Logistics Management Magazine Archives

September 2014 Logistics Management

In this issue:

  • 23rd Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends: The transportation tug of war
  • The Mobile Supply Chain: Significant progress, but a long way to go
  • Global Logistics: Proceed with caution in América Latina
  • 3PL management: Building the dream house
  • Warehouse and DC Order Fulfillment: Locke Supply’s path to accurate productivity
  • Logistics Technology: TMS gets more warehouse aware
  • Information Management: In search of supply chain execution convergence
  • The Top 25 Freight Forwarders: Leaders Prepare for Demand Surge
  • Viewpoint: Transportation’s tug of war
  • Moore on Pricing: Big Data and 3PLs
September 1, 2014 · Results from our annual survey suggest that carriers, driven by a need to maximize profitability, are at a polar opposite with shippers who are focused on reducing costs. This lack of alignment has created a struggle that has resulted in a loss of focus on the bigger prize—being able to compete supply chain to supply chain.
September 1, 2014 · Our top technology analysts give us an in-depth look at the current penetration of wireless and mobility outside of the four walls and offer their outlook on the future of real-time, 24/7 supply chain monitoring.
September 1, 2014 · Economic activity in Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to stay in low gear in 2014, according to the IMF’s latest forecast for the region. Shippers are advised to practice extreme due diligence before entering the marketplace.
September 1, 2014 · The continued evolution of “digital supply networks” depends on just how well shippers and their third-party logistics provider partners can work together to take costs out of the system while making improvements in flexibility and speed. Our consulting team offers a high-level blueprint for making it happen.
September 1, 2014 · Faced with booming volumes and subsequent picking challenges, a leading plumbing and heating products distributor integrated voice picking with its warehouse management system (WMS). They’re now fulfilling record volumes more accurately in less time and with fewer people. Here’s how they’re getting it done.
September 1, 2014 · TMS and YMS expand on integration and supply chain visibility capabilities, gaining a better handle on warehouse constraints in the process.
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Latest in Logistics Management

Understanding the FTC’s ban on noncompetes
Crowell & Moring law partner Stefan Meisner discussed the recent decision by the Federal Trade Commission to ban noncompete agreements.

UPS rolls out fuel surcharge increases
Earlier this week, Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider UPS announced it is increasing fuel surcharges for various service offerings, including UPS Ground Domestic, UPS SurePost, and UPS Domestic Air

U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes, for week of April 20, are mixed, reports AAR
Rail carloads, at 216,945, fell 6.7% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 257,599 units, rose 8.2% annually.

Baltimore suing ship that crashed into bridge, closing port, costing jobs
The city of Baltimore is suing the owners of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and closing the Port of Baltimore for months.

Intermodal growth volume remains intact in March, reports IANA
Total March volume, at 1,464,782 units, increased 6.7% annually, below February’s 14.6% annual increase, while topping November, December, and January, which saw gains of 3.8%, 6.4%, and 5.5%, respectively.   

Descartes announces acquisition of Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments
Earlier this week, Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, continued to flex its M&A muscle, acquiring Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments, a provider of customs and regulatory compliance service.

Amid ongoing unexpected events, supply chains continue to readjust and adapt
Expecting the unexpected going back to the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 has really been a part of supply chain and logistics lexicon. As we know, there were many logistics and supply chain “lessons learned” coming out of the pandemic, which clearly still remain intact today, especially including the need for supply chain resiliency and preparedness, as well as flexible and nimble deployment of labor, assets, and technology, among others.

Shipment and expenditure decreases trend down, notes Cass Freight Index
March’s shipment reading, at 1.113, fell 3.6% annually, down from February’s 4.5% decrease and January’s 7.6% decline.

March trucking tonnage trends down, reports ATA
The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 2%, to 113.4 (2015=100), following a 4% February gain, to 115.7, and a 3.2% January decline.

FTR Shippers Conditions Index enters negative territory
For February, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading came in at -1.4, below January’s 3.4, which was 3% below December’s 6.4 reading and also below November’s 6.3.

DAT March Truckload Volume Index sees modest March gains
From February to March, the the van TVI, at 260, was up 4%, with the refrigerated TVI, at 200, up 2.6%, and the flatbed TVI, at 242, up 4.4%.

National diesel average, for week of April 22, is down for the second straight week
For the week of April 22, the national average fell 2.3 cents, to $3.922. This followed a 2.3-cent decrease, to $4.015 per gallon, for the week of April 15, which was preceded by a 6.5-cent increase, to $4.004, for the week of April 8.

UPS reports first quarter earnings decline
Quarterly consolidated revenue, at $21.7 billion, fell 5.3% annually, and adjusted earnings per share, at $1.43, saw a 35.0% annual decline. Consolidated quarterly operating profit came in at $1.6 billion, which was off 36.5% annually.

LM Podcast Series: Assessing the freight transportation and logistics markets with Tom Nightingale, AFS Logistics
During this podcast, Nightingale provided a detailed overview of the new Cowen/AFS Freight Index report and variuous market issues.

Investor expectations continue to influence supply chain decision-making
More shareholders are expecting supply chains to become resilient to protect the bottom line.


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