Why Carrier Costing Is Becoming Core Logistics Infrastructure

Why Carrier Costing Is Becoming Core Logistics Infrastructure

Q. Why is carrier costing getting more attention across the industry? A. Evolving beyond its traditional role as a back-office accounting exercise, carrier costing now serves as foundational infrastructure that supports pricing strategy, operational decision-making, and sustainability reporting. It is essential for carriers and shippers seeking transparency, efficiency, and resilience. Q. What’s driving its evolution […]

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Ergonomic Solutions

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Ergonomic Solutions

↓ Lödige Industries air cargo systems. Designed to support material flow throughout air cargo terminals, Lödige Industries’ solutions include automated high-bay warehouses, intelligent conveyor systems, ergonomically integrated packing stations, and autonomous transport vehicles. From New York to Hong Kong, Lödige Industries handles an estimated 29 million tons of air cargo per year for its customers. […]

10 Tips for Building a Strong Workforce

10 Tips for Building a Strong Workforce

As labor shortages intensify, warehouses must look beyond traditional hiring strategies. Expanding your potential talent pool and improving onboarding, communication, and workplace technology can help unlock productivity and retention gains.

Hard-to-Insure Risks Pressure Cash Flow

Hard-to-Insure Risks Pressure Cash Flow

For distribution, import, and export companies, financial strain often begins in the gap between shipment and payment. A disruption may start with delayed goods, unpaid invoices, or added freight costs, then become a liquidity problem when cash leaves the business before revenue, reimbursement, or insurance recovery arrives.

The Cost of Disconnected Systems

The Cost of Disconnected Systems

Today, retail companies manage policy shifts, evolving compliance requirements, complex product assortments, and demand volatility at the same time. In that environment, disconnected systems are no longer just an operational inconvenience. What once showed up as a friction cost can quickly become a structural vulnerability.

What is One of  Your Favorite Brand Names? Why Does it Work so Well?

What is One of  Your Favorite Brand Names? Why Does it Work so Well?

Few brand names carry the emotional connection and staying power of the New York Knicks. Despite decades without a championship, the franchise continued to fill arenas, command attention, and inspire loyalty. Great brands retain their value through both success and adversity.

–Bill Heaney
Chief Commercial Officer
Odyssey Logistics

Beyond the Buzz: Deploying AI in Your Supply Chain

Beyond the Buzz: Deploying AI in Your Supply Chain

AI Quick Tips “You’ve got to start with consistent data and clear operating rules. And you can’t take people out of it. Artificial intelligence should support operators, not replace them. Keep it transparent, set guardrails, and treat it like a decision tool.” –Keith Moore CEO AutoScheduler.AI “Focus on governance, human-in-the-loop decision models, transparent KPIs, and […]

Stand-Out Sites: Build for Speed

Stand-Out Sites: Build for Speed

The most logistics-friendly locations build it—the physical infrastructure to handle complex cargo projects and a favorable economic environment for business—so supply chain speed can come.

How to Stop Freight Fraud Before it Starts

How to Stop Freight Fraud Before it Starts

Modern freight fraud is evolving fast, increasing in both scale and sophistication. Fortunately, fraud prevention strategies are evolving too. Here are some ways to mitigate risks and protect your shipments.

How to Prepare for Peak Season And Avoid The Nightmare Before Christmas

How to Prepare for Peak Season And Avoid The Nightmare Before Christmas

The annual holiday peak season is the most important time of year for almost every ecommerce retailer. By some industry estimates, as much as 40% of their entire year’s sales are made during this limited window. And consumer demand during this time period is continuing to grow exponentially. For example, online shopping grew by 8.9% […]

