It's only appropriate that I begin this month's column by thanking the more than 2,000 readers who took the time to participate in this year's Quest for Quality survey. It's this insightful input from Logistics Management's readership that makes it possible to create our list of the top performers in the transportation, logistics, and third-party logistics (3PL) marketplace.

We also offer congratulations to the 120 winners in the Trucking, Rail, Ocean, Air, and 3PL categories. Considering the constraints that service providers work under today, coming away with Quest for Quality gold is a significant achievement.

For the full rundown of this year's winners, turn to our cover story on Page 34. Just a note to transportation and logistics service providers: Overall, our readers place the most emphasis on "on-time performance," followed closely by "value" and "customer service"—an outcome repeated year after year.

The article in this issue, by the way, includes only the Quest for Quality winners. If you're interested in purchasing a complete report that includes all of the service providers measured, go to logisticsmgmt.com/quest.

LM's exclusive research projects, including our Quest for Quality, Logistics Outlook (Jan.), Salary Survey (March), Software Survey (May), and Masters of Logistics Survey (Sept.), receive some of the highest readership scores in our print edition. With the challenges facing logistics professionals today, it's no wonder they're turning to these benchmarks for ideas on how to better manage their logistics programs.

While these trying times are causing our print readership to soar—LM readers spend an average of 74 minutes with each issue—we're also seeing more logistics professionals turning to logisticsmgmt.com to supplement their education. In fact, our website has seen a 30-percent increase in unique visitors over the past eight months.

Based on these readership trends, we're launching a series of print and online events that are designed to bring our research to life. Next month we'll unveil the results of the 2005 Masters of Logistics Survey. This annual joint study with Georgia Southern University, the University of Tennessee, and Capgemini tracks shippers' spending and freight management trends.

An overview of the Masters of Logistics will take its traditional place as the cover story of our September print edition. On September 28, we'll also transform it into an in-depth webcast that will put shippers in direct contact with the researchers. If you'd like to learn more about the findings, this will be the perfect opportunity to get answers to your questions in an interactive environment. To attend the Masters of Logistics webcast, go to logisticsmgmt.com, click on "free e-newsletter registration," register, and click on the webcast box.

We're committed to meeting your needs and are responding with an integrated editorial program that not only educates and advises, but also connects you directly to the experts in the market. We're sure you'll profit by taking advantage of these opportunities.

Michael A. Levans, Chief Editor