Articles
3PL

GOOD QUESTION | What Supply Chain Terms Do People Sometimes Confuse?
Carrier vs. broker or 3PL. Shippers often don’t recognize the value difference—and motivations—of an asset owner versus a non-asset player. We’re measured the same, but when the rubber meets the road, it’s the asset provider who has to deliver. The key is to understand where a broker brings value. Greg Orr President, CFI Savings vs. […]
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Plan B: 5 Ways to Weatherproof Your Supply Chain
From establishing secondary suppliers to setting up alternative routes, here’s how Plan B strategies can keep you up and running, even during extreme weather events.
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The Ultimate RFP Checklist for Shippers: Essential Things to Include in Every Bid
When it comes to creating a successful request for proposal (RFP), it’s all about dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. The clearer your RFP, the easier it will be for third-party logistics (3PL) providers to understand your requirements and provide the information you need to make an informed selection.
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3PLs Do It All
Third-Party logistics providers are building future-proof supply chains, filling their toolbox with business insights, predictive capabilities, and other new solution sets.
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Logistics Leaders Into Outsourcing
Outsourcing logistics services has become common—85% of logistics leaders expect their outsourcing budget to increase by more than 5% in 2020; 85% reported a similar budget increase in 2019, finds Gartner’s 2019 Logistics Outsourcing Strategy survey. One reason leaders expect budgets to increase is that logistics outsourcing supports their business objectives. About 70% of respondents […]
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Navigating Amazon’s Move into Freight
Amazon’s quiet but successful launch of a full-service freight brokerage has a number of implications for supply chain professionals—some obvious and some not so clear.
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What to Look For in a 3PL
The field of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers has grown fiercely competitive, and the services and capabilities a 3PL can offer become difficult to differentiate.
Read MoreTaylored-Made Expansion
Merger and acquisition activity in the third-party logistics sector continues to grow. In a major expansion, Taylored Fulfillment Services acquired the U.S. operations of Toll Global Logistics, a $8.7 billion Australian logistics company. Brian Southwell, vice president of business development and marketing, and Margaritta Topielski, chief administrative officer at Taylored, discuss the buyout with Inbound […]
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Leverage Your 3PL’s Real Estate Assets For In-Demand Cold Storage
Whatever challenges your perishable goods operation faces, the right 3PL can offer innovative solutions.
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What’s the Deal With Flexible Warehousing?
A third-party logistics provider with its own dedicated workforce is still a company’s best option for handling and storing sensitive goods.
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Building a Hub of Vision and Passion
Phil Yeager leads the family business with a clear mission: To deliver for team members and customers every single day.
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3PLs Add Value
Increasing consumer expectations, market uncertainty, and other recent trends, have only enhanced the value 3PLs bring to shippers. From technology innovations to process insights, here are the ways 3PLs unlock and increase supply chain efficiencies.
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Designing Your Business to Meet Customer Expectations
Shippers need actionable insights to improve business operations and better serve customers. The right 3PL can help.
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3PLs: Responsive, Cost-Effective, and Green
The modern supply chain is complex, and in order for the world’s leading companies to deliver their goods and services in an expedient, cost-conscious, and environmentally friendly fashion, they are increasingly turning to third-party logistics (3PL) companies to achieve these goals. These are among the themes of the 2020 Third-Party Logistics Study, created and supported […]
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Control Tower Approach Drives Visibility, Aids Planning and Supply Chain Reliability
LANXESS, a global specialty chemicals supplier, selected Odyssey Logistics & Technology to track multiple assets for four business units that provide products across 33 countries.
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Automated Bidding Tools Benefit Shippers, 3PLs, and Carriers
At the start of a new year, it’s common for shippers striving for an optimized supply chain to review their carrier options to make sure they use the ideal mix of freight transportation providers. In 2019, this bidding business has lasted the entire year, as shippers and 3PLs look to take advantage of a softer […]
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Choosing a 3PL: How to Make a Mature Decision
Relationships between shippers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers commonly focus more on tactical and operational elements rather than strategic elements. When sourcing to 3PLs, the shipper’s RFP often focuses on lane costs rather than strategic elements such as systems integration, real-time visibility, and total-cost performance. The transactional lane-focused relationship is appropriate for companies looking for […]
Read MoreThe Value of a Trucking Company Offering 3PL Services
On-time delivery has remained a singular focus for shippers, supply chain engineers and freight handlers for decades. Only now, they have more options available to alleviate delivery disruptions and expedited costs. A multi-modal strategy — combining truck assets with 3PL carriers — gives shippers more capacity choices and consistency that can be the difference between […]
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Automating Labor-Intensive Tasks Cuts 3PL’s Costs by 50%
Javelin Logistics reduced its reliance on manual labor and now thrives in the e-commerce marketplace by partnering with 3PL Central.
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Choosing the Right 3PL and Supporting Supply Chain Excellence
Choosing the right third-party logistics (3PL) provider can make or break your goal of achieving supply chain excellence and have a significant impact on your company’s brand. Q: What are some top factors to consider when evaluating a 3PL’s potential to deliver supply chain excellence while upholding your brand? A: You want to ensure that […]
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