Articles
Transportation
NITL: A League All Their Own
The discussions at last month’s TransComp in Anaheim were wide ranging, covering port lockouts, homeland security, and globalization. But there was also a hint of what we might expect in 2003, and lest we grow too optimistic, economic recovery is not near at hand. A conversation I had with David Stubblefield, outgoing president of ABF, […]
Read MoreLooking Inside The Box
As budget limitations and executive missives compel logistics managers to streamline operating expenses, web-based procurement solutions have become one obvious fix, offering greater control over purchasing decisions, the opportunity to consolidate supply orders and shipments, and the promise of reduced costs.
Read MoreContainer Carriers: Why Can’t We Make Red Tape a Thing of the Past?
Container shipping is one of the world’s youngest industries—younger, in fact, than the computer industry. When Malcolm McLean drove the first container onto a ship less than 50 years ago, Big Blue was already churning out early computing and communication systems. Despite the rapid evolution of computer technology, container shipping companies still fail to grasp […]
Read MoreMeasuring Carrier Performance
You have just selected a new carrier. How do you make sure you’re getting the service you require? Rick O’Dell, president and CEO of Saia, a regional motor carrier based in Duluth, Ga., offers these top 10 metrics for measuring carrier performance. 1. Pickup performance. How can your delivery be made on time if your […]
Read MoreBuilding the Perfect Load
Logistics IT providers are helping shippers, carriers, 3PLs and consignees create cost savings with little capital investment thanks to innovative load planning applications. From better asset utilization to increased compliance, load planning software creates efficiencies before shipments enter the transportation stream. Have you ever lugged groceries home from the store, struggling to get as many […]
Read MoreCreating New Avenues for Cost Reductions
To significantly reduce logistics costs, look beyond network optimization and rate reductions from your carriers. Transportation providers have limited opportunity left to cut costs, yet significant savings opportunities—in managing inbound inventory, reducing static inventory, and increasing supply chain velocity—often go untapped. The challenge in achieving these benefits is to replace traditional thinking with a new […]
Read MoreTransportation Performance: The Measure of Success
Measuring transportation performance is a critical link in Joann Stores’ supply chain strategy.
Read MoreOnline Routing Guides: Who Wants Yesterday’s Paper?
Electronic routing guides promise timely information, easy distribution, and widespread access.
Read MoreMoving Furniture the Right Way
The online furniture community recently has seen its share of well-publicized supply chain failures. From my perspective as a transportation provider to this specialized niche, these online firms did not seriously consider product distribution issues. Granted, other customer-related consequences contributed to the difficulties, but it is impossible to overcome critical distribution problems. Most of these […]
Read MoreSimple Collaboration: The Focus is Transportation
Reduced to its base element, supply chain management is the transportation of goods from Point A to Point B. At this core, the fundamental players are shippers, receivers, and transport providers. How well they perform together is the basis for creating wealth in companies and nations. Goods efficiently sourced and manufactured, but not shipped, have […]
Read MoreTransportation Software: A Guide for the Perplexed
Making the right transportation software choice is harder than ever. More than 60 Internet transportation dot.coms have launched in the last 12 months alone. If you’re like most people, you’re wondering: “How can I make sense of all these companies?” The good news: the Internet can provide enormous productivity gains for transportation and logistics companies. […]
Read MoreThe Lights Are On But No One’s Home
We have a saying in the big city, “the lights are on but no one’s home.” By the time you read this, in California at least, everyone may be home but the lights may be off. Chalk another one up to federal and state energy policy pooh-bah’s polymorphic foul-ups. They hit the off switch. Few […]
Read MoreThe Right Route with the Right Rate
Can a dot.com company take complexity and cost out of supply chain management? SupplyLinks says it can.
Read MoreStress-Free Shipping: The Reseller’s Way
Are you the owner of a small- to medium-sized business looking for ways to give your customers better service? Have you encountered stress in your business even as you’ve searched for something as seemingly simple as an overnight shipping service? In addition to the cost of transporting a package, perhaps you’ve had questions of dependability […]
Read MoreSupply Chain Revolution Is In Your Hands
Corporate leaders today recognize what logistics professionals have always known: supply chain performance can have a significant dollars-and-cents impact on an organization’s market share and profitability. The evidence is compelling. For example, best-in-class companies spend five to six percent less on supply chain management as a percentage of sales than median performers, according to The […]
Read MoreLife in the Fast Lane
There used to be those who viewed logistics as a slightly sleepy business. Sure, we worked against the clock, we moved things along, we met our customers’ timetables, we worked very hard to get products safely and on time to the places they had to be. But the pace, compared to the way we move […]
Read MoreSpecialty Products: Don’t Get Boxed In
Thinking outside the box is good advice to follow—both figuratively and literally—when it comes to shipping odd-sized, high-value products such as structural components, store fixtures, trade show exhibits, display cases, office furnishings, computers, and related merchandise. Indeed the box or crate, with its attendant cost and downtime delays of packing and handling, can critically limit […]
Read MoreForce of Nature
Say what you want about the trucking industry, but it has never been more exciting for carriers. Opportunities for growth are great, but “little” errors or lack of vision can have fatal results. What fun, as customers pull carriers in seemingly opposite directions. Demands for inventory reduction and the resultant “efficiency” mindset drives this trend, […]
Read MoreAll You Need To Know About Co-loading
Many businesses are unfamiliar with the concept of co-loading, and wonder whether this practice can benefit their operations. Here are some answers to common questions about co-loading. What is co-loading? Co-loading is the equivalent of ride sharing for freight transportation. It is the consolidation of shipments across multiple companies on the same transportation vehicles. Companies […]
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