An American in Paris: UPS Invests in France

UPS officially opened a new 30,000-square-meter, advanced technology package sorting and delivery hub outside Paris in Corbeil-Essonnes/Évry. The new facility, which employs nearly 1,000 people, facilitates cross-border trade and enhances package delivery service in the Île-de-France area. “This $100-million advanced technology facility spans four soccer fields,” says Nando Cesarone, president of UPS International. “And it’s […]

J&J Uses Sustainability to Strengthen Carrier Relationships

Shipper of choice and sustainability are trending terms among supply chain managers but they’re nothing new to the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in North America. The company’s logistics operation has a long track record of attracting carriers that share a commitment to customer service, efficiency, and sustainable transportation. With for-hire trucking capacity in […]

2018 Top 100 3PL Providers

It’s a boon year for third-party logistics providers offering innovative, flexible, and reliable solutions to meet shipper demands. Presented alphabetically, these are the 100 3PLs Inbound Logistics editors chose as the best of the best. Search the 3PL Decision Support Tool for an even deeper dive.

How an End-to-End Strategy Can Help You Overcome The Capacity Crunch – Unyson

The 2018 capacity crunch has created what many consider one of the most challenging markets we’ve ever seen. Today’s shrinking driver pool faces an upcoming wave of retirements and disinterested millennials, resulting in constrained truck availability. The ELD mandate has also impacted capacity, with restrictions on the amount of hours driven in a day leading […]

Managing Global Supply Chains: A Shore Bet

Should you offshore, nearshore, or reshore? It helps to understand how each model impacts the supply chain before you ante up.

Setting the Standard for Perishables

The air cargo community should drive its own standard for perishables, without waiting for other groups and agencies to establish them, according to Stavros Evangelakakis, global product manager, healthcare and perishables, for Cargolux and chairman of the Cool Chain Association (CCA). A lack of accountability is contributing to the 1.3 billion metric tons of food […]

Demand Segmentation Drives Forecast Accuracy, Customer Service Improvements

How companies are adopting demand segmentation and leveraging its benefits in tackling demand volatility and channel shifts is the subject of a new report, Demand Segmentation Users are Better Equipped to Manage Their Channel Challenges. Authored by Bryan Ball, vice president and group director, Aberdeen, and sponsored by Logility, the report examines how the ability […]

Recall Logistics: The Value of Information

Massive recalls—such as the contaminated romaine lettuce in summer 2018 that led to the deaths of five people—provide some lessons helpful to anyone facing a future recall. With any recall, the first step is alerting the public and removing any harmful product from store shelves and customers’ homes. Unlike the romaine lettuce recall, the majority […]

How to Choose a TMS – Fortigo

Q: What are some important things to consider when selecting a TMS solution? A: Deploying a Transportation Management System (TMS) can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Fortunately, this does not need to be true, thanks to systems with a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model, which help you navigate the process of selecting and deploying a TMS […]

Getting Wise to Smart Ports

The nation’s ports are testing technologies and investing in infrastructure improvements to adapt to a world where the ultimate consumer increasingly embraces Amazon-like expectations.

Expertise, Strategic Warehousing Facilitates Unexpected Spike in Inbound Deliveries – Hollingsworth

Hollingsworth assisted a leading automotive manufacturer with an unexpected surge with strategic negotiations and savvy adjustments to inventory management.

Fulfillment Makeover Reveals A Glowing Supply Chain

Thanks to a new strategic fulfillment location and automation makeover, Rodan + Fields has skin in the social commerce game.

Managing Warehousing Requirements During Peak Periods (Without Committing to Long-term Contracts) – Capacity, LLC

Managing peak period shipment volume is a structural challenge in the U.S. economy. Those preoccupied with executing order fulfillment services spend much of the year thinking about and planning for it. The surge is a three- to four-month peak in first inbound, and then outbound shipments, with overlap. Shipments to retailers come first, followed by […]

A Blockchain Reality Check

Blockchain is the topic of the moment in supply chain. But what can it really do for supply chains today, and where can it take us tomorrow?

