Supply Chain by the Numbers New Daimler SuperTruck Really Ups the Freight Efficiency Ante; Amazon and the Internet of Things; Megaships have Led to 50% More Time in Port; Manufacturing Expansion Continues – but Waning 115% The amazing improvement in freight-mile efficiency achieved under recent tests for a new SuperTruck design from Daimler Trucks and its US Freightliner brand. The truck was the latest one developed under the US Department of Energy’s SuperTruck program, which had a goal of just a 50% rise such efficiency. In tests with a truck and freight weighing a combined 65,0000 pounds, the Daimler truck achieved an average of a remarkable of 12.2 mpg, almost double the levels of trucks currently on the road. Daimler received some $40 million in matching funds from the DOE for the program, and partnered with engine maker Detroit Diesel in the effort. The mileage improvement comes from a variety of innovations, including much more aerodynamic tractor and trailer designs, low resistance tires, and greater intelligence built into the drive train. Daimler qualified the news by noting that some of the components used in the prototype truck may not be commercially viable at this point. 18 That’s the average number of days that the latest generation container megaships (18,000+ TEU capacity) are spending in port loading and unloading on Asia to Europe tours, versus just 12 days with the previous generation (13,000 TEU) ships, according to a recent blog post by Drewry Shipping . That is based on three Asian pickup and three Euro drop off stops (there are no US ports capable yet of handling these mega-mega-ships). That means importers in Europe are waiting several extra days in many cases to get their boxes. The most basic issue: the new giant ships are not just getting longer but wider […]