3PL Word Search

3PL Word Search

AUTOMATION CARGO CARRIER COLD CHAIN CONTROL Tower CROSSBORDER CROSSDOCKING DCC DELIVERY DISTRIBUTION ECOMMERCE ERP EXPEDITED FLEET FREIGHT FTZ GTM HYBRID INBOUND INVENTORY JIT KITTING LAST MILE LOAD LOGISTICS LTL NETWORK OMNICHANNEL OPTIMIZATION RETAIL SHIPMENT SUBASSEMBLY SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY TMS TRUCKING TRUCKLOAD WAREHOUSING

WHAT’S THE WORD: The Language of Logistics

WHAT’S THE WORD: The Language of Logistics

Cushioning Cargo Crush Profile How much compression, weight, or impact a load can withstand in shipment. Shippers should determine a load’s crush profile and work backwards from there to ensure they use the most suitable securement materials. A recent RXO study highlighted the importance of crush profile considerations and accounting for lane topography to calculate […]

Your Best AI Solution May Be Your 3PL

Your Best AI Solution May Be Your 3PL

We are living through an AI gold rush as a massive explosion of venture capital-backed tech startups flood the logistics space. They all promise a magic-bullet AI solution or software overlay that will instantly solve your demand-driven logistics headaches. The hard truth is that these AI pop-ups lack foundational, dirt-under-the-fingernails logistics experience. They understand algorithms, […]

The Smart Money is Betting on Growth

The Smart Money is Betting on Growth

Look past the daily spot rate noise and political soundbites for a second. If you want to know where the global economy is actually headed over the next decade, look at where the big maritime lenders are putting their billion-dollar balance sheets. For example Global Ship Lease (GSL) recently locked in a $1 billion, seven-year […]

The Philippines Container Crisis — A Harbinger of Transpacific Friction

The Philippines Container Crisis — A Harbinger of Transpacific Friction

Do your Asia-Pacific supply lines touch Southeast Asia? Then dial into what’s going on at the Philippines ports of Manila, Batangas, and Subic Bay. What started as landside container imbalance and yard congestion is now a serious operational bottleneck. What’s the problem? Imports are heavily outstripping exports leaving empty cans piling up with nowhere to […]

Back to the Future: Deconstructing Processes and Reconstructing Roles in an AI-native Supply Chain

Back to the Future: Deconstructing Processes and Reconstructing Roles in an AI-native Supply Chain

Everything old is new again. It has become a common refrain as digital transformation wends its way through consumer supply chains. Take the path to purchase, for example. Recommerce is returning to vogue as consumers value more sustainable and economical options. Cost-conscious shoppers are also turning to generic, private label brands, eschewing the premiumization fad that consumed CPG for much of the early 2000s.

Turning Automation Trends Into Reality

Turning Automation Trends Into Reality

When MODEX took place in April 2026, it highlighted subtle changes shaping the warehouse automation sector. Now that we are months out, the trends on display in Atlanta are firmly taking root in real-world operations.

Hazmat Logistics: Handle With Care

Hazmat Logistics: Handle With Care

Shipping dangerous goods leaves zero room for error. Both shippers and logistics providers must master regulations, prioritize safety training, and mitigate the massive risks involved.

The Benefits of Optimizing Your Warehouse Space

The Benefits of Optimizing Your Warehouse Space

Running a warehouse has never been more demanding. With labor shortages, rising real estate costs, and customers expecting faster fulfillment than ever, the pressure on logistics operations continues to mount. Fortunately, optimizing your warehouse space can address many of these challenges head-on, and the potential benefits are much bigger than many businesses realize. Faster Order […]

2026 Trucking Perspectives

2026 Trucking Perspectives

Inbound Logistics’ annual market report on the trucking sector draws on the insights of both carriers and shippers to sketch an outline of an industry that is more critical than ever.

WMS Remix: Attuned to Variability

WMS Remix: Attuned to Variability

Adaptability is key as warehouse operators navigate changing order profiles, seasonal surges, labor shortages, business growth, and external disruptions. A warehouse management system (WMS) has to be flexible and configurable enough to keep pace. Here are four leading providers that are dialed in.

