Articles
Carriers Corner: Air, Ocean, Rail, Road Topics
Truckers Get Aggressive with Cargo Security
The transportation industry has never been without challenges. It is an industry that is extraordinarily complex and vital to the economy. For the last three years, warnings of terrorist attacks via biological, chemical, and strategic weapons have been a fact of life, with the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a frightening reminder that no industry […]
Read MoreRail Intermodal: One Arrow in Your Quiver
At a time when demanding investors are closely scrutinizing your company’s bottom line, finding solutions to reduce distribution and other operating costs seems a natural place for executive focus. Companies are also feeling an even greater sense of urgency to manage expenses due to the new Hours of Service changes. In addition, some retail companies […]
Read MorePreparing for the New Hours of Service Rules
Jan. 4, 2004, marks the beginning of a huge wake-up call for the entire transportation industry. No segment of the industry is immune from some element of the change in the Department of Transportation’s revised Hours-of-Service (HOS) ruling. How great an impact the change will have remains to be seen. Those who have successfully planned […]
Read MoreReducing the Risk of Damage, Loss and Claims
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, especially when it comes to inbound logistics. Even the best plans of smart shippers can be undermined by the great gadfly of shipping—damage, loss, and claims. Not only do damage, loss, and claims increase your overall transportation costs, they can also drive a wedge […]
Read MoreUntying the Import/Export Knot
In late 333 B.C., Alexander the Great and his army arrived in the Asian city of Gordium to spend the winter. Alexander was told of the legend that surrounded the town’s famous Gordian Knot. The legend said that anyone who could untie the exceptionally complex knot would become the king of Asia. So far, no […]
Read MoreNavigating the Rigors of NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been the catalyst for many small- to mid-sized U.S. importers to expand their comfort zone and test the waters with new suppliers and customers. While many large or multi-national importers have processes in place to determine and track eligibility for NAFTA and other special trade programs, smaller […]
Read MoreWhat Do You Really Know About Intermodal?
Remember the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day? The premise was that his character was trapped in a time warp that had him continuously reliving the same day. The people who work in the intermodal industry can probably relate—except it’s not their industry that’s stuck in a time warp. It’s their image. Intermodal transportation can take […]
Read MoreContainer Carriers: Why Can’t We Make Red Tape a Thing of the Past?
Container shipping is one of the world’s youngest industries—younger, in fact, than the computer industry. When Malcolm McLean drove the first container onto a ship less than 50 years ago, Big Blue was already churning out early computing and communication systems. Despite the rapid evolution of computer technology, container shipping companies still fail to grasp […]
Read MoreTruckers Unite to Combat Terrorism
Last September, our nation and the trucking industry were shaken by the realization of our vulnerability to terrorist attacks. While the trucking industry has fought to combat cargo theft and address other security concerns for many years, never before have we considered the magnitude of tragedy that can occur when cargo and equipment fall into […]
Read MoreHuman Resources Vital in the Age of Technology
Technology makes the modern world go ’round, or at the very least makes modern business work. But to build a global freight forwarding network—and make it thrive—technology is not an answer in and of itself. It is a cultural and business evolution. Before implementing technology, freight forwarders must have the right professionals in the right […]
Read MoreImproving Employee Efficiency Through Education
Providing superior customer service is a fundamental goal of every successful business. The manner in which employees provide value-added service is key not only to maintain, but also to attract, additional business. To be successful service providers, companies need to focus on variables such as improving employee efficiency and productivity through focused training and education […]
Read MoreCreating New Avenues for Cost Reductions
To significantly reduce logistics costs, look beyond network optimization and rate reductions from your carriers. Transportation providers have limited opportunity left to cut costs, yet significant savings opportunities—in managing inbound inventory, reducing static inventory, and increasing supply chain velocity—often go untapped. The challenge in achieving these benefits is to replace traditional thinking with a new […]
Read MorePracticing Enlightened Leadership
With employers facing labor shortages and unprecedented worker mobility, a stable, productive workforce of drivers, owner operators, and support employees is unusual in the rapidly changing trucking industry. It has been my experience in this industry that workforce stability—with low employee turnover—follows enlightened leadership. Enlightenment arrives when leaders elevate their game to a higher level. […]
Read MoreBecoming A Change Agent for Marketplace Success
Two important premises exist in the business world: if we don’t change faster than the changes taking place outside our own walls, it’s just a matter of time before we lose our competitive edge. the future will be inherited by the fastest learning organization. How do leaders drive change so that we’re not left in […]
Read Moree-Commerce Change Is in the Air
In 1995, a major financial services firm said, “our customers will never go on-line to trade.” Five years later, the landscape of that sector has changed significantly with a whole new way of doing business and with a cadre of new companies that are formidable competitors. To some degree, the transportation sector, and specifically air […]
Read MoreStress-Free Shipping: The Reseller’s Way
Are you the owner of a small- to medium-sized business looking for ways to give your customers better service? Have you encountered stress in your business even as you’ve searched for something as seemingly simple as an overnight shipping service? In addition to the cost of transporting a package, perhaps you’ve had questions of dependability […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Revolution Is In Your Hands
Corporate leaders today recognize what logistics professionals have always known: supply chain performance can have a significant dollars-and-cents impact on an organization’s market share and profitability. The evidence is compelling. For example, best-in-class companies spend five to six percent less on supply chain management as a percentage of sales than median performers, according to The […]
Read MoreSpecialty Products: Don’t Get Boxed In
Thinking outside the box is good advice to follow—both figuratively and literally—when it comes to shipping odd-sized, high-value products such as structural components, store fixtures, trade show exhibits, display cases, office furnishings, computers, and related merchandise. Indeed the box or crate, with its attendant cost and downtime delays of packing and handling, can critically limit […]
Read MoreCreating and Managing Intermodal Partnerships
Much has been written about creating “partnerships” in business today. Increasingly, the word implies more than just establishing a close cooperation between two parties and maintaining an acceptable level of service. “Partnership” has become synonymous with forging a true vendor-customer alliance to achieve predetermined objectives and proactively identifying ways to provide the best service at […]
Read MoreThinking of Outsourcing? Ask Me Two Questions
A potential customer who was considering outsourcing her logistics operations recently asked me two thoughtful questions. The questions are fundamental, yet critical to ensuring that you, as the customer, share with your 3PL providers a common understanding of the task at hand. Her first question: What is logistics? The proliferation of logistics directories illustrates the […]
Read More