Hub Group’s Leading Supply Chain Solutions Facilitated Clear Sailing During 2021-2022 Port Congestion

This past year presented extreme challenges for the supply chain. By providing the industry’s leading supply chain solutions for more than 50 years, Hub Group supported its customers by leveraging experience in strategic planning across the supply chain, tailored solutions, dependable capacity, and advanced visibility. Q. These past two years were some of the most […]

Vertical Focus: Toys

Do You Want Sustainability with That? McDonald’s is making its supply chain more sustainable by manufacturing its Happy Meal toys with significantly less plastic by the end of 2025. The fast food chain will make some toys, such as board game pieces, with plant-derived or recycled material. Super heroes and movie characters will be 3-D […]

Container Shipping By the Numbers

Two Generations with a Drive to Serve, Grow and Innovate

When Dave Cox (pictured) joined Polaris Transportation Group in 1998, the trucking company was still finding its footing. Founded four years earlier by his parents, Larry and Geri, Polaris had just four employees with Dave’s addition – and only one was not a family member. However, the Ontario-based company already had something invaluable: a growing […]

Digital Businesses Look At the Bright Side

Digitized businesses report even higher levels of optimism than their offline peers, says a report from Alibaba.com, bolstered by stronger sales performance, larger anticipated investments, and more global exports. Key findings from the report reveal: Digitized SMBs far outperformed businesses still operating offline in terms of sales and sourcing: 61% of digitized businesses saw increases […]

Why Should You Attend Connections 2022?

Connections 2022, an SMC³ event, offers collaborative supply chain intelligence, covering the year’s most pertinent topics and trend forecasting for the rest of the year. Take a second to think about everything that’s changed in the supply chain over the past two years. Dramatic changes in automation, driver shortages, dynamic pricing, new legislation and regulations, […]

Electric Trucks Save the Planet…and Some Cash

By 2027, electric freight trucks and buses will become less expensive to purchase and operate than their combustion engine counterparts, says a study by Roush Industries for Environmental Defense Fund, with lower maintenance and energy costs. These electric vehicles will not only help save truckers and fleets money, but also provide substantial health and welfare […]

Optimizing Multimodal Shipping with a One-Stop Solution

Q. What does multimodal shipping look like in 2022? A. Historically, companies have relied on third-party freight brokers to handle complex shipments that include multiple modes, geographies, and freight characteristics. Planning and executing these shipments requires careful planning and coordination with various transportation providers for efficient freight hand-off. Industry experts agree that multimodal transport can […]

10 Tips: Choosing a 3PL

Selecting a third-party logistics (3PL) provider is a strategic business decision so treat it that way. Your 3PL should be a catalyst for producing unmatched retail logistics performance levels and total supply chain optimization. Here’s how to choose the right partner.

Global Trade Management Systems Guide 2022

In today’s complex and unsettled business environment, global trade management (GTM) systems are more important than ever. They can connect sourcing and logistics to make global trade more transparent and efficient. From resource planning and transportation management to data analytics, these GTM providers can help take some of the stress out of managing a global supply chain.

Why Logistics Managers Should Care About AP

Regardless of industry, logistics managers are charged with establishing and maintaining strong relationships with their suppliers. Good logistics managers strive to be easy to work with so their supply chain runs smoothly. However, with so much on their plates, developing relationships with suppliers may not be their top priority. In 2020, logistics managers’ jobs became […]

How to Ensure Delight in the Grocery Aisle

Fulfilling customer needs and maintaining their ongoing satisfaction remains a critical priority. Disappointing a customer doesn’t sit well with a retailer or store associate, and that sense of frustration is something retailers should be working to prevent, starting with the following strategic supply chain enhancements. Improve demand forecasting to reduce unwelcome surprises. Typical seasonal products, […]

Rowenta Irons Out Inventory Challenges

Where do I go when it is too painful to watch TV? To my garage workbench. As it happens, my daughter had a project for me. Her pricey Rowenta iron was staining and scorching clothes. I can’t fix what’s going on in the world, but I’ll try my hand at this! Having broken several appliances […]

The Ins & Outs of Import/Export Success

Whether they are bringing goods into the country or shipping them out, import/export professionals embrace ingenuity, grit, and hard work to stay afloat.

Solving the E-Commerce Equation

As labor constraints and capacity challenges persist, e-commerce complications multiply. Eureka! These logistics providers have it all figured out.

7 Strategies to Reboot Global Supply Chains

These tips will help your company restart operating systems, processes, and strategies through the new normal.