How Transportation Leaders Are Fighting Back Against Enterprise Cyber Risks

How Transportation Leaders Are Fighting Back Against Enterprise Cyber Risks

October 2, 2026 | By Amy Roach  In freight transportation today, cybersecurity has become everyone’s job. That’s one of the key takeaways from this week’s National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) 2026 Cybersecurity Conference in Long Beach, Calif.  Traditionally, physical security and digital IT in the freight world lived in two entirely different universes. Freight […]

Improving Rotational Inventory Visibility

Improving Rotational Inventory Visibility

Managing rotational inventory requires tight coordination between procurement and repair cycles. In many supply chains, especially those handling repairable or reusable assets, even small visibility gaps can create significant operational risks. As inventory moves across multiple locations under strict timelines, delays or inaccuracies can quickly disrupt operations.

The New Operational Baseline: How Supply Chains Are Adapting to Constant Shock

The New Operational Baseline: How Supply Chains Are Adapting to Constant Shock

September 30, 2026 | By Amy Roach  Supply chain leaders who gathered at the ASCM CHAINge 2026 conference this week in Long Beach are coalescing around one shared realization: Macro disruption (think geopolitical friction, trade policy shifts, hyper-volatile consumer demand, and AI influence, among others) is now the permanent baseline. As a result, the hunt […]

The Hidden ROI of Barcode Verification

The Hidden ROI of Barcode Verification

For large retailers and manufacturers moving thousands of SKUs and pallets through inbound loading docks every day, barcode quality is a frontline compliance issue, a service-level requirement, and increasingly, a major financial risk.

Logistics Industry News: M&A, Hires, and Deals

Logistics Industry News: M&A, Hires, and Deals

Fuel Transport and Kenvue launched eLoop, a Class 8 electric truck pilot operating across select urban routes in the Greater Toronto Area. The initiative is designed to test EV performance under real delivery conditions, including cold weather, congestion, and high-frequency multi-stop routes.

Flexible 3PL Strategies Build Resiliency

Flexible 3PL Strategies Build Resiliency

Managing ongoing disruption in 2026 will be easier for companies that depend on flexible, highly adaptable third-party logistics (3PL) providers for warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, and other supply chain services.

5 Ways to Optimize Returns Handling

5 Ways to Optimize Returns Handling

Escalating returns are a margin-shrinking problem for U.S. retailers, surging to nearly $850 billion and 15.8% of annual sales in 2025. With hefty return volumes straining warehouse workflows, ecommerce retailers are struggling to keep pace.

10 Tips for Mapping AI to Resilience

10 Tips for Mapping AI to Resilience

Giving AI a complete, real-world picture of operations—the actual decisions, constraints, exceptions, and workarounds that define how work gets done—is what enables it to identify risks and drive resilient supply chain outcomes.

3 Steps to Improve Visibility and Resilience

3 Steps to Improve Visibility and Resilience

Supply chains are no strangers to disruption, but today’s environment is introducing a new level of complexity that manufacturers may have never seen before. For those not prepared, these pressures can quickly expose vulnerabilities across the supply chain.

Carriers Expect Ocean Rates Will Remain Elevated

Carriers Expect Ocean Rates Will Remain Elevated

By Ashley Prince | September 18, 2026 Container lines had little warning before the Strait of Hormuz closed in February. By early March, Alphaliner counted 138 container ships stuck west of the strait. Carriers responded with emergency surcharges up to $3,000 per FEU on cargo routed through the region. Over six months later, the conflict hasn’t […]

Plan Complex Heavy Haul Moves With Fewer Surprises

Plan Complex Heavy Haul Moves With Fewer Surprises

Q. What should shippers look for when evaluating a heavy haul transportation provider? A. One important indicator is whether a provider can walk you through a comparable move in real detail, not just tell you it went well. They should be able to explain how they identified site constraints, permitting requirements, and routing challenges during […]

From AI to Green Fuel: Developments in Freight and Logistics Tech

From AI to Green Fuel: Developments in Freight and Logistics Tech

Hyster extended its electric cushion tire lineup with the E45-70XN2, covering load capacities from 4,500 to 7,000 lbs in two drive configurations. Intelimatch provides smooth, efficient operation, while Duramatch cuts energy consumption up to 20% and speeds lift-lower cycles by 65%. The model features a 34% larger through-mast window, accepts multiple battery chemistries, and requires 20% less service time compared to its predecessor.

