Sharing the Load
Transloading strategies reduce touches and costs, and give shippers greater flexibility to respond to changing demand.
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Best Practices to Manage International Freight Spend
Many companies have switched operations to low cost suppliers—only to find that higher than expected transportation expenses outweighed the benefits. In fact, the logistics costs associated with operating a global supply chain can be 6 to 11 percent of revenue, roughly three to five times more than a domestic supply network. A recent AberdeenGroup report, […]
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Georgia: Logistics Front and Center
A prime geographic location positions businesses in Georgia to take the lead.
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Sporting Goods Logistics: Keeping the Ball Rolling
Athletic equipment distributors and retailers use supply chain management to avoid stockouts, manage seasonal peaks, and stay in the game.
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Emerging Markets Break Through
To tap the potential of emerging markets, shippers and their service providers spring forward with new logistics tactics and strategies.
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GTM: The World at Your Fingertips
Global trade management software offers greater shipment visibility and control, eases the pain of border-crossing compliance, and streamlines financial transactions—all from your browser.
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Five Tips for Landing a Successful Supply Chain Internship
From the Editor: Our Smart Moves column usually features insights from academic experts, but this month we feature a student’s perspective. MBA candidate Sweta Ashwarya’s sound advice on finding an internship applies to anyone delving into their professional network to pursue career advancement. Albert Einstein once said, "The only thing that interferes with my learning […]
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To Rebuild America’s Economy, Keep Products at Home
Despite anecdotal evidence of a comeback brewing in domestic industry, wide-ranging new data repeatedly point to major—even mounting—manufacturing woes, including flatlining growth and record trade deficits. More importantly, advanced domestic manufacturing keeps failing a crucial competitive test: holding onto markets in its own enormous American backyard. Imports continue to gain at the expense of U.S. […]
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Are You Paying Too Much for Transportation? Benchmark Carrier Activities to Find Out
If you haven’t reviewed your carrier activity in the past 12 to 18 months, there’s a good chance your transportation costs are more than what you’ve planned, higher than the rates listed in your routing guide, and, quite possibly, higher than competitive market rates. Over the past year, shippers have begun to feel the pinch […]
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How Freight Classification Changes Impact Shippers
Q: What are some of the recent and proposed changes to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) used to determine the class for rating less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments? A: The most notable change—effective Dec. 1, 2012—was in classifying computer equipment. Under the new classification, this product type moved to a density-based rating with the lowest possible […]
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Global Logistics—March 2013
India’s Auto Industry: Abundant Drive, But Will Progress Follow? India’s economy has been faltering amid questions about protectionist business and trade policies, socio-political imbalances, and transportation weaknesses. But the country shows signs of progress in one industry: automotive. When Tata Motors debuted the world’s cheapest car in 2008, it created a buzz. The Tata Nano […]
Read MoreTrends—March 2013
Winner Takes Oil As debate about the Keystone XL pipeline continues to rile industry, politicians, and environmentalists, the railroads are minding their own booming business. The volume of crude oil hauled in U.S. freight trains more than tripled in 2012, as production from shale formations surged. U.S. freight trains hauled nearly 234,000 carloads of crude […]
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Brian Morgan: Transportation Superconductor
Brian Morgan is director of logistics at Leviton, a manufacturer of electrical wiring devices, network and data center connectivity solutions, and energy management systems, based in Melville, N.Y. He joined the company in 2012. Responsibilities: Managing the transportation network and introducing technologies to improve transportation operations. Experience: Intern, Corvette workplace development team, General Motors; manufacturing […]
Read MorePreparing Your Supply Chain For Seasonal Peaks
Failing to secure efficient labor, sufficient warehouse space, and reliable carriers for seasonal peaks can wreak havoc on your supply chain. Kyle Oslos, director of logistics for APL Logistics, offers the following advice to help you prepare for peak season. 1. Verify and clarify your relationships with staffing providers. Whether you use one temporary staffing […]
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America’s Hardened Arteries
Over there: They plan to build an island where none exists. And a modern port. And road and rail connections. In five years. Over here: We study for more than two decades whether or not to dredge the Savannah River. Over there: They measure port operation productivity in multiples of what we have here. "Compared […]
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e-Commerce: Finding the Sweet Spot
Online retailers seeking new DC and warehouse sites need transportation infrastructure and other resources to support a constant, rapid-fire flow of shipments.
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Understanding Warehouseman’s Liens
When a warehouse operator believes it is owed storage and handling charges from a customer, it will often assert that it holds a “warehouseman’s lien” over the customer’s goods stored in the warehouse. By asserting such a lien, the warehouse operator is attempting to prevent the customer from shipping or otherwise making use of any […]
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Performance-Based Negotiations: Simulation as Support for Decision-Making
Performance-based logistics (PBL) contracts have the potential to reduce cost to the buyer, while also increasing capability. This is contingent on the right set of metrics and cost targets being developed to ensure the right contractor incentive. Today, less than five percent of work performed in both government and private sectors is under PBL deals. […]
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Tracking Tools Protect Food Shipment Freshness
Managing food safety can be difficult in the best of conditions. From the field to the retailer, food comes in contact with soil, water, pallets, vehicles and a variety of other materials – any of which can introduce human pathogens into the food chain. Meat, seafood, poultry, and fresh fruits and vegetables are the highest-risk […]
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