Articles
Thought Leaders
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 […]
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Put the Factory to Work: Vendor Shipment Booking – Amber Road
Q: What are the biggest issues facing supply chain executives in 2018? A: When we said 2017 was one of the most disruptive years for global supply chains in recent years, thanks to natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, and regulatory upheaval, we couldn’t have foreseen the twists and turns that would take shape in 2018. The […]
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Find the Data You’ve Been Looking For – RateLinx
Q: Why do companies struggle to get good data? A: It’s no secret that data is the foundation for a world-class logistics strategy. It’s also no secret how to find the right data, yet many companies struggle to find the data they’ve been looking for. Companies have a lot of data, but not the data […]
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Advantages of a Niche Third Party Logistics Provider – MD Logistics
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers provide detailed logistical solutions for companies, in an array of industries, in need of contract warehousing, personalized fulfillment, and/or freight management. Often, these 3PL providers will specialize and target a specific industry or geographical market, or will limit their service offering. Those who specialize are referred to as niche 3PLs. Q: […]
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Shipment Visibility Gets a Digital Facelift – Amber Road
Q: Why is digital technology important to shipment visibility? A: Asking why digital technology is important to shipment visibility is similar to asking why you need fuel to operate a car. Without collecting data through the many technology channels, shipment visibility is reduced to phone calls, manual web searches, and Excel spreadsheets. This may be […]
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End-to-end Visibility is Crucial to Shipper Network Optimization – Schneider
“Visibility.” It’s more than just the latest buzzword on everyone’s mind and tip of the tongue. But what does it mean and what is its value in your supply chain? As technology advances, the velocity of business increases, the proliferation of personal electronic devices continues, and people’s expectations of shippers grow. Today’s consumers already assume […]
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API Trumps EDI. Here’s Why. – Freightgate
Q: Why invest in an API solution? The transportation industry is changing and it’s changing fast. There are new players in the market like Uber Freight and they have a head start with their digitalization strategy. Offering a cheap and reliable service will not be enough when all of your competitors have moved forward. Many […]
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Educating the Supply Chain – SMC³
Jump Start 2018 provides shippers, carriers, 3PLs, and other supply chain professionals with indispensable insights about trends and challenges in the wider logistics arena.
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Visibility Fills the – Amber Road
Q: Is supply chain visibility really a problem in today’s high-tech, connected world? A: In today’s technologically advanced world, a lack of data is not the problem. We are currently inundated with information from various sources. Rather, we need tools that consolidate this information, normalize it, and predictively notify users of potential risks. This enables […]
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Shippers Seek 3PL Efficiencies Amidst Capacity Constraints – DLS Worldwide
Q: What efficiencies that you offer as a 3PL are in the highest demand this year where we’ve seen tremendous capacity constraints? A: From a high level perspective, we always take a collaborative approach on which core competencies we can offer and streamline for our clients. We work with a very diverse group of customers/shippers, […]
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Data by the Truckload – U.S. Bank
Q: With increasing access to data, it can be difficult to hone in on the information relevant to shippers. How can they determine which data to analyze? A: Whether it’s orders, shipments, tracking and shipping status reports, or freight invoices, shippers have abundant access to data. And although technology is supposed to make it easy […]
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Transportation Management at the Border – Landstar
Q: How have trends in U.S./Mexico cross-border operations shaped today’s supply chain? A: There is a continuous rebalancing that occurs within the U.S./Mexico cross-border transportation services environment. For years now, there has been an imbalance of freight shipments moving north to the United States vs. freight moving south into Mexico. Some of this is attributable […]
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VMI Solutions Carried Out by 3PLs in the Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals Industry – MD Logistics
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers specialize in maximizing their customers’ supply chain processes. Recently, 3PLs have innovated their practices to extend pharmaceutical supply chains for special projects, such as packaging and kitting. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) is a natural evolution of these extended services. Q: What is VMI in the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry? A: Pharmaceutical […]
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Learning from the Fast Fashion Groundbreakers – Amber Road
Q: Speed-to-market has become the top market pressure for retailers. What can other industries or CPG manufacturers learn from "fast fashion" leaders like H&M, Uniqlo, and Zara who are able to go from concept to shelf in weeks? A: Attaining raw speed requires an overhaul of your supply chain. To truly match the clock speed […]
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How to Choose a TMS Vendor That’s Right for Your Company – 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 […]
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Today’s Options in Technology To Improve Your Transportation Program – KDL
Q: What have been the technology changes in transportation? A: As we have seen in other industries like Netflix with entertainment content or Airbnb with hospitality, we are also seeing innovative technology, i.e. Uber Freight, trying to disrupt the transportation industry. All of these technology advancements benefit everyone that is in our industry. For a […]
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Silicon Valley is Helping the Logistics Industry Grow Smarter, Instead of Bigger – ClearMetal
Q: How can shippers and service poviders cut through the clutter of tech talk around AI and machine learning? A: The most important thing to remember is that machine learning is not a generic box you can buy from just anyone, plug in and have work. The shipping industry is so complex and nuanced that […]
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U.S./Canada Trade Remains Strong, With Plenty of Opportunity for Growth – Purolator
Q: What trends are you seeing in U.S./Canada cross-border trade? A: I see tremendous opportunity on both sides of the border. For one thing, imports from Canada are growing, largely due to the stable U.S. dollar. We seem to have turned the tide on the currency volatility of the past couple years, allowing Canadian manufacturers […]
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What You Need to Know About Selecting a Dock Appointment Scheduling System
Q: What is dock appointment scheduling? A: Dock scheduling is a means for managing the timeliness of inbound and outbound transportation (truck traffic) at your loading docks in order to maximize the efficient operation of those docks. Q: What is the difference between Appointment Management and a Dock Scheduling System? A: Appointment management usually takes […]
Read MoreWhat to Expect From Your 3PL
Q: As supply chain operations continue the migration from an afterthought in the warehouse to a priority in the boardroom, what are some questions a shipper should ask before adding a 3PL to their supplier base? A: It largely depends upon what level of partnership a carrier is seeking. Managing spot capacity is very different […]
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