Articles

3PL

Chuck Fattore
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Realizing the Power of a Leveraged Platform

Q: How can today’s manufacturers deal with increasing regulations, demand volatility, and shifting global trade currents? A: One way a manufacturer can mitigate the effects of increasing regulations and demand volatility is by working with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider with a leveraged platform. When a 3PL provider utilizes a leveraged platform, it is employing […]

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Trends—November 2015
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Trends—November 2015

GHS: Label It a Problem Fewer than 50 percent of the nearly 150 supply chain professionals from internationally based chemical companies responding to Loftware Inc.’s recent GHS Readiness Survey have met the latest Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS) labeling requirements. The United Nations originally adopted the GHS in 2002 to ensure hazardous materials are […]

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An Acquiring Mind
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An Acquiring Mind

Brad Jacobs is not one to rest on laurels. Rather, a restlessness within keeps him searching for bigger and bolder challenges. Jacobs built a reputation consolidating disparate companies into industry juggernauts. He kindled his career in oil and gas (Amerex and Hamilton Resources), moved on to waste management (United Waste Management), then dug into the […]

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Steve Syfan
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Outsourcing to a Third-Party Logistics Provider

Q: From a shipping perspective, how can manufacturers best address today’s increasing regulations and demand volatility? A: Outsource your shipping to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. The answer might sound a bit self-serving, but I believe most manufacturers would agree if they took the time to crunch the numbers. A 3PL is much more familiar […]

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Daniel Cser
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Seven Tips for Finding the Right Chinese Partner

China is a major trading partner for the United States, and the relationship is key for both countries. U.S. trade with China is booming, but there are issues that continue to linger, such as the U.S. trade deficit and China’s trade surplus, a Chinese fiscal policy that keeps currency artificially low compared to the U.S. […]

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Safeguarding Your Loading Dock

No matter how thoroughly you follow OSHA’s safety training requirements, or how diligently you supplement safety requirements with in-house training and programs, there are still likely to be gaps in your company’s loading dock safety efforts. Andy Brousseau, manager of warehouse safety for third-party logistics services provider APL Logistics, offers the following recommendations for efficiently shaping […]

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Trends—August 2015
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Trends—August 2015

Warehouse Performance: It’s a Whole New Game One new way to save money on warehouse labor costs is to turn work into a game. No, we don’t mean a chucking-things-across-the-warehouse-floor kind of game, but creating competition through gamification. It’s a way to drive down warehouse labor costs by increasing employee performance and morale. The process […]

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Rob Kriewaldt
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Be a Logistics Superhero

In recent months, there has been a steady stream of articles bemoaning the increasing costs and challenges within the logistics industry. You hear about driver shortages, rising labor costs, lack of available real estate, oversize package regulations, increased shipping rates, and additional governmental regulations. CSCMP’s annual logistics study charted a 3.1 percent increase in 2014 […]

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John Sell
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How Non-Traditional Service Offerings Are Enhancing Supply Chains

Q: How do non-traditional supply chains differ from traditional supply chains? A: Traditionally, 3PL providers offered a specialized set of services focused around warehousing, order fulfillment, transportation and supply chain logistics. Today, several factors have driven 3PLs to non-traditional services that spread their influence further into the supply chain. Non-traditional supply chain services include various […]

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Keith Biondo
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You Say You Want a Co-Evolution?

In human evolution, scientists theorize that primitive man existed 3.8 million years ago. Progress was slow until 200,000 years ago, when modern man made his appearance. Then came a spark of progress: animal domestication, farming, global expansion, refined toolmaking, and more. What we today call the third-party logistics (3PL) sector followed that same evolutionary process. […]

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Overcoming LTL Shipping Challenges

Less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation involves moving shipments that won’t fill a 48- or 53-foot semi-trailer. LTL could be half of a full shipment, a single pallet, or a single box. LTL shipping creates many challenges, and understanding how to overcome them is key to efficiency. Adam Robinson, marketing manager of third-party logistics (3PL) provider Cerasis Inc., […]

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Trends—July 2015
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Trends—July 2015

ShippingPass vs. Prime: The Fight for Last-Mile Rights Walmart and Amazon are a study in contrasts, from corporate culture to omni-channel strategy. One promises everyday low prices; the other prioritizes selection and speed. But all things being different, they are chasing the same thing—customer satisfaction. Both retail leaders have found a common battleground when it […]

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