Articles
Partnership

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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Trucking Alert: Steep Grade Ahead
A capacity shortage and a driver deficit that’s likely to grow worse are putting the squeeze on companies that ship by truck. Times like these call for shifting gears and trying new tactics.
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Collaborative Distribution Eases the Capacity Crunch
Q: The current crunch in trucking capacity has made mainstream news lately. How should the transport industry solve this problem? Kane: The truth is there is no capacity shortage. Also, there are plenty of truck drivers, even after we lose 100,000 drivers through CSA 2010, as industry experts predict. The problem is not capacity or […]
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The Best Partner Carriers Provide Transparency
Q: How can service accountability and innovation help shippers stay one step ahead in a tough economic climate? O’Dell: Vigilant shippers make sure every dollar they spend counts by choosing carriers who offer them the opportunity to shine in front of their customers. While there are different ways to accomplish this, one of the best […]
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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 […]
Read More3PL Perspectives 2010: A Paradox Bound by Demand
Inbound Logistics’ exclusive market research compiles shipper and 3PL input to illustrate the outsourcing sector’s rapidly changing dynamics.
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Tying the 3PL Knot
Meet shippers who quit playing the field and settled down with a 3PL partner.
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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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Why You Should Vest With Your Outsourcing Partners, Now!
We hear and read constantly about the critical need for lean, green, transparent, collaborative, efficient, and cost-effective supply chains and logistics partners. But how have your partnerships fared lately? How have things progressed over the past three or four years? Are your outsourcing and logistics contracts living up to their initial promises and premises? Do […]
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Sharing Efficiencies Through Collaboration
Q: How can value chain partners cooperate to create and share efficiencies? Timmer: In today’s challenging economic environment, transportation professionals need to take advantage of every opportunity for collaboration with trading partners to increase efficiencies across their supply chain. As one of the largest networks in the U.S. transportation industry, LeanLogistics On-Demand TMS® attracts more […]
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Drilling Down Into Supply Chain Data
Q: How can today’s manufacturers deal with increasing regulations, demand volatility, and shifting global trade currents? Hazen: First, recognize that complying with increasing and changing regulations is a requirement. Second, allow longer lead times in holding inventory and making shipments; use expedited service when necessary. Third, placing inventory nearer the customer’s location may be needed […]
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Building Better 3PL Relationships
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers are tremendously popular with shippers for surface transportation in North America. Freight brokers, forwarders, and intermodal marketing companies offer capacity, expertise, technology, and buying power on a scale no shipper can replicate on its own. Not all 3PLs are the same, however. Here are a few tips to help you get […]
Read MoreFrom Market Position To Eco-System
The door to dialogue is open! In the April and May issues of Inbound Logistics, this column focused on the ways our business is changing. Rapidly. Dramatically. And permanently! I invited readers to respond with their thoughts and their experiences, and respond you did. You wrote about increasing the velocity of supply chains, synchronizing activities, […]
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