Loose Change
The age of cost control in logistics through simple rate negotiation is gone. Today the focus of successful logistics operations is not centered on costs, it's centered on value. In this blog, I'll help shippers and carriers focus on change, how to create an atmosphere of positive change, and how to encourage and incubate change throughout the supply chain.
A Broken Arrow for Christmas.
The news first came from a Linked-In message to drivers at Arrow Trucking about getting home for the holidays and starting the search for a new job on Monday. A quick Google search brought up from the Christian Science Monitor story about the sudden shutdown of flatbed hauler Arrow Truck Lines. . Short and sweet - On Tuesday - December 22, Arrow Trucking of Tulsa, OK shut down. It was swift - a ...... Read More
Comments (0)Vision or Visibility ...
Imagine you could see into the future. The value of the view depends on the distance you can see and the quality of the image. If you can see a long way - but in poor resolution - what is the value of the vision? If you can see in great detail, but only a short time frame - what is the value of that vision? Which would you rather have? What would you call the ability to see into ...... Read More
Comments (0)Building Bridges…
“Stove piping” across corporate structure is often found in dysfunctional companies. Sometimes managers will think that it only happens in very large companies – but the “THEM” behavior is available in ample supply across all companies. Respect is one of the best tools for removal of the silo walls within the organization. Not the only tool, or necessar ...... Read More
Comments (0)The Rule of Seven…
Why don’t people get the message the first time? Frustrated when you have to repeat the message over and over before people admit that they get it, let alone remember it? The “Rule of Seven” in advertising & media is important to remember. Simply put; consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service after having seen an ad at least seven times. The ...... Read More
Comments (0)When is a contract not a contract…
I got an email from a colleague asking me to comment on a letter he wrote for his clients about the recent TSA rate increase in the transpacific trade. He was concerned about what to tell his clients – who had negotiated new “lower” rates and as a result built their budget and retail pricing off of the rates. With the “sudden” increase the client’ ...... Read More
Comments (5)Back to School…
This year my oldest daughter started the Second Grade – in a new school, in a new state and in a public school. She had been going to the same small independent day school for the past three years – small class size and lots of attention. Now came the whopper, turn everything upside down and shake it change. Bus ride to school. Buy lunch at the café. Cla ...... Read More
Comments (0)Develop & Mentor; or DIE
It has been a busy summer for my business. I am not complaining about the business – not in these economic times. Some of the work is true technical or industry related service. But a growing segment of my effort is helping clients develop and mentor their staff. In my “service bundle” I work closely with the client team on a project to provide skill and ability ...... Read More
Comments (2)If you think that things are getting better, then you are not paying attention…
The news broke today about PACER INTERNATIONAL selling off some assets. The idea of an “asset-light” intermodal marketing company (IMC) selling “key” assets intrigued me. The idea of an ‘asset-light” company is that the company has few assets, that the capital requirements are lower and are tied in things like systems, software, and processes th ...... Read More
Comments (1)Laws of Physics and Other Fun…
Things have been very busy since the last time I posted. My family and business relocated to Virginia, there was an election in Iran (and the outcome was something more crazy than the “hanging chads” of 2000), a comedian is now a Senator, and the Cap & Trade bill passed through the House like something through a goose. Looks like I got the micro car / environmental sector of ...... Read More
Comments (0)Congress cannot repeal the laws of physics…
I drive a big vehicle. My everyday “car” is a 2001 F-150 SuperCrew pickup truck. I don’t get great gas mileage in it, but for all of the driving I do with my kids I know that this vehicle will protect them and gives me as a driver a better view of the road, and the “fine” drivers out on the roads today. Yesterday one of the SmartFor2 cars by Daimle ...... Read More
Comments (10)If at First You Don’t Succeed…
There is something to be said for tenacity, and then there is just plain old stubbornness. The Hours of Service (HOS) Rule is back on the argument table. You remember that one, it’s there were four key changes to the rule: changed the legal driving hours from 10 to 11 hours, reduced the drivers work day from 15 hours to 14 hours, allowed a driver to reset the “week” by ta ...... Read More
Comments (0)How important is it for supply chain partners to trust in order to collaborate?
While outwardly logical that building a relationship of trust between the customer and the 3rd party logistics (3PL) operator is key, many "engagements" between the client and the 3PL fail because the client does not trust the 3PL operator. Truly successful outsourcing relationships depends on a high level of trust between both parties in the business relationship. Rather than being "engaged" and ...... Read More
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