Remember back in December, when Covid vaccine distribution was first getting underway? Competing carriers joined together, like a truck-bound Santa Clause to deliver doses of the new drug to people who needed it desperately. Images of politicians getting inoculated flooded our newsfeeds. It provided a much-needed glimmer of hope at the end of a truly awful year.

Since then, excitement over vaccine delivery has ebbed. The news cycle marches on, and most of the public has long since stopped caring how items make it to their store shelves, front doors, or doctors' offices. It’s not that anyone has stopped relying on the vaccine to fix the bizarre situation we find ourselves in. It’s just that complex and sensitive freight services aren’t at the forefront of most people’s minds. Dry ice can only hold the world’s attention for so long. Vaccine distribution might be out of the spotlight (for now), but there’s an important new development in the works. Until now, one of the biggest obstacles has had to do with temperatures. Freezing temperatures, that is.

As of February, vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have been approved by the CDC to inoculate against Covid-19. While Moderna’s jab can be stored at -20 degrees Celsius, the Pfizer inoculation originally had to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius. (That’s less than the lowest temperature on record at the Klinck research station in Greenland, for anyone keeping track at home.) Now, Pfizer has submitted new data to the FDA showing that its vaccine can be stored between -25 and -15 degrees Celsius. If approved, the ramifications could be huge.

Storing a shot at -70 degrees Celcius requires either a specialized freezer (one that is so cold that most hospitals don’t have it on hand) or careful packaging in dry ice. In August, a Pfizer scientist told the CDC that freezers containing Covid vaccines should not be opened more than twice per day, and should not stay open for more than a minute at a time. Relaxing these requirements would not only reduce costs but make the vaccine much more easily available in parts of the world that might not otherwise have access.

But why must the vaccines be kept in this frigid state to begin with, you ask? The reason has to do with their ingredients. The primary one is ‘nucleoside modified messenger RNA’ or mRNA. mRNA works by teaching our immune systems to fight off Covid-19 from the inside out. Once injected, it induces human cells to create a coronavirus protein. That protein then triggers an immune response, which we use to make antibodies. The antibodies are what staves off the virus, should we become infected down the road. This is great news, but there’s a catch. In addition to being medically useful, mRNA is also really delicate. Unless it is kept at temperatures that rival an Arctic winter, it will break down before ever reaching a patient’s arm.

This creates some particularly urgent challenges relative to most vaccines. While most pharmaceuticals require chilled freight services, not all need to be kept at a temperature this cold. Regular flu vaccines, for example, can be stored at around 2-8 degrees Celsius and can live in a refrigerator for months at a time. Now, if Covid vaccines can be stored in a more forgiving setting, it could save countless costs, man-hours, and lives around the globe. Amesh Adalja, at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, says it best, telling Reuters that the higher temperatures would ‘greatly expand the ability to use this vaccine in many parts of the world (or even the U.S.) that do not have the capacity for deep freeze storage’.

In the meantime, cold chain logistics continues to save countless lives….

After taking a backseat for years, U.S. trade policy has made its way back into the spotlight. The Trump administration challenged previously held orthodoxy around liberalization, instead using tariffs and trade wars to try to balance trade deficits and expand manufacturing positions in the United States. Now, President Joe Biden will inherit an ‘America first’ policy with both positive and negative consequences. And those of us in the business of importing, exporting and handling the logistics are waiting to see what he’ll do with it.

So, new president, new trade policy? Maybe not. Instead, Team Biden’s actions suggest that his priority will be supporting labor domestically, not liberalizing trade. Less than one month into his first term, President Biden has made a few moves that suggest an approach surprisingly similar to his predecessor. Here are a few of them:

Made in America - One of Biden’s first executive orders following his election was a ‘Buy American’ provision, requiring the federal government to buy more domestically produced goods. The order also strengthens the definitions of American made products and makes it harder to issue waivers to buy certain products overseas.

China - Perhaps one of his more infamous policy decisions, President Trump initiated tariffs on more than $300 billion in Chinese imports in 2018. Despite having signed a ‘phase one’ deal at the beginning of 2020, a trade war between the two countries is still ongoing. As of publication, President Biden has chosen to leave tariffs on Chinese goods in place. Several of his nominees have also voiced support for a ‘tough’ stance on China.

