Optimizing Your Forklift Fleet
Purchasing a new forklift can be expensive, but that’s just a fraction of what it costs to operate it efficiently—or inefficiently. Getting the most bang for your forklift buck means understanding the products you move and establishing baseline costs as a start. Here are 10 tips for optimizing your forklift fleet, from Joseph Lafergola, manager, […]
Read MorePort Diversion Strategy: Consistency Beats Velocity
A steady increase in imports from Asia during the last five years has helped create a logistics dilemma for U.S. businesses using West Coast ports. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and their key partners—rail, labor, stevedores, truckers, and distribution centers—were not properly prepared to handle these volumes, leading to significant receiving and […]
Read MoreWireless Capabilities: A Must-Have for Fleet Operators
Wireless technology has become a mainstay for today’s distribution, wholesale, and retail fleet operators—especially in the area of last-mile delivery. The ability to communicate information in real time is key to controlling costs and maintaining efficient operations on the road. Wireless technology’s features and options, as well as its service and hardware costs, continue to […]
Read MoreU.S. Manufacturers: Have Logistics, Will Prosper
For generations, small and medium-sized manufacturers have been vital to the innovation and productivity of America’s economy. These manufacturers—defined by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) as those with fewer than 500 employees and fewer than 2,500 employees, respectively—underpin our nation’s success in international markets, and play a critical role in the future of America’s […]
Read MoreSAFE, At Home
The shipping community, with government assistance, is the defensive line protecting us from threats caused by nuclear proliferation. Where’s the global anti-nuke movement? They must be sitting this one out, waiting for the next power plant to open. We know exactly where Congress is, however. The Security and Accountability for Every Port Act (SAFE) offers […]
Read MoreTeamwork Wins the WMS Game
Canadian sporting goods retailer The Forzani Group drafts Q4 Logistics to tackle a WMS implementation.
Read MoreHigh 5: Air Cargo’s Top Challenges
Increasing fuel prices, security threats, changing inventory strategies, mode shifting, and provider consolidation have the air cargo industry in a tailspin. Here’s how carriers and shippers plan to fly past these challenges.
Read MoreWMS: Beyond the Basics
Think you know absolutely everything about your warehouse management system’s capabilities? Think again.
Read MorePaying the Bills: Choosing The Right Freight Bill Payment Provider
Any firm that ships anything is familiar with freight bills and the process for paying them. Less understood is the industry that has been built around outsourcing these payment activities. Why outsource freight bill payment services? There are several good reasons; the most popular is the possibility of reduced costs. It costs a large company […]
Read MoreGlobal Logistics—October 2006
Global Transportation Providers is Bigger Better Despite the billions of dollars spent on supply chain mergers recently, shippers don’t necessarily think bigger is better when it comes to global transportation, finds a new survey of logistics executives from 52 global firms such as Bayer, Honda, and Pfizer. Many shippers feel one provider—regardless of size—cannot offer […]
Read MoreMilton Young: A Tree Grows in Houston
Milton Young is in the Christmas tree business, but not the kind you decorate with tinsel and twinkling lights. His employer, Houston-based FMC Technologies, manufactures valve assemblies that control the flow of product pumped from undersea petroleum fields. Called “subsea Christmas trees” for their branching shape, these systems are engineered to withstand rough usage one […]
Read MoreCargo Security: Collaborate, Prevent, React
Q: With all the cargo security initiatives that have been implemented recently, what can transportation companies expect for the future? A: After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, both government and industry launched unprecedented efforts to ensure cargo safety throughout the transportation chain. Despite these collaborative efforts, maintaining a safe and secure transportation system remains a […]
Read MoreVoice Technology Hitting a High Note?
When a new whitepaper written by Pittsburgh, Pa.-based voice technology provider Vocollect landed in my e-mail inbox, I was not surprised to find it full of positive information about the wonders of voice-directed picking. After all, companies don’t prosper by releasing negative whitepapers. The paper, Using Voice-Directed Work in the Supply Chain, showcases the ability […]
Read MorePeeling Away a ‘Band-Aid And Bubblegum’ Operation
Specialized shipping and global trade software complements Speedline Technologies’ slowing ERP system.
Read MoreTrends-October 2006
To scan 100 percent of containers entering or leaving the United States or not to scan 100 percent? That was the question facing the Senate last month. After much debate and several amendments attempting to require 100-percent container scanning, the Senate in September approved final passage of the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006. It […]
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