Using Digitalization to Navigate Through Disruptions

Industry 4.0 is a revolution in manufacturing and holds promise for improving supply chain efficiency and flexibility. The convergence of technology disruptions—automation, analytics, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality—drives this revolution. Why is digitization important and what key technologies are fueling the shift? Intelligent supply chains. Intelligent technologies, such as automation, remote fleet management, and cargo […]

The Georgia Connection(s)

The essence of logistics is making connections. No surprise, then, that Georgia—a state where connectivity is a way of life—is a shining star on the logistics land (and air and sea) scape.

5 Ways to Improve and Optimize Driver Retention

COVID tightened up the supply chain with shortages of medical supplies, computer chips, consumer products, and household goods. Not only has demand increased relative to supply, but employee and customer satisfaction continue to be on the decline.

Knock, Knock! SMBs Deliver the Final Mile

SMB manufacturers and retailers are killing it in the middle and final miles.

Vertical Focus: Luxury Goods

Shedding Animal Materials Fur Good Dolce & Gabbana joins several other luxury fashion brands in banning fur from all future collections starting in 2022. It will continue to work with fur artisans in its supply chain to incorporate into its designs sustainable faux fur made from recycled materials, the fashion house says. The company has […]

Direct-to-Consumer Gets Trendy

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce has changed the way people shop for everything from razors to sofas, to the point where retailers with more traditional supply chains are catching on. New e-commerce brands and traditional retailers alike can follow these five DTC trends in 2022 to stay competitive, says a Forbes report: 1. Traditional retailers go DTC. […]

Cargo Security: Have a Safe Trip

From leveraging bottlenecks to launching malware attacks, criminals are targeting the supply chain. Here’s how to keep your freight—and information—safe.

9 Steps to Safeguard Your Digital Supply Chain

Even as digital supply chains have become more critical, they’ve also become increasingly vulnerable to attack. Here’s how to lock up your information.

12 Inbound Logistics Podcast Episodes for Illuminating Logistics Conversations

Get insightful takes from logistics leaders in these must-listen discussions, packed with practical tips and observations.

The Year of Capacity

All signs indicate that 2022 will be the year of capacity—not just for air, ocean, ground, and final-mile parcel, but also in terms of labor and the customer experience, SEKO executives stressed in a media call discussing Chinese New Year’s impact on the supply chain. Delays are simply routine now, and have steadily increased on […]

Retail Inventory: Old Method, New Tricks

Toshifumi Suzuki led 7-Eleven Japan’s spectacular rise from small licensee to the highest-grossing retailer in Japan. At the heart of his strategy was a simple management framework called Tanpin Kanri. The idea is simple: Take an active, rather than reactive, approach to restocking shelves.

18 Quick Tips For 2022

Looks like 2022 will be fraught with many of the same challenges as last year. But IL has your back. We collected 18 tips from our audience—the leaders in logistics—to help you navigate with certainty.

Supply Chain Education: Cramming for Success

Business is crazy these days. That means graduates of supply chain programs need to understand resilience and risk management along with technology, analytics, operations, and strategy.

3PL Partnership Turns Up the Heat

BBQGrills.com, which offers premium grilling and outdoor kitchen products, launched in 2019 and quickly found a ready market. While its growth was largely a benefit, it also meant the company soon needed additional support in various functions, including transportation.

Evaluate Risk Before Critical Decisions

Disruption across global supply chains has always been present, but the ongoing pandemic has magnified the risks supply chain leaders face, while simultaneously limiting response options in an already high-pressure environment.

FedEx Aims for Anti-Missile Lasers

In a new move for a carrier, FedEx has requested permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to equip a fleet of its Airbus A321-200 aircraft with an anti-missile laser system that disrupts heat-seeking missile tracking. FedEx referenced prior incidents in which attackers used portable air defense systems against civilian aircraft, such as Iran shooting down […]

I, Robotics

Productivity and employee job satisfaction are on the rise at Integrated Supply Network (ISN), an independent automotive tool and equipment specialist serving wholesalers and distributors throughout North America and Europe. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have rapidly become useful additions at the ISN distribution centers where they’ve been deployed.

Take Control of Your Imports – Save Time and Money

Importers can mitigate supply chain disruption and the resulting escalation of costs by taking control of their shipments at origin and moving their goods more strategically.

Bullwhip or Just Bull?