Why Every Freight Mode Matters More Than Ever

Why Every Freight Mode Matters More Than Ever

Q. Why does every freight mode matter more than ever? A. Transportation markets are often discussed as separate segments: truckload (TL), less-than-truckload (LTL), rail, parcel, and intermodal. In reality, they operate as one interconnected ecosystem. When capacity or pricing changes in one mode, the effects rarely stay contained. Understanding those relationships helps shippers make better […]

Building the Connected Warehouse

Building the Connected Warehouse

Materials handling innovations help warehouses and distribution centers steadily move past fully manual operations, boosting speed and efficiency in the process. Next, the focus shifts to integrating these disparate technologies into a single, cohesive ecosystem.

10 Tips for Bringing Integrated Intelligence to Your Supply Chain Data

10 Tips for Bringing Integrated Intelligence to Your Supply Chain Data

Shippers have access to more supply chain data than ever before, but more data doesn’t necessarily lead to better decisions. When information is fragmented across systems, delayed by reporting cycles or viewed without the right business context, even valuable insights can arrive too late to make a difference. The next evolution in logistics technology is […]

10 Tips to Reduce Hidden Costs in Your Supply Chain

10 Tips to Reduce Hidden Costs in Your Supply Chain

Sharp-eyed supply chain leaders closely watch metrics that include labor costs and inventory levels. But some of the biggest expenses don’t show up as budget line items. Product damage, equipment downtime, and other inefficiencies can quickly, yet quietly, chip away at profitability. Uncovering hidden costs helps supply chain managers improve performance while staying focused on the big picture.

Barcode Inventory Systems: What, Why, and How to Implement In Your Business

Barcode Inventory Systems: What, Why, and How to Implement In Your Business

Inventory control sits at the center of every product-based business. Whether you run a five-person ecommerce shop or manage stock across multiple locations, knowing exactly what you have, where it is, and when to reorder determines whether you hit revenue targets or watch sales slip away. The days of spreadsheets and clipboard counts keeping pace […]

Infographic: Logistics Tech’s $100 Million Club

Infographic: Logistics Tech’s $100 Million Club

Inbound Logistics  ·  M&A Tracker Logistics Tech’s $100 Million Club Four supply chain technology acquisitions, including Descartes’ recent purchase of Tai Software, carried a publicly disclosed price of $100 million or more. Many of the segment’s largest deals, however, have been executed without disclosing pricing information at all. 4 Deals with disclosed value ≥$100MSept 2025 […]

IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

IN BRIEF: New Services and Solutions

The CMA CGM Notre Dame, the largest LNG-powered containership in the world, made its maiden call in Shanghai on May 25. The ship measures 400 meters long and carries up to 24,212 TEU. Beyond LNG propulsion, the vessel features an aerodynamic windshield to reduce energy consumption, capacity for 1,600 reefer plugs, and AI-assisted route optimization.

Delivering the Route to a More Efficient Fleet

Delivering the Route to a More Efficient Fleet

Richard’s Building Supply maintains operations in more than 60 locations across 14 states. Even so, it managed and tracked its fleet of several hundred vehicles via “a paper-process with old-fashioned delivery boards and a GPS system,” says Jenny Vetter, the company’s logistics manager.

2026 Inbound Logistics Top 100 Truckers

2026 Inbound Logistics Top 100 Truckers

In a freight market defined by turbulence, which carriers dominate? Inbound Logistics’ annual list of the Top 100 Truckers reveals the leaders who are thriving by focusing on technology, unmatched efficiency, and a diversified service portfolio. From logistics giants to specialized haulers, the 2026 list showcases how the best in the business are adapting to new trade policies and an evolving economic landscape.

