Articles
Transportation Management
Transportation Management: A Layered Approach
Q: Why bother managing the inbound aspect of the supply chain? A: Historically, organizations built their transportation management strategies and tactics around the outbound aspect of their supply chain. The gravity of customer revenue pulls the attention in that direction. This inattention in the supplier direction often leaves the inbound supply chain exposed to margin-draining […]
Read MoreSharing the Load
Transloading strategies reduce touches and costs, and give shippers greater flexibility to respond to changing demand.
Read MoreHow Freight Classification Changes Impact Shippers
Q: What are some of the recent and proposed changes to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) used to determine the class for rating less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments? A: The most notable change—effective Dec. 1, 2012—was in classifying computer equipment. Under the new classification, this product type moved to a density-based rating with the lowest possible […]
Read MoreTransportation & Distribution: Geared to Demand
Frequent logistics network optimization, aggressive attempts at collaboration, and partnering with trusted 3PLs act as force equalizers to garner greater supply chain efficiencies.
Read MoreTrimming Your Transportation Spend
Transportation costs run high, but cutting your spend might be more feasible than you think.
Read MoreCutting LTL Costs
Saving money on less-than-truckload (LTL) procurement is a laudable goal—except when operational problems eclipse savings gains. Shippers who prioritize securing the lowest price from carriers may actually end up paying more because of costs embedded in carrier expenses—resulting in problems such as service degradation and supply chain disruption. Danny Slaton, executive vice president of supply […]
Read MoreTransloading to Maximize Cost Savings
Transloading offers a cost-effective way to bring ocean containers inland to distribution centers. By transferring cargo without sorting the contents for shipment to a single destination, transloading services can reduce total landed costs, and—when combined with value-added services such as palletizing and shrink-wrapping—reduce handling at the destination. Jeff McCorstin, senior vice president of air and […]
Read MoreHow to Find Savings Through Landed Cost Analysis
As shippers adapt sourcing strategies to build redundancy, economy, and responsiveness into their supply chains, the complexity of drilling down total landed costs increases. Shippers often focus resources and attention on procurement, looking only at production and logistics spend. At a more granular level, a myriad of other factors can impact the total supply chain […]
Read MoreEnsuring Routing Guide Compliance
When vendors fail to comply with shippers’ routing guide instructions, all parties involved experience frustration. To improve compliance, shippers must provide clear and concise instructions about how they want their freight to move. Here is advice on ensuring routing guide compliance from Harold B. Friedman, senior vice president of global corporate development at freight payment […]
Read MoreInbound Transportation Management and Control: Why It’s Important and How to Grab It
Do inbound shipments just seem to appear on your dock? Here’s how to seize control.
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