5 Ways to Mitigate High Freight Rates

Consistent economic growth in industries dependent on logistics has increased freight demand, creating more loads than available trucks. Spot market rates are up 25 to 35 percent over 2017, and analysts expect tight capacity and higher costs to continue into 2019. The main factors impacting the current freight market during this historic time include: Driver […]

Is Your 3PL Provider Causing You Headaches? Here is What to Look for in a 3PL Partnership – Ascent Global Logistics

It’s 2018, which means that shippers are looking for 3PLs to perform at higher levels than ever before. Because of various market conditions such as the driver shortage, record freight volumes, a volatile trade environment, and increasingly complex retailer delivery requirements, many 3PLs are only offering customers enhanced technology. While technological innovation is necessary, there […]

Thinking Beyond Home Delivery – SEKO Logistics

Consumer expectations are becoming increasingly demanding, and matching supply to demand is crucial for any successful supply chain. Speed is where it’s at—if you are not moving forward, you are moving backward. As consumers become increasingly savvy online, companies are quickly learning the importance of being at the forefront of change. Providing consumers with all […]

Jack Buffington: Here for the Beer

Jack Buffington is supply chain leader with MillerCoors and professor at the University of Denver. Responsibilities: Oversees U.S. warehousing operations for MillerCoors. Developing a supply chain program and supply chain, materials science, and sustainability research projects for the University of Denver. Experience: Post-doctoral fellow, Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden; adjunct professor, University of Denver; […]

Admiral of the Fleet

In the early 1990s, John Burke worked for Northside Foods. “We offered redistribution services on a very small scale in the restaurant space,” he says. That meant bringing smaller-volume shipments into a consolidation center and then shipping mixed truckloads, with multiple SKUs, to customers’ distribution centers. MORE TO THE STORY: Try It All That simple […]

Why do you use a third-party logistics provider?

We use 3PLs in regions where it is too costly for us to perform services in-house at the service level we require. 3PLs tend to have more density in the regions we use them in, and they can leverage their other partnerships to give us the service level we need at the best possible cost. […]

Readers Choice: Top 10 3PL Excellence Awards 2018

From truckload capacity constraints to the intricacies of trade compliance, the global supply chain presents shippers with an ever-shifting set of logistics conundrums. That’s when they turn to the experts: third-party logistics (3PL) providers. MORE TO THE STORY: Ones to Watch About the Survey Respondents What Is More Important? In Their Own Words: A Sampling […]

Pork Processor Brings Home the Bacon

To ensure the path from pigs to people is the shortest possible, Smithfield Foods cooks up a sizzling supply chain.

Transplace TMS Causes Chemical Reaction

Transplace’s technology and expertise help Brenntag streamline operations and realize greater visibility.

Ports Too Busy to Worry About Trade Tensions

Despite trade tensions, port business in the United States and Asia is booming, reports the latest Global Kuehne + Nagel Indicators (gKNi). U.S. ports are experiencing increased container volumes, with heavy traffic in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York/New Jersey, according to real-time data collected by LogIndex, part of the Kuehne + Nagel Group. […]

The Bionic Warehouse Worker

IoT, Robotics, Machine Learning to Transform the Supply Chain

Transport and logistics businesses are investing in Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart technologies to help them take advantage of the wealth of opportunities the Fourth Industrial Revolution offers. The sector is prioritizing IoT, machine learning, and robotics to increase efficiencies across the supply chain, according to research data collected by Inmarsat, a provider of global […]

The Logistics Long(er) Run

The current expansion phase for U.S. industrial and logistics real estate appears poised to surpass the typical lifespan of an economic cycle due to demand from e-commerce companies, according to a new report from CBRE. U.S. economic cycles tend to run for seven to eight years. Yet the current expansionary cycle, which started in 2009, […]

People and Culture First, Strategy Second

Some years ago, Dan Curtis took a crash course in logistics operations. It started in 2002, when he joined Greatwide Logistics Services as vice president of finance. MORE TO THE STORY: Balancing Act “We were a very acquisitive company,” he explains. “I immediately began working on the mergers and acquisitions transactions we were pursuing.” In […]

News & Trends Impacting the CPG Supply Chain

What’s The Difference? CPG, or consumer packaged goods: merchandise that customers frequently use up and replace. Examples include food and beverages, cosmetics, and cleaning products. DG, or durable goods: merchandise that is not consumed or destroyed in use and is generally not replaced until the merchandise experiences a problem. Examples include cars, appliances, and furniture. […]

Put Me In, Coach! Next-Gen Leaders are Ready to Play

As next-gen supply chain professionals set their career goals, mentoring by seasoned professionals can help them up their game.

If you could speed the development of a supply chain-disrupting technology, what would it be and why?

Heavyweight drones that move ocean containers from a port to a distribution center within 50 miles are well into development. Once integrated into air traffic control systems, this technology becomes a game changer for road congestion and cost containment.