Are shipping lines pricing themselves out of business? Blame the bullwhip effect, a distribution channel phenomenon in which demand forecasts yield increasing swings in inventory. Let’s take that idea a bit further. Financial pressures on publicly traded companies drive short-term policies that please The Street analysts to satisfy investor expectations. Yielding to those pressures sometimes […]

7 Biggest Robotics Predictions for 2022

In the past five years, robots have moved from a developing technology to an indispensable tool for many businesses. With their ability to predict market change or supply chain disruptions, automation programs are increasingly adopted across many industries, says a report from software company Meili Robots. This will continue to change the way business is […]

You Wear it Well: Wearable Technology Hits the Mark

Advances in technology and increasing adoption mean
wearables in the warehouse are here to stay. See how logistics providers and customers put these technologies to work
to revolutionize their warehouses.

Deploying an End-to-End Solution for a Manufacturer’s Product Launch

Faced with a considerable supply chain challenge—a large-scale product launch—a manufacturer turned to Hub Group for a holistic, end-to-end approach, from drayage to fulfillment, that also enables expansion.

Supply Chain Finance: You Can Bank On It

Supply chain finance programs can successfully keep the cash flowing, enabling companies to cut debt and boost profitability.

The (Not So) Hidden Benefits of Intermodal

Shippers that turn to intermodal can ease capacity challenges and save money on long-haul shipments unburdened by pressing deadlines.

4 Trends for 3PLs in 2022

Order volumes grew for 79% of third-party logistics (3PL) providers in 2021, but that growth was tempered by inventory availability and disruptions that cost the U.S. economy $228 billion, says a report from 3PL Central. Disruptions, technology innovations, and consumer demands will persist in 2022. These are the four key trends impacting 3PLs in the […]

9 Innovative Ways to Manage and Meet Demand Surges

Retailers uncover new ways to respond to anticipated and unexpected order spikes so they don’t lose the sale.

Automation and Robotics Go Arm in Arm

Today’s robotics innovators arm warehouses and fulfillment centers with flexible and scalable automation solutions that are within reach for any company.

Port Everglades Sails Ahead

Port Everglades has broken several records in its cargo operations as the cargo trade rebounds. It recently welcomed Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Kotor Bay (pictured), the largest container ship ever to call on the South Florida port. Kotor Bay has a container handling capacity of 8,566 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), carrying a variety of cargo from […]

No Congestion Relief in Sight

It’s shaping up to be another congested year for global supply chains as the ongoing pandemic keeps consumers from spending on services versus goods, exacerbating resource shortages and delays. Logistics services providers must view this as a longer-term situation and plan accordingly, says a recent report from Descartes Systems Group. U.S. ocean container import volumes […]

National Security Starts With Individual Manufacturers

Shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical supplies like pharmaceutical ingredients and materials used in key technologies during the earliest days of the pandemic prompted the Biden-Harris Administration in 2021 to outline steps strengthening critical supply chains. It’s a long-overdue move that to some transportation experts may not go far enough in protecting national security.

Effective Ways to Find and Retain Talent

Even before the pandemic shined a light on how fragile our supply chain is, the industry has grappled with attracting and retaining talent to meet demand.

Vertical Focus: Consumer Packaged Goods

Green Things Come in Small Packages The Sustainability Consortium, a global nonprofit focused on transforming the consumer goods industry, formed a new recycling coalition to address small-format packaging, which is commonly used in cosmetics and food supply chains. Small-format packaging consists of items such as beverage bottle caps, lip balms, travel-size shampoo bottles, and other […]

Getting Into the Spirit of Things

Alexi Cashen drinks up supply chain challenges by staying centered, and listening and talking to customers with honesty, empathy, and complete transparency.

Transparency Builds Trust

How transparency enhances and strengthens supply chain partnerships.

Shippers Stock Up

As the pandemic continues to impact supply chains, retailers go shopping for third-party logistics providers to gain end-to-end control.

It’s a Small World

With a goal to get Wiliot’s products to customers around the world and make a big impact on them, Tony Small learned that you can usually move faster than you think possible.

Finding a Home for Holiday Returns

Record retail sales, including a growing share of online purchases (see chart), mean that more returns than ever are flooding warehouses. U.S. holiday retail sales were up 8.5% compared to 2020, says data from Mastercard, and 66% of consumers will likely return at least one gift. At 18%, the e-commerce return rate is almost twice […]

TMS Keeps the Presses Running

OVOL USA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of paper, pulp, and specialty substrates. Eric Krizay, the company’s vice president of corporate logistics, had been searching for a transportation management system (TMS) that would meet the unique needs of all the company’s divisions. At the same time, he needed a solution that was straightforward to implement and use.

