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Feature Stories

How Do They Ship That?

Moving cargo in today’s transportation environment is tough enough as is. Throw in a few tricky variables—living, oversized goods; super-tight time constraints; and far-flung destinations—and you have a recipe for trouble. But for some shippers and transportation providers, it is all in a day’s work. Here’s how they do it.

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Washington Report 2007: Looking Back, Moving Forward

MORE TO THE STORY: Legislative Lingo: What’s In A Name? The coming year promises to be a major watershed for U.S. government and industry alike as political power shifts on Capitol Hill and long-anticipated transportation legislation finally comes to pass. The new direction of a Democrat-led Congress will have a major impact on the transportation […]

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Supply Chain MythBusters

It’s a tough job separating supply chain truth from hype, but Inbound Logistics is here to serve. With a tip of our beret to the Discovery Channel show MythBusters, we set out to prove or bust three supply chain “myths’ currently circulating through the logistics industry.

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Global Sourcing Strategies: Pacific Rim Playbook

Sourcing components and raw materials from the Pacific Rim is no longer a cutting-edge logistics strategy; it has become commonplace. But that doesn’t make it any less complicated. “The cost efficiencies gained by sourcing in Asia and India lured many companies into overseas trade,” explains Jon Routledge, vice president international sales-express, DHL. “And they face […]

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Demand Calls, Mexico Responds

For decades, Mexico’s coastal ports primarily served as a destination for cruise ships. But in recent years, the country’s Pacific and Gulf Coast ports have become known more for their inflow of cargo than tourists. While U.S. West Coast ports continue to battle terminal, freeway, and rail congestion, Mexico’s ports have become increasingly attractive to […]

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Supply Chain Roundup: The Hottest Trends of 2006

MORE TO THE STORY: Still a Gap When it comes to the supply chain, 2006 was a year of mixed outcomes. The cost of fuel skyrocketed, causing considerable pain in the transport sectors and in industries heavily dependent on petroleum-based materials. Companies hedged their bets by embracing strategies such as shifting to alternate modes and […]

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Unwrapping Seasonality Challenges

All retailers and vendors want for Christmas is supply chain success. Using logistics technology, savvy shipping strategies, and better planning, many will get their wish.

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Getting Service Parts Logistics Up To Speed

“What’s the difference between a drug store and a fire station?” That’s not a trick question, but a way to understand the service parts supply chain. “You expect to see goods moving rapidly through a drug store or retail chain,” explains Dr. Morris Cohen, Panasonic professor of manufacturing and logistics and co-director of the Fishman-Davidson […]

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High 5: Air Cargo’s Top Challenges

Increasing fuel prices, security threats, changing inventory strategies, mode shifting, and provider consolidation have the air cargo industry in a tailspin. Here’s how carriers and shippers plan to fly past these challenges.

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WMS: Beyond the Basics

Think you know absolutely everything about your warehouse management system’s capabilities? Think again.

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Paying the Bills: Choosing The Right Freight Bill Payment Provider

Any firm that ships anything is familiar with freight bills and the process for paying them. Less understood is the industry that has been built around outsourcing these payment activities. Why outsource freight bill payment services? There are several good reasons; the most popular is the possibility of reduced costs. It costs a large company […]

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Trucking Perspectives 2006: IL’s Motor Freight Market Insight Survey

Anyone who has spent time traversing U.S. highways and byways recently has likely witnessed firsthand some of the challenges facing domestic shippers and carriers: security delays at border crossings, infrastructure improvement projects that bottleneck traffic, and gas stations spinning prices like rental car odometers. Capacity and cost constraints as a result of high fuel prices, […]

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Buying Trucking Services: Managing the New “Normal”

While guaranteed capacity to haul freight was once a sure thing, times have changed. How are shippers and carriers dealing with today’s tight transportation environment? It’s all about collaboration—to mitigate capacity constraints, the driver shortage, and tough new federal regulations.

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