The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association

January 28, 2020

Young Professional Development Breakfast at GovTravels 2020

One of NDTA’s top priorities is our investment in helping our next generation of professionals succeed within their military, government, and industry careers or transition to the next great challenge. During GovTravels 2020, the NDTA Washington, DC Chapter will sponsor our Young Professional Development Breakfast on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, from 7:00am-8:15am. This session is  […READ MORE…]

Five Ways Payment Programs and Regulations Preserve Carrier Capacity

By Cheryl Garcia, SVP Gov’t Sales and Relationship Management, Global Transportation at U.S. Bank

The partnership between the military and the freight carrier industry is stronger than ever. It spans from the branches of military service and multiple government agencies to providers around the globe who all play important roles in support of the Department of Defense (DOD) mission. 

Without carrier capacity, everything from delivering military vehicles and equipment stateside and overseas to the movement of household goods for those who serve our country would be impacted. That’s why efficiency and collaboration are so very important.  […READ MORE…]

Iron Man Might Be Your New Baggage Handler and Other Innovations Shaping the Airline Industry

By Sharon Lo Managing Editor, Defense Transportation Journal and The Source

Trends in transportation—whether new technologies, evolving customer expectations or other innovations—often take shape in the travel industry. Take Uber for example. The company began approximately 11 years ago as an alternative mode of consumer transportation. Now we have Uber moving not just people, but also freight.

The airline industry, in particular, is creating and implementing astonishing new technologies that will likely change how companies operate—not just in the airline industry, but in other modes of transportation and beyond. […READ MORE…]

Editor’s Picks

How the U.S. Navy’s Aging Sealift Fleet Could Lose America’s Next War in Eurasia
(Forbes) For much of U.S. history, the vast oceans separating America from Europe and Asia protected the nation against attack by foreign enemies. Today, those oceans are as much a hindrance as an advantage.

2020 Cybersecurity Predictions: Evolving Vulnerabilities on the Horizon
(The Hill) Cybersecurity threats are seemingly omnipresent in today’s hyper-connected, digital world. In fact — no surprise here — they will only continue to increase in sophistication, frequency, diversity, scale, and scope this year and in the near future.

Transportability Engineering is Vital in an Accelerated Acquisition Process
(U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center) As the design of military systems approaches the limits of certain transportation assets, meeting the transportability requirements becomes critical.

Saudi Arabia’s Phone Hacking Shows We Need Better Encryption — Not Backdoors
(Defense One) Before the world learned that history’s richest man had been hacked by agents of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Saudi dissidents and human rights activists had received similar treatment. But the Bezos hack, and the others like it, show the limits of even good message security in the face of a known attacker. 

Time to Revive Joint Concept Development and Experimentation
(War on the Rocks) Close air support has saved countless lives. The key to effective close air support is not the aircraft. It is the communication and coordination between controllers, deployed alongside soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines on the ground, and pilots from all four services in the air. In other words, it is the American military’s ability to conduct joint combat operations.

U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: Shipping, Spending Down in Q4; Spending in 2019 up 3.4% YoY
(Business Wire) The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, a quarterly analysis of freight shipment volumes and spending by organizations that ship goods, ended 2019 on a soft note, with both volumes and spending falling in the fourth quarter. However, thanks to strong second and third quarters, spending in 2019 overall was up 3.4% from 2018.

AI Readiness for Government: Are You Ready for AI?
(Deloitte) As various government agencies prepare to deploy artificial intelligence, a six-pronged framework can help them assess their AI readiness.

Port of Virginia Sets New Annual Volume Record in 2019 Having Handled 2.9 Million TEUs
(The Port of Virginia) The Port of Virginia® set a new annual record for container cargo volume having handled more than 2.93 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in calendar year 2019, a 3 percent increase over last year’s total.

FedEx Earns No. 14 Spot on the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies List
(FedEx) FedEx Corp. is once again ranked among the most admired companies in the world, according to a survey published in FORTUNE magazine.

New High-Tech Equipment Speeds Used Railroad Tie Cleanup Process
(Union Pacific) Union Pacific is using new high-tech work equipment to more quickly remove ties. The railroad replaces between 3 million and 4 million railroad ties annually.

The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.