Articles
Commentary
Supplier Disruptions: Preparing for the Unpredictable
Supplier disruptions are a reality for most shippers. In fact, 75 percent of supply chain professionals responding to a recent AMR Research poll indicated that at least 10 percent of their supply partners had experienced a disruption in the past year. Even worse, 12 percent of respondents saw half or more of their suppliers experience […]
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Capitalizing on Mexico’s Economic Growth
Continuing economic development across Mexico is opening the doors to exciting growth opportunities for U.S. businesses. Mexico is already the United States’ third-largest trading partner, while the United States ranks first among Mexico’s trading partners. Mexico’s established manufacturing base has created many jobs and an increasingly prosperous working class. As a result, Mexico is attracting […]
Read MoreBalancing Risk Management With Your Operations Strategy
As the nation’s economy recovers from the recent downturn, the domestic freight industry represents a leading indicator of commercial activity and (hopefully) corporate profits. Asset-based carriers, a segment that has taken it on the chin the past few years, are thought to have pricing power because increasing freight volumes—albeit off severe lows—have been met with […]
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First They Came For Our Trucks
The War on Trucking. Are You Prepared? That’s the headline of the ad on page 111 of this issue, sponsored by NASSTRAC, an association comprised of a cross-section of shippers. Citing the challenges posed by CSA 2010, cap and trade, and Hours-of-Service changes, NASSTRAC is undertaking advocacy to guard the interests of anyone using trucks […]
Read MoreConflict in the Supply Chain
Everyone wants a smooth-flowing supply chain, free of conflict, says Perry A. Trunick, associate editor, Inbound Logistics. But the U.S. government has added a new wrinkle to the issue of supply chain management in the context of global politics and human rights.
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Inbound 3.0 at Walmart
During the almost three decades that this publication has been preaching the benefits of matching demand more closely to supply, we’ve published scores of articles on Walmart’s efforts to master inbound logistics. The first major milepost along that road was acknowledging the value of controlling inbound logistics, making it a company-wide mission, and developing the […]
Read MoreGive Me An F… Give Me An R…
Who says politicians can’t spell “freight?” But, more importantly, can Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) FREIGHT Act of 2010 deliver on its promise?
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Blended Learning: An Educational Hybrid
Statistics show earning a graduate degree increases the potential for higher earnings during your working life. Not surprisingly, an increasing number of applicants who already hold one or more graduate degrees are enrolling in executive and professional graduate degree programs. “You can never stop learning if you want to succeed, and if you want to […]
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Oversized Shipments: Good to Grow
Although container shipping remains the dominant form of ocean transport, breakbulk shipping, in which heavyweight freight is transported without being packed in containers, has seen significant growth. Non-container cargo covers a variety of shipments, ranging from oversized tires for earth-moving equipment to complete electrical power plants. One reason breakbulk shipping grew despite the economic downturn, […]
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It’s Time to Implement Cross-Border Trucking
When the United States signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which included a commitment to open our roads to Mexico’s cargo trucks, we were paving the way for economic opportunity, job growth, and prosperous foreign investment. Unfortunately, the United States has never fully complied with NAFTA’s cross-border trucking program, costing our country billions […]
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What We’ve Got Here is Failure to Communicate
Remember that great line from the movie Cool Hand Luke, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate”? That’s what popped into my head as I reviewed the more than 4,700 responses from readers and 3PLs participating in our annual third-party logistics survey. We asked both 3PLs and their customers the same question: What is […]
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Are You Talkin’ to Me?
Some results from our annual third-party logistics survey caused the publisher of this magazine to quote a line from Cool Hand Luke: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” When 3PLs and their customers were asked the same question, but provided diametrically opposed answers, the publisher suggested that more shipper/3PL communication may be called for. […]
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Managing Labor Boosts Warehouse Operations
When up against competition, service is the name of the game, and your labor force is the most important tool you have to win business and increase profitability. Labor management tools help you determine whether your workforce is able to perform at the level necessary to deliver cost-effective service to your customers. With the data […]
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Digitizing the Global Supply Chain
At one point, we all had a rabbit-eared TV or a clunky cell phone that took muscle to carry. Numerous electronics innovations have made life not only easier, but also more productive. So why are so many international supply chain professionals still living in the dark ages when it comes to supply chain efficiency and […]
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How to Run a Logistics Job Fair
A stressed economy and tight financial market have forced downsizing and job cuts in nearly every industry. In the logistics sector, jobs have been disappearing at two ends of the spectrum. At one end, highly paid positions have been displaced in an effort to cut costs; roughly one executive position equals 10 operating jobs. At […]
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10 Paths to Supply Chain Innovation
Leaders ask, “How can businesses be more innovative?” But successful innovation is rare. It requires hard work and creative thinking, and its value as an activity is often viewed skeptically. To move your business along the road to supply chain improvement, take a journey down the following paths to innovation. Borrowing. Many of the past […]
Read MoreDemanding Response
Inexpensive transportation and sophisticated IT tools allowed us to operate extended supply chains. But that tide may be turning.
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Freight Forwarders: The Vital Link in Logistics Communication
Building a logistics system for today’s sourcing needs requires a quantum leap from past shipping practices, in which companies too often neglected transportation in their strategic planning. A poorly constructed or outdated supply system with inadequate communication can create unnecessary delays and expense caused by information snags, missing or ill-prepared shipping documents, and inappropriate cargo […]
Read MoreDeregulation Amended and Upended
Dust off your legal textbooks. It’s time to revisit transportation deregulation’s rocky history and defend what we have.
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Shading Green
We know the positive arguments for embracing green. This magazine regularly demonstrates how shippers and service providers are developing sustainability practices across their supply chain touchpoints. Reducing fuel, cube, weight, packaging, waste, and power consumption in the supply chain blends the two shades of green—sustainability and profits. You’ll find measurable examples of both in this […]
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