I was floored when our research department reported to the Logistics Management editorial team that we had received more than 6,000 responses to our 23rd Annual Quest for Quality survey—a new record for this project. It not only validates the importance shippers place on this established industry benchmark, it is also a testament to the passion logistics professionals have for celebrating world-class service.

I'd like to thank all of our loyal readers who took the time out of their hectic schedules to share their experiences and help make it possible for LM to create the definitive list of the past year's top performers in the transportation and logistics markets.

I'd also like to extend hearty congratulations to the 110 winners in the Trucking (National, Regional, Truckload), Ocean, Rail/Intermodal, Air, and 3PL categories. Considering the operational pressures and constraints carriers and providers are currently facing, walking away with Quest for Quality gold in 2006 is a momentous achievement. We'll be celebrating all of these wins the evening of October 18 in San Antonio, Texas, following the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' annual conference.

Our overview of the 2006 Quest for Quality Awards begins here. In this feature you'll learn everything you always wanted to know about the survey, including how we weigh, measure, and score the research findings. We then roll through the results, category by category, and offer commentary on trends in various performance areas.

When rating the key carrier performance attributes, shippers have once again placed the most emphasis on “on-time performance,” followed closely by “value” and “customer service.” However, we did find a few surprises, which may have been triggered by the increasingly difficult logistics and transportation operating environment. The survey found that overall satisfaction scores in every category except Truckload Industrial/Heavy-Haul were down compared to 2005. And while shippers tell us that they're more satisfied with their core providers' performance than with that of their other providers, our research team found that the core-provider satisfaction scores were lower than the 2005 results in 11 of the 18 categories.

As you pore over this year's list of winners, it's important to keep in mind that even though each list begins with the company that posted the highest total weighted score, that doesn't necessarily mean that the company scored highest in each attribute. In the synopsis for each category, we attempt to draw attention to some of the exceptional attribute scores that shippers need to consider when making their own quality judgments.

The bottom line: If a carrier or 3PL made our Quest for Quality list in 2006, you can rest assured that they've got what it takes to meet your needs.