All Entries

Monday, October 11, 2010

You finished your budget almost a year ago. At that time you forecasted what your volumes were going to be, you determined your origin and destination city pairs, and then set the levels of service that you’re going to provide internal customers and partners. You rolled it all up into the overall supply chain budget and then presented it to management.

It would be tough to add up the actual pages that the business-to-business press has written, printed, and posted on the advantages that a successful outsourcing relationship can bring to a logistics operation.

As the year goes on, import cargo volumes at U.S.-based retail container ports are expected to decline on a sequential basis but remain up on an annual basis, according to the most recent Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.

The outlook appears mixed, said Thomas K. Sanderson, Transplace president and CEO, in an exclusive interview.

Friday, October 08, 2010

We asked a panel with more than 75 years combined experience in logistics and distribution to identify three warehouse/DC best practices that improve the distribution network, reduce the work, and leverage the most important asset in any organization—its people.

The nation’s railroads have pulled out of the downturn in solid fiscal shape, proving that they’ve mastered the art of cost management. To offer a comprehensive look at the new state of the rails, we’ve gathered four top analysts to share how volumes, rates, and game-changing regulation could alter how shippers manage the mode.

Successful integration of technology into a supply chain security strategy will expedite border crossing wait times and reduce insurance costs. Fortunately, new technologies continue to be introduced that provide greater transparency at some of the critical junctures where security needs and vulnerability overlap.

New technologies and usage practices can help you maximize your fleet’s productivity and longevity while reducing your carbon footprint.

Now that pricing has been restored and capacity restrained, the leading vessel operators are staging a comeback. What lessons have they learned from the recent recession and dismal earning cycles? Here’s what the top analysts are saying.

After outsourcing its transportation functions to a 3PL in January 2007, the 150-year-old manufacturer brought it back under its own roof to tighten controls, establish carrier measurement, and rack up the savings. And that bold move earned Armstrong the 2010 NASSTRAC Shipper of the Year Award.