Good day,
Uber’s (NYSE: UBER) autonomous air taxi ambitions made headlines during CES19, But when it comes to actually getting off the ground, the ride-hailing company has fallen back on the tried and true: a manned helicopter. In July, the New York Times reports, Uber will launch Uber Copter, an air service that will take passengers between Manhattan and Kennedy International Airport. The average ride will last about eight minutes and cost between $200 and $225 per person. “This is a trip that so many travelers make a day, and we see an opportunity to save them a huge amount of time on it,” Eric Allison, the head of Uber Elevate, told the Times. The company plans to eventually roll out the service in other cities.
Did you know?
During the first quarter of 2019, there were a total of 144 cargo thefts in the U.S. — averaging a loss of $116,717 per instance. This represents a 25 percent increase in cargo theft volume, as well as a 1 percent increase in theft value, compared to the first quarter of 2018.
SensiGuard’s quarterly cargo theft analysis (CCJ)
Quotable
“It is further evidence that the U.S.-China trade war is scrambling the deck chairs of U.S. trade. At work, in part, is how important Mexico trade is to Laredo and how important China trade is to Los Angeles.”
-Ken Roberts, president of WorldCity, on the Port of Laredo surpassing Los Angeles as the nation’s busiest trade hub (Forbes)
In other news
Cycling wars
What was once fierce competition among startups has evolved into a competition between publicly traded giants. (Wired)
Bird is reportedly in talks to acquire Scoot, a fellow scooter company last valued at around $71 million. (TechCrunch)
Michael’s sales decline pegged to lag in digital commerce
The crafts supplies retailer is late to the digital sales war, and it has taken a toll. (Fortune)
Rail security startup raises $12 million
Cylus, an Israeli startup, develops technology to protect railway and metro systems from cyber attacks. (Nocamels)
Final thoughts
Toronto-based Agnico Eagle Mines has hatched a plan to get around Trump’s (proposed) Mexico tariffs – fly the gold the company produces from mines in Mexico to Canada instead of the U.S. “It’s not expensive to fly a bar of gold,” CEO Sean Boyd told Bloomberg. “We would just refine it somewhere else. We could easily bring it to Canada.”
Hammer down everyone!
Brokerage Compliance Symposium
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
F3 Awards Dinner
The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now