Section 232 Tariffs – Such investigations are administered by the Department of Commerce to determine the impact of particular imports on national security. Historically, they have focused on oil and petroleum. In 2017, the Trump administration initiated Section 232 investigations around steel and aluminum, ultimately determining that imports of those products harm national security. President Biden is letting those investigation results stand, meaning that tariffs on certain aluminum and steel products will remain for the time being.

Nominees - President Biden’s nominees for Secretary of State and Commerce Department head have both vowed to take a tough stance on China (that doesn’t usually translate into trade liberalization!). And incoming US Trade Representative Katherine Tai recently told the National Foreign Trade Council that the Biden Administration aims to have a ‘work-centered trade policy. ‘U.S. trade policy must benefit regular Americans, communities, and workers. And that starts with recognizing that people are not just consumers. They are also workers and wage earners.’

World Trade Organization - This is one area where we probably will see a departure from the 45th administration’s approach. President Trump was openly critical of the WTO, and even brought the NGO’s appeals process to a halt by blocking judges in its Appellate Body. Now the United States will have to decide whether to cooperate with or abandon the WTO altogether. Analysts believe that President Biden will bring the United States back into the fold.

Sympathies are shifting away from free trade and globalization and towards Made in America (at least in the White House). Although a Biden presidency is less likely to antagonize traditional United States allies, the glory days of free trade could be coming to a middle - So stay tuned!

As we learn more about this at Able Freight, you’ll find out too. We are here to support you in navigating through the changes as well as making sure the logistics of your sensitive products is handled professionally and with the highest dedication and in-depth know-how in place!

Your Able Freight Team

sales@ablefreight.com

Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/able-freight/

At the SpaceWaves virtual conference presented by FreightWaves on December 3, 2020, NASA called for the commercial logistics sector to help bring new ideas and innovation to their Artemis program. By 2024, NASA plans to bring the first woman and the next man to the moon and establish the Gateway outpost in the moon's orbit. This program would bring people to the moon to stay and facilitate future deep-space exploration. A manned Mars mission is in NASA's sights for the 2030s.

To reach these goals, NASA recognizes the need for the development of completely autonomous systems. Because of the distance of over 200,000 miles to the moon, any communication from earth would not occur in real-time but have a 2.5-second delay, making remote control operation a challenge. For Mars, the communication delay would be an insurmountable 40 minutes. Automated guidance systems must ensure that unmanned spacecraft can dock itself to the Gateway. Decision-making capabilities and machine-learning are necessary for every robotic system without an in-person operator.

Cargo packaging is another challenge, from basic supplies to large equipment. Rapid temperature changes and radiation are among the extreme conditions cargo faces on the days-long journey to the Gateway. The packaging solutions to these hurdles are limited by weight, volume, as well as the ability for the material to be repurposed or recycled later in the mission.

The uncharted logistics of deep space deliveries has prompted NASA to approach the commercial sector. There are complex questions that still need answers: how to plan given widely-spaced possible delivery windows, how to accommodate changing demand with such a large delivery time, and how to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Mark Wiese, manager of deep space logistics for the Gateway program, discussed how NASA plans to take existing technology used in the logistics sector today and "translate" it to their application of the supply chain in space.

“This is where specialist companies like Able Freight have an opportunity”, says Orlando Wong, CEO of Able Freight. “For 28 years our company manages cold chain air freight logistics for hundreds of business clients”. And continues: “While deep space presents new challenges at much lower temperatures, in our industry we already operate under strict requirements”.

Able Freight can bring ideas and innovation to NASA. Michael Kronenberg, CSO/CTO of Able Freight, confirms: “It's an exciting time to consider the possibilities of where technology and innovation can take us and how to collaborate with NASA bringing Able Freight’s perishable logistics experience into space!"

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware of environmental waste. You know that it exists, and that it’s a problem. But the gravity of the issue may still come as a shock. According to one World Bank study, pollution accounts for 9 million premature deaths and $5.7 trillion every year (that’s 4.8% of global GDP!).

We all want clean air to breathe and water to drink, both for us and for future generations. The question is, how do we get there? And how should supply chain leaders address waste, while also keeping the world’s economy moving?

We may not have solar-powered airplanes or carbon-neutral trucks yet, but that doesn’t mean sitting on our hands and waiting for someone else to fix the problem for us. One way that executives are tackling pollution is by moving towards a circular economy.

If that phrase sounds unfamiliar, don’t worry. A circular economy simply refers to a system in which materials are kept in use, instead of thrown away. According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, ‘A circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.’ This is contrasted with a ‘linear economy’, the current default of harvesting resources and throwing away products at the end of their life.

