Solved: Optimizing and Speeding Up Shipments to Mexico – Transplace
By partnering with Transplace, drywall and joint compound maker USG was able to reduce the delivery time of its product to Mexico from 6 weeks to 48 hours.
Read MoreGlobal Supply Chain Risk: Don’t Wait, Mitigate
Having a global supply chain risk management strategy in place can not only increase value to your customers but also reduce your costs and increase performance. Companies globalize supply chain management to increase competitive advantage, add value to the customer, and reduce costs through global sourcing. But global supply chains also increase risks from considerations […]
Read More
BluJay Solutions CEO Doug Braun:
Leading with Compassion and Conviction
It has been a busy year at BluJay Solutions. In 2016, the supply chain software company, known then as Kewill, acquired another technology player, LeanLogistics. In March 2017, the combined companies rebranded as BluJay Solutions and debuted an innovative new software platform model, the BluJay Global Trade Network. Soon after, BluJay acquired Blackbay, a provider […]
Read MoreInvesting in the Right Transportation Management System
The demand for transportation management systems (TMS) is on the rise. A basic solution manages truck and carrier dispatch, fleet maintenance, driver records, billing and driver pay, and DOT compliance. Additionally, a TMS streamlines operations by optimizing carrier routes, managing customer activity, and reporting analytics. Joe Couto, chief operating officer at HighJump, outlines factors to […]
Read More
What would you put in a logistics time capsule for people to open 50 years from now?
I’d put in a bunch of data such as the average weight of a truckload, the price of fuel, transit times, etc. so that people in 50 years could compare it to what they are doing and wonder how we survived. Kyle Merop U.S. Air Force Veteran Logistician I still have a few air waybills […]
Read More
The Economy Will Grow. Is That Bad News?
For this annual trucking issue, we surveyed both shippers and carriers on important issues impacting the trucking industry. Most importantly, we solicited their views on the state of the economy as we head into 2018. The good news: not one shipper or carrier responding to our survey thinks that the economy will head south in […]
Read More3 Signs of a Siloed Supply Chain—and How to Fix Them
To keep up with the speed of mobile commerce and the impatience of consumers, supply chains must be faster and more agile than ever. Today’s consumers expect items to be delivered to them quickly and seamlessly no matter how, when, or where they made the purchase. Siloed supply chains can slow down the process, causing […]
Read MoreThe Ins and Outs of Deploying Mobile Devices Across the Supply Chain
How do you use mobile devices and apps in your distribution center or warehouse? What costs do you incur? Does your entire organization use mobile technology properly and securely? Is your voice-picking system up and running at all times? IT and line-of-business managers have a hard time getting answers to these and many other mobility […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Commentary: Prepare for Mobile Commerce
E-commerce, m-commerce, and now app-commerce. Mobile commerce is expected to become a $250-billion market by 2020, with an increasing number of sales being done via smartphone apps. According to the 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper, shoppers make 25 percent of online purchases with apps, a number expected to spike quickly in coming years. […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Shout Out: In Appreciation of Truck Drivers
Truck driver appreciation week ends tomorrow, Sept. 16, 2017, but appreciating truck drivers merits year-round attention. There is no better evidence of the critical role of professional drivers than during the natural events that have occurred throughout the past few weeks. Over the course of my career as a logistics analyst with a regional produce […]
Read More
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Celebrates Our Unsung Heroes of the Road
More than 80 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities. In this country, we all rely on truck drivers in some way or another. Whether it’s to enjoy basic modern conveniences, receive life-sustaining medical supplies, or keep businesses thriving, our lives depend on the transportation industry and […]
Read MoreDigital Change: Realizing the Potential
Digital Transformation (DT) is coming of age. Eighty percent of respondents to a recent IFS Digital Change Survey see themselves as “enabled”, “enhanced” or “optimized” to leverage DT. More impressively, 89 percent say they have “advantageous” or “adequate” funding in place for digital projects—a clear acknowledgment that the time of disruptive technologies is here, and […]
Read MoreU.S. Manufacturers Respond to Regulatory Plans
Manufacturers and wholesale distributors are optimistic about the perceived impact of the Trump administration’s plans for trade deregulation on their businesses, according to new research commissioned by business software provider Exact. Sixty-three percent of respondents anticipate that the plans will be beneficial to their businesses. Fifty percent of manufacturing respondents anticipate that the plans will […]
Read More
Supply Chain Commentary: Managing the Coming ELD Capacity Crisis
A capacity crunch, caused by the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate effective Dec. 18, 2017, is predicted by experts in logistics management, 3PLs, and truckers themselves. Only the magnitude of the shortage is challenged among experts. Some say it will be manageable, but at what cost? facts to remember Larger fleets adopting ELDs had a […]
Read MoreTrucking Industry Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
ATA Recognizes 3.5 Million Professional Truck Drivers
Read More
Low Bridge, Everybody Down!
As the historic Erie Canal celebrates its 200th anniversary, it’s also enjoying another milestone: commercial traffic volume that’s five times higher than in recent years. Built in 1817 to transport goods and people from one side of New York to the other, today the canal is primarily a recreational waterway. Commercial volume on the state’s […]
Read MoreDoes Multimodal Logistics Have a Future in Europe?
When it comes to multimodal logistics moving freight by combining two or more transport modes Europe still lags the more advanced U.S. market, but has made steady progress, according to Colliers International’s latest industrial research for the EMEA. The future drivers of multimodal traffic in European corridors include: Mega projects. Infrastructure is vital to enhancing […]
Read More
Supply Chain Commentary: Stop Reacting to Problems, Start Predictive Planning
Most planning systems deploy a reactive strategy rather than a predictive one. When a problem is identified regarding a capacity shortage, material shortage, or arrival of a high-priority order, the system addresses the issue by rearranging the plan. This is not optimal. It’s a Band-Aid solution that should be avoided. For example, if you release […]
Read More
Docked and Loaded: 5 Trends Turning the Tide Of North American Shipping
Only one year after opening, the $5-billion Panama Canal expansion is already having a major impact on North American shipping. As a result, industrial real estate demand around East and Gulf Coast ports is escalating, finds a new report from JLL, a commercial real estate services company. The JLL report notes five major trends that […]
Read More
Supply Chain Commentary:
Freight Transportation in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey
Harvey’s impact is being felt throughout the Southwest as transportation spot market pricing is expected to spike. The consumption of transportation resources through the combined effects of idling labor, equipment damage, and relief efforts will have ramifications for many months. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, spot market pricing jumped 20 percent and […]
Read More