Articles
Transportation
Getting a Handle on Specialized Transportation Costs
Q: Why is controlling fuel and permitting costs important for companies moving heavy equipment? Lowry: Managing these increasing costs is a major task, but it’s essential to gain greater efficiency and profitability. With state governments across the country facing significant declines in tax revenue, many are enforcing new weight restrictions and fuel tax requirements on […]
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Trends—July 2011
The 2011 State of Logistics Report: Logistics Sector Faces a Tough Haul The U.S. economy’s road to recovery during 2011 is like occupational therapy: filled with hard work and occasional setbacks. For the logistics sector, the therapy also involves higher costs and tighter capacity. Business logistics costs rose 10.4 percent in 2010, making up more […]
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On the Road…Again: New Times on the Mississippi
MORE TO THE STORY: Where Law and Order Prevail The U.S. supply chain moves in a blur, constantly shifting directions, absorbing complexity, and alternating speeds to keep pace with demand. But when you zoom in and bring its many transportation and logistics pieces into focus, you discover a colorful composite of unique people, places, and […]
Read MoreIN BRIEF: New Services & Solutions-May 2009
Products Shippers can fully utilize the space inside a trailer with the Ancra Cargo AutoDeck system, which adjusts the height of each beam to create a customized decking solution. The automated system reduces losses resulting from cargo damage because pallets don’t have to be stacked on top of each other, and increases load averages by 10 to […]
Read MoreThe Full Cost of Cargo Losses
All too often, supply chain managers do not properly calculate all the elements of cargo loss. As a result, they minimize the full impact on their bottom line. Most look only at cargo theft or damage to determine the financial impact on their company. Many other factors, however, need to be considered when calculating the […]
Read MoreWorking With Transportation Salespeople
Working with transportation salespeople can be a pleasant or frustrating experience. You have to separate the person who wants to sell you something from the professional who wants to provide the appropriate solution that will meet your needs. To help you get the most bang for your buck and establish a relationship that leaves you […]
Read MoreSelecting Core Carriers
Choosing core carriers can be a daunting task, especially with so many carriers out there wooing your business. Here are 10 tips to help you keep a clear head when carriers come courting with all their bells and whistles, from Bob Belshaw, vice president business development and Robert Harper, product support manager, transportation, Insight Inc., […]
Read MoreNITL: 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 […]
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