Sustainability is not a new concept to us at Able Freight. We started a reusable foil initiative and our temperature tags can be used from the West Coast to Hawaii and back. Our reusable materials cut out physical waste and protect against temperature excursions. Efficiency improves on our end, and we pass those savings right along to our customers.

The shift towards a circular economy is going to create some interesting opportunities for perishables logistics. It will take a lot of new technology - think analytics, reusable devices within the Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning. An emphasis on extending shelf life for as long as possible is going to require changes throughout the product’s life cycle. And a commitment to collaboration on a level not seen before.

Circularity will take a little while to achieve, no doubt. Even with many advances in place, we can’t overhaul the ‘take, make, waste’ model overnight. But with a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of teamwork, we can together make the planet a more sustainable place to live, maybe even sooner than we think.

There’s no better time than right now to leave a legacy in the cold chain. Let’s do it together.

- Your Able Freight team

2020 was a bust. It started out with Great Britain leaving the European Union and the longest recovery on record ending in the United States, and went downhill from there. Covid-19 and the ensuing economic shutdowns and consumer behavior shifts conspired to wreak havoc on supply chains.

The good news is that the year is almost over, though 2021 will no doubt come with its own challenges. Here are a few things that we’ve got our eye on as the clock strikes midnight on December 31st:

Vaccine distribution: As political leaders push to reach ‘herd immunity’, the supply chain will be feeling the crunch to move Covid-19 vaccines from all sides. According to Operation Warp Speed officials, it will take 16 million shipments to inoculate the population of the United States alone. Pfizer expects to require 20 flights per day to get the medicine to the rest of the world.

E-Commerce: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - studies show that Covid-19 boosted e-commerce growth by years. As consumers gravitate away from storefronts, a record number of businesses have gone online. Of course, all of these online purchases have to get hauled to the consumer’s front door. As carriers attempt to navigate the upsurge in traffic, peak-type rates will likely become the norm.

Visibility: After this crazy year, managers may want to see what’s going on with their supply chain, even more than before. They’ll want delivery dates, in-transit status, shipping information, and even updates on raw materials. (By the way, if you’re looking for a visibility tool, check out DataHub)

Sustainability: An unexpected outgrowth of the coronavirus is renewed focus on the environment. The supply chain isn’t exempt - turns out that moving goods can be a pretty dirty process. Get ready to hear phrases like ‘circular economy’ and ‘sustainable development goals’.

Brexit: The clock is ticking to finish a divorce deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union, before falling back to World Trade Organization-determined tariff levels. As negotiations head into the 11th hour, exporters should brace themselves for chaos.

That’s where Able Freight steps in to help you and make sure your business may grow and succeed! Reach out at sales@ablefreight.com

2020 started out with Great Britain leaving the European Union and the longest recovery on record ending in the United States and went downhill from there. Covid-19 and the ensuing economic shutdowns and consumer behavior shifts conspired to wreak havoc on supply chains.

The good news is that the year 2020 is finally over, though 2021 will no doubt come with its own challenges. Here are a few things that we’ve got our eye on as the clock has struck midnight on December 31st:

Vaccine distribution: As political leaders push to reach ‘herd immunity’, the supply chain will be feeling the crunch to move Covid-19 vaccines from all sides. According to Operation Warp Speed officials, it will take 16 million shipments to inoculate the population of the United States alone. Pfizer expects to require 20 flights per day to get the medicine to the rest of the world.

E-Commerce: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - studies show that Covid-19 boosted e-commerce growth by years. As consumers gravitate away from storefronts, a record number of businesses have gone online. Of course, all of these online purchases have to get hauled to the consumer’s front door. As carriers attempt to navigate the upsurge in traffic, peak-type rates will likely become the norm.

Visibility: After this crazy year, managers may want to see what’s going on with their supply chain, even more than before. They’ll want delivery dates, in-transit status, shipping information, temperature readings, and even updates on raw materials and its origins. (By the way, if you’re looking for a visibility tool, check out DataHub)

Sustainability: An unexpected outgrowth of the coronavirus is a renewed focus on the environment. The supply chain isn’t exempt. Get ready to hear phrases like ‘circular economy’ and ‘sustainable development goals’.

Able Freight is here to help you maneuver through all the upcoming challenges!

We wish you a healthy and successful 2021!

Sales@ablefreight.com

Phone: +1 310 568 8883