Articles
Trucking

Trends—June 2016
The Name’s the Same, But It’s a Different Game There’s a new player in the electric vehicle market. By its name, Nikola Motor Company may seem a carbon copy of rival Tesla Motors (both are named after engineer, physicist, and inventor Nikola Tesla), but the vehicles Nikola wants to make are bigger in scope. Literally. […]
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Addressing Vendor Management and Shifting Global Trade Currents
Q: What are the most important aspects of good vendor management? A: Fairness is the first element that always comes to mind when this subject arises. Both parties need to be satisfied and gain benefits in each deal that is agreed upon. If not, deals tend to end faster than planned and turn into a […]
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Lifting the Fog on Extreme Caution Driving
Inclement weather such as rain, snow, and fog is a constant feature of motor vehicle travel. During poor conditions, commercial truck drivers and their dispatchers must use discretion when deciding whether travel should continue and in what manner. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 C.F.R. § 392.14) specifically address driving in adverse weather conditions and […]
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Meet Me in St. Louis
The most powerful word in the language of logistics is location. It’s a word heard over and over again in St. Louis. But location is just the beginning of the story.
Read MoreCreating a Lean and Green Culture
Focusing on saving money or going green doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. Fabio Duque, global head of consumer vertical for APL Logistics, offers tips for creating efficiencies that have both environmental and financial benefits. 1. Re-examine your international expedited transportation mix. If you routinely use air cargo to expedite global shipments, consider switching […]
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The Trials and Errors of Preventability Determinations
After a motor vehicle accident, it is common for motor carriers to determine whether their driver could have prevented the accident. This positive, safety-oriented process is known as a preventability determination. Carriers make this assessment for several reasons: to evaluate and possibly change company policies and procedures to prevent similar accidents, to determine whether it […]
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Alaska: The Vast Frontier
By offering air, barge, ocean carrier, rail, and trucking services, logistics providers excel at transporting goods to, from, and within Alaska.
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Trends—March 2016
Trucking Companies Hit the Brakes on Driver Wages The capacity crunch that has plagued the trucking industry since 2013 appears to be easing as poor economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 has trucking companies lowering their freight estimates. Only one-third of carriers expect to have any increase in freight volume in 2016, according […]
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Intermodal Transportation: Rise and Shine
Intermodal use continues to grow and is earning its place in the spotlight as a way for shippers to optimize cost and mitigate risk.
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What’s the first thing you would do to address the truck driver shortage?
The first thing that needs to be addressed is driver pay. Other industries offer higher wages for workers with similar skillsets, so we need to ensure that driving is economically competitive in the marketplace. Secondly, we need to tap into the next generation and let them know that transportation is a viable profession. Steve Pitt […]
Read MoreOptimizing Freight Spend
Managing your transportation budget is the key to shedding excess cost. Working in today’s competitive market provides many options to help slim down freight spend. As freight transportation continues to change, service providers are using technology to improve and meet the dynamics of the supply chain. Tim Quinn, director of procurement for Freightquote, offers the […]
Read MoreBecoming a Shipper of Choice
Supply chain partners are instrumental to business success. Taking steps to become a shipper of choice delivers benefits across the supply chain, and helps sustain and grow your bottom line. Greg Braun, senior vice president of sales and marketing at C3 Solutions, offers these tips for becoming carrier friendly. 1. Offer a flexible delivery window. […]
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Trends—January 2016
Of Potholes and Politics Transportation infrastructure became a hot topic at the end of 2014. So hot, in fact, that it was on the short list of items that had Congress prepared to shut down the government again. This was an interesting development for those who depend on our nation’s highways and waterways—especially because there […]
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Advantages of Partial Truckload Shipping
Less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload transportation are regularly discussed, but an often overlooked mode is partial truckload, or volume LTL. This mode has benefits shippers should consider when looking for faster transit times, less handling, and a more cost-effective solution. Logistics professionals begin to look at partial truckload or volume LTL as an option when […]
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Thoughts on Independent Contractor Pitfalls
Hire. Employ. Train. These are a few words that can cost you dearly, should a governing entity decide it wants to look at your business model and how you utilize independent contractors (ICs). Do they wait at your location for their next job? Are your drivers in uniform? Do their vehicles have your logo on […]
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Five Driving Forces Behind Driverless Trucks
The introduction of driverless trucks could be the biggest change the transportation industry will ever see, and the concept is closer to reality than you might think. Vehicle manufacturers say drivers will still be essential in the next 10 years, and the technology will be there to assist drivers rather than take their jobs. Daimler, […]
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Supply Chains that Rock Around the Clock: Rock and Roll All Night
Meet the Kings of the Road—a two-person sleeper team hauling a two-trailer set filled with LTL freight from Chicago to Denver.
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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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Refugees Cause Price Hike for EU Shippers
Refugees Displace EU Supply Chain In many cases, even under the best circumstances, border crossings can be rife with paperwork, passports, and delays. But Europe has streamlined the process, with free and open border crossings between most of its member states that eliminate many of these hassles. That is, until recently. More than nine million […]
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Great Logistics Sites: Prime Destinations, Unmistakable Results
The pursuit of perfection may seem an impossible goal. But, with the right combination of key elements, four regions in the United States have achieved logistics greatness.
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