NOTED: The Supply Chain In Brief

Green Seeds Container shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, one decade earlier than previously announced, as shipper demand for green transportation rises. The target now covers not only the company’s vessels, but its entire business, including indirect emissions. A.P. Moller-Maersk has ordered 12 vessels that run on carbon-neutral methanol […]

Digital Transformation: The Experience is King

A survey among supply chain leaders reveals that two-thirds of staff struggle to find the information they need to do their job. Alarmingly, 73% waste up to eight hours each week just trying to find data—leading to delays (46%), errors (28%), and bad customer experience (24%).

Drained Lithium Batteries Get a Life

A team of scientists from the Department of Energy and Stanford found a way to revive dead lithium-ion batteries, extending their battery life up to 30%. The lithium-ion batteries found in most modern electric vehicles (EVs) tend to lose energy capacity as they get charged, spent, and re-charged. That happens because small bits of lithium […]

Expedited Shipping Can Save Money

As shipping delays and supply chain issues pile up across the country, more businesses struggle to ship and receive products on time. When companies fail to meet important deadlines, the results can be costly, leading to the loss of valuable customers and vendors.

Winter Reading Guide 2022

Get cozy and boost your logistics knowledge. These latest resources cover everything from textile supply chain tactics to strategies for dominating in the digital age.

Managing Transportation: Insider Tips and Winning Strategies

Transportation management has become increasingly complex and challenging. To help you cope, Inbound Logistics asked the experts to share their brightest advice.

Is the Dynamic Unified Logical Data Model the Silver Bullet for Disruptions?

Q. Enterprises that are transforming their supply chain are slow to change. What roadblocks are impeding their efforts? A. Our supply chains of today were designed decades ago to achieve data uniformity across the supply chain ecosystems and not to deal with unwarranted supply chain disruptions. All SCM apps are designed for specific business functions […]

Retailers Brush Up on Returns

With increased e-commerce adoption, returns are set to grow exponentially in 2022 and beyond, says a recent report from Incisiv, and retailers’ digital experience plays a big part in both reducing returns and making the return experience seamless. Retailers can achieve significant savings and enhanced customer satisfaction if they look at returns as an integral […]

Manhattan Active WMS for a Leading USA Retailer

A major retailer sought to modernize their supply chain operations with a cloud warehouse management system and turned to ITOrizon as their system integrator. The result was a seamless integration.

Taking Stock of Inventory Management

Empty store shelves during the pandemic drove many companies to new forecasting tools, added 3PL services, and increased collaboration to inform inventory management.

Building Carrier Relationships That Withstand the Stress Test

Developing mutually beneficial relationships guarantees your partners will be there for you—in good times and bad.

Is There an End to Amazon’s Impact?

The absorption of industrial real estate is setting all-time highs as consumer demand, with COVID-19 as its catalyst, has shifted to a greater dependency on consumers having products shipped to them rather than them visiting brick-and-mortar retailers.

Bright Ideas: 3PLs Manage Growth Through Innovation

By thinking creatively and embracing new solutions, third-party logistics providers support shippers through demand surges, labor shortages, cost increases, and capacity constraints.

TMS Evolution: A Provider’s Perspective

Shippers have numerous Transportation Management System (TMS) options, but they are farther from feature and price parity than you may imagine. While many TMS core tenants are now commodities, there are significant gaps, strengths, and weaknesses across the main players.

3 Ways to Build a Resilient Supply Chain

After nearly two years of pandemic-related disruptions wreaking havoc, business leaders are learning from the past and looking to the future of supply chain management.

The Future of Work in Logistics

To meet growing e-commerce demand, alleviate labor shortages, and build more supply chain resilience, businesses will need to deploy strategies to attract, retain, develop, and motivate workers in a digital era, says a report from DHL. Highlights from the report include: Millennials and Gen Zers seek jobs with more purpose, less repetitive tasks, and more […]

Bridging the Supply Chain Gender Gap

I wasn’t the first and I won’t be the last mom to pull into a parking spot on two wheels, late for a meeting, hair soaking wet and coffee spilled down the front of my shirt. Being a working mom in supply chain isn’t for the faint of heart. But I’m not alone and the growing number of women entering this industry is encouraging.

4 Tips to Master Reverse Logistics

Up to 40% of online purchases made in the past year were returned, finds recent research. Whether you’re diving into e-commerce for the first time or finding your footing after the accelerated industry growth amid the pandemic, mastering reverse logistics is an essential function of your operation, now more than ever.

Last Mile Predictions and Priorities

Since COVID-19 shut down the world, the delivery industry as a whole experienced exponential growth. The rise of e-commerce platforms stretched last-mile delivery to its limits. The pandemic forced more people to consider delivery services and now consumers love the convenience. This preference for delivery over in-person shopping will continue into the future even after the pandemic.