When Shared Warehousing Beats Signing a Warehouse Lease

When Shared Warehousing Beats Signing a Warehouse Lease

The lease proposal has been on your desk for a week. The term is five years. The footprint is bigger than you need, because everyone says buy for the peak. Meanwhile, your building is full. Receiving is staging pallets in trailers, and outbound is slipping. Before you sign, price the other path. Shared warehousing through […]

Fit Happens When You Start With Curiosity

Fit Happens When You Start With Curiosity

Every distribution operation has its own rhythm. Different products, different volumes, different growth plans, different budgets. Which makes you wonder why so many material handling system providers equip systems with capacity or features that you don’t need — or under-spec and leave out ones that you do. At LogistiQ, we believe the best material handling […]

3PLs Slam Volatility

3PLs Slam Volatility

For today’s shippers, survival in a volatile market requires more than just a reliable delivery partner. As supply chains face evolving regulations and unpredictable consumer behavior, third-party logistics providers take on an expanded role. Here’s how they help shippers achieve supply chain stability.

No One Moves Freight Alone. IMCs and 3PLs Determine Who Wins.

No One Moves Freight Alone. IMCs and 3PLs Determine Who Wins.

Freight markets shift in cycles. This one is being driven largely by trucking, not intermodal, with capacity attrition pushing freight to rail. Whether intermodal keeps that freight is a different question, and the answer starts with a function most of the industry still gets wrong. It’s the function that intermodal marketing companies perform every day […]

How to Maintain Sustainability, Even During Disruptions

How to Maintain Sustainability, Even During Disruptions

Supply chain disruptions have a way of stripping operations down to their essentials. In these moments, sustainability programs can easily be treated as optional—more of a “nice to have” than a core business necessity. But this is an outdated and strategically perilous mindset.

Brent Hagan Puts His Stamp On Direct Mail Delivery

Brent Hagan Puts His Stamp On Direct Mail Delivery

Success when joining an established organization like Lob, a technology-enabled logistics network for direct mail, requires balancing fresh perspectives with a deep respect for the people who built the business. I recognize the expertise of the team—they are the experts in our industry, our customers, and the culture that makes Lob unique. At the same […]

Rethinking Supply Chain Strategy In an Era of Persistent Volatility

Rethinking Supply Chain Strategy In an Era of Persistent Volatility

Q. What’s different about what shippers are facing in 2026 versus prior years of disruption? A. Over the past five or six years, supply chains have been challenged like almost never before. A first round of tariffs, then COVID, then more tariffs, various conflicts, and now renewed trade policy volatility. As I’ve described it, it’s […]

Overcoming Geopolitical Uncertainty and Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Overcoming Geopolitical Uncertainty and Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Q. What are some notable shifts and opportunities facing the freight market? A. Many consumers of raw and finished commodities continue to search for alternative sources—enter Latin and South America. These channels heading both north and south are becoming more favorable than ever. The border between Mexico and the United States has seen its challenges, […]

Creating a Responsive and Scalable Rail Supply Chain

Creating a Responsive and Scalable Rail Supply Chain

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing rail shippers today? A. Rail shippers aren’t dealing with a lack of data—they’re dealing with too much of it in too many places. Across the supply chain, information is often fragmented across multiple systems, spreadsheets, and carrier touchpoints. At the same time, many organizations lack a rail strategy […]

6 Types of Logistics Strategies

6 Types of Logistics Strategies

Do you own a business, manage a supply chain, or work in logistics? Understanding the types of logistics strategies is essential for business owners, supply chain professionals, and logistics managers who want to optimize operations, reduce costs, and meet customer expectations. Knowing the different logistics strategies helps you streamline the movement, storage, and flow of […]