Chemical Logistics: The Price of Success

These are good times for chemical manufacturing in the United States. But an active market creates special challenges for companies that need to transport chemical products.

American Airlines Says Hola to Cuba Cargo Service

American Airlines becomes the first U.S. passenger carrier to begin cargo service to Cuba. The airline now offers mail service, including correspondence, parcels, and express mail, into and out of José Martí International Airport (HAV) in Havana, Cuba’s capital city and leading commercial center. Havana is American Airlines’ principal destination from the United States, with […]

Clarifying The Business Case For Green Supply Chain Management

For most companies, sustainability is not a simple case of “profits vs. planet” but a more subtle issue of people looking for jobs and inexpensive goods versus others who seek a pristine environment. Here’s how your supply chain can satisfy these conflicting motivations to achieve both economic growth and environmental sustainability.

GDPR: Privacy, Yes. Innovation, No

If you spend too much time clearing privacy protection notices from your email box, thank the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But what exactly is this regulation and how might it impact future supply chain technological innovation? GDPR is a new rule with the goal of protecting European Union residents’ personal data and adding privacy […]

Partnering for Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings – Transplace

Transplace helped a frozen pizza business expand its transportation network to increase operational efficiency and maximize financial savings.

Load and Expedite – Crane Worldwide Logistics

If you have spent any time in manufacturing logistics you can appreciate the classic problem of, ‘Load and Expedite.’ At Crane Worldwide Logistics®, we see the same thing all over the world with clients in nearly every industry. By not having adequate logistics visibility, setting proper tolerance levels and accurate production forecasting, companies are being […]

New Services and Solutions

These are the latest supply chain solutions and services you should know about.

Last-Mile Technology Needs a Radical Rethink

We need to stop viewing last-mile logistics as solely a delivery challenge. The broader challenge is ensuring processes and their supporting technologies work together to allow supply chains to meet the market’s insatiable appetite for faster, more precise deliveries. Supply chain management technology is boldly exploring sophisticated new developments such as driverless vehicles and the […]

4 Ways to Tell If Your Alcohol Carrier Knows the Hard Stuff

Transporting alcohol is a time- and temperature- sensitive move that requires superior logistics. Selecting a carrier that can meet the stringent requirements and provide value to a shipper’s business is crucial. To demonstrate they would be a good fit for your business, consider alcohol carriers that: Know the law. Every state has its own process […]

Combat Cargo: The Challenges of Military Logistics

Think you’re a project cargo master? If you really want to be all you can be, try moving difficult cargo into an area with terrible infrastructure and hostile combatants, something military logisticians do every day.

Choosing a TMS: What’s Your Endgame?

With so many choices available, shippers must truly understand what they want a Transportation Management System to accomplish in order to make the right selection.

Logistics Hot Spots: What it Takes to Make the List

With a combination of compelling traits, some places are particularly well suited to supply chain operations. Here are 8 characteristics that define a logistics hot spot.

Full-Service Fulfillment Solution Helps E-commerce Company Deliver – Saddle Creek

Saddle Creek helped allheart get orders out quickly, control costs, and keep up with demand spikes.

St. Louis: World-Class Multimodal Freight Network

Thanks to its strong global and fast-growing market, the St. Louis region is a leader in freight, setting records and gaining national and global significance.

Can You Handle the IoT Big Data Onslaught?

Supply chain managers (SCMs) recognize the potential benefits of big data platforms, leveraged and fed by the Internet of Things (IoT). Yet, the combination of IoT and real-time data collection creates an overwhelming data flow, threatening to drown organizations unprepared for the influx of that data. Companies need to understand their analytical goals and underlying […]

Pallets: Backbone of the Warehouse

Wood or plastic? Lease or purchase? Whatever your operations need, there’s a pallet provider ready to supply it.

Demanding Service

It is exactly the wrong time to abandon a demand-driven approach to the supply chain.

