'Brien

We’ve opened up the submission period for Multichannel Merchant’s annual Top 3PL directory. This is your chance to show off your chops and differentiators to more than 74,000 MCM readers in ecommerce and retail. It’s the industry’s go-to resource for this rapidly evolving market, so don’t miss your opportunity to be represented. 

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Ryder Grows B2B Truck Sharing Network

| Mike O'Brien

Ryder is expanding a nationwide B2B network called Coop that matches available trucks from fleet owners in a variety of modes, Uber-like, with shippers with a temporary need for capacity to meet demand in a tight market for assets. New locations are being added in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

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Amazon Lists First-Time FBA Peak Surcharge

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is jumping on the peak surcharge bandwagon for the first time, asking sellers using its Fulfillment By Amazon service to pay 35 cents more per item for goods sold in the U.S. and Canada, running from Oct. 15 to Jan. 14, according to CNBC. This follows peak fee announcements from both FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service.

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FedEx Activist Investor Seeking Input from Ground ISPs

| Mike O'Brien

An activist investor group with control of at least two board seats at FedEx is reaching out to FedEx Ground contractors to see what they think of efforts by a new association of independent service providers to collectively approach management about challenges to their operations.

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USPS Projects $1 Billion Inflationary Hit in Costs

| Mike O'Brien

The U.S. Postal Service plans to hikes rates in January as a hedge against a projected $1 billion inflationary hit on 2022 operating costs. The USPS reported a $459 million third-quarter loss, which excluded a $2.15 billion impact from reform legislation addressing prefunded retiree healthcare. A peak surcharge is also being imposed.

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FedEx Ground Group: Contractors Could Flip to Franchisees

| Mike O'Brien

The head of a renegade association of FedEx Ground contractors said those businesses have a strong case to be reclassified as franchisees, which would challenge the very contractor model the unit is built upon. Spencer Patton said many contractors could meet the reclassification test, giving them more legal rights and benefits.

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LaserShip, OnTrac Plan to Expand Transcontinental Network

| Mike O'Brien

Ten months after joining forces, regional carriers LaserShip and OnTrac have launched a transcontinental home delivery network linking east and west coasts, with plans to expand to Texas in early 2023 and other markets thereafter, offering shippers an alternative to FedEx and UPS.

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Port of Oakland Still Looks to Court Action

| Mike O'Brien

While trucker protests are no longer blocking the flow of goods at the busy Port of Oakland, port officials are still hoping a California district court judge will take action to prevent future efforts to create a logjam there as retailers gear up for the 2022 peak holiday season.

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FedEx: Contractors’ Action Could Be Breach of Contract

| Mike O'Brien

FedEx, in a firm response to a move by a group of FedEx Ground contractors seeking financial relief from the carrier, warned that any collective bargaining activity would put them in breach of contract, even as the group seeks to create a representative committee.

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Cross-Border Ecommerce: Facing Logistical Challenges, Seizing Opportunities

| Mike O'Brien

With worldwide cross-border ecommerce sales reaching as high as $2 trillion by 2030, the opportunity is hard to ignore, but there are logistical hurdles to overcome. The good news: provider networks have made it easier than ever for even SMBs to jump in. This MCM report taps cross-border experts to explore both the risks and rewards of cross-border ecommerce in 2022 and beyond.