Subscription Retailing and Order Fulfillment – Hollingsworth

Q: Why are major retailers going all-in on subscription services? A: Subscription boxes such as Birchbox, Stitch Fix, Blue Apron, and the Dollar Shave Club have become popular new avenues of retail in recent years, and now major retailers are jumping in on the trend. Apparel brands like Old Navy, Gap, and Nordstrom have launched […]

Move Beyond Traditional Label Maker TMS or Surrender to Amazon’s Profit Squeeze – SwanLeap

The challenge: Amazon has synchronized and integrated their supply chain to deliver products to customers when they want, how they want, and at the pricing they prefer. By controlling their own inbound and outbound deliveries (air, land and sea) and connecting all of the pieces in the digital supply chain together, the e-commerce giant is […]

The Power of Supply Chain Visibility – Kuebix

Most companies today are struggling to achieve visibility and control over their supply chains to effectively manage their cost of goods and consistently meet customer expectations. However, there is a way to leverage technology to provide a platform where suppliers, carriers, and their customers are not only sharing information but also dynamically planning and executing […]

Cookware Company Stirs Up a Sizzling Supply Chain

When sales of cast-iron cookware heat up, a well-known brand prepares a solution to expand manufacturing capacity and warehouse space.

Reverse Logistics Discussion Highlights Upcoming Conference – SMC³

As a consumer, I realize the incredible value online retail sales brings to my family. The ability to order everything—from clothing to food—with one simple click and experience lightning-fast delivery to nearly anywhere in the country is incredibly beneficial. But as the head of a supply chain technology company, I know the online retail supply […]

Transwide is Ready for a New Digitalization Era in Logistics – Transwide

Carriers, shippers, and logistics service providers are facing new challenges today. Customers are asking for increased visibility and feedback in real-time. With digitalization, all players in the supply chain will require instant and efficient response time to their questions or concerns. Fabrice Maquignon, managing director at Transwide within Alpega, assesses these changes and the resulting […]

Reinventing Your Warehouse or DC

Warehouse improvements in layout and organization, docking, picking and receiving, fulfillment, and packaging can boost your bottom line and improve customer satisfaction.

We Must Be ‘Smart’ About the Future of Infrastructure – WSI

America’s transportation infrastructure is in a pretty dire state. The American Society of Engineers’ (ASCE) last report card gave it an average grade of D+. If the United States were a high school, our parents would be meeting with the principal and we’d probably be concerned about whether we were going to graduate. Few issues […]

Now Is the Time to Take Action to Combat Carrier Capacity Issues – Transporeon Group

Q: What are carriers saying about the capacity situation right now? A: The strong economy, increased manufacturing output, driver shortage and other industry developments have all combined to put the highest demands on capacity in years. Capacity utilization rates are at 95% and higher, in both the spot and contract markets. Higher demand points seem […]

Don’t Let Your Office Go to Waste

When analyzing your supply chain for efficiency improvements, it can be easy to ignore administrative activities. But office activities can constitute approximately 50 percent of the order-to-shipment lead time, and about 60 to 80 percent of all cost pertaining to meeting your customers’ needs. Many companies treat office activities in the supply chain and elsewhere […]

2018 State of the Third-Party Logistics Industry Report – 3PL Central

Over the past decade, there has been an extraordinary amount of change within the logistics industry. And with this change has come new requirements, new competition, new technologies, and more. At 3PL Central, we have watched as our customers have navigated this ever-evolving world of logistics. We compiled these observations—along with our own experiences—in our […]

Truck Driver Shortage Solution: Recruit Generation Z

Truck driver retention and recruitment consistently top the list of concerns for the transportation sector. The industry will need to hire roughly 900,000 new drivers to keep up with demand throughout the next decade, according to the American Trucking Associations. As millennials become more seasoned professionals and more immersed in their current industries, leaders at […]

Technology Solution Offers Increased Savings – SwanLeap

SwanLeap’s Artificial Intelligence helped an HVAC supplier increase efficiency and annual savings.

Sunset’s Rising Star

When Lindsey Graves joined Sunset Transportation in 2006, the founder and CEO—who happens to be her father—asked her to learn the business by spending some time in every possible role. As the years progressed, that didn’t mean dealing just with the company’s freight operations. MORE TO THE STORY: No Glass Ceiling Here “I was always […]

Addressing Freight Market Challenges Through Data and Routing Guides – Transplace

Q: What is the current state of the freight market? A: In addition to the typical seasonal swings, there are a number of external economic factors that have impacted the market. For example, in Q1 of 2018, retail sales growth slowed, but the rise of e-commerce and omni-channel fulfillment has also dramatically impacted the supply […]

Lower Cost Through Supply Chain Efficiency – Unyson

Unyson’s recommendations on ordering discipline improve efficiency at a lower cost.

Mobile Powered Workstations Increase Receiving Velocity by 40% – Newcastle Systems

Direct Relief turns to Newcastle Systems to speed the handling of crucial medicines to people in dire need.