Managing international freight shipping operations presents a set of challenges that potentially expose shippers to risky and costly misfortunes.

Manufacturers can spend 50% or more of revenue on purchasing parts. So, it is not surprising that sourcing from low cost countries to improve competitiveness has been such an important business strategy in the past ten years.

US corporations import nearly $2 trillion worth of products from more than 150 countries, a number that is expected to triple by 2015, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The drive to capture the business benefits of low cost country sourcing has far out-paced the processes and systems needed to efficiently manage the global supply chain. A recent survey by Aberdeen identified that higher than expected transportation expenses was the primary factor in landed cost budget variances.

Whether you’re shipping auto brakes, consumer appliance parts, paper or simply packaging material, there are incredible intricacies to cross-border transit – from documentation standards and customs issues, to specific requirements for certain types of shipments. Getting it right is essential: timely delivery impacts production south of the border. To help, we’ve put together this strategy guide for making your intermodal shipments into Mexico smoother.

In today’s world of fluctuating order volumes, rising transportation costs and declining capacity, it’s critical for shippers and carriers to take a true partnership approach.

These regulatory initiatives have added to the ever-expanding list of labor-related challenges that involve cutting costs while still looking to improve operational efficiencies.

Did you know that you can accelerate your business operations by standardizing and automating your business processes. Easier said than done, right?

As companies look to streamline operations, improve efficiency and wring costs out of their supply chains, one of the most exciting opportunities for improvement is the inbound shipment of small parcels.

With the growth of e-commerce, order fulfillment has been elevated to a critical business function. Companies are challenged to deliver the perfect order every time while providing a consistent brand experience from channel to channel — in store, catalog or online.

2D Imagers 1.458 3D Printing 1.946 3PL 2.1997012 Air Freight 1.2129025 Amber Road 4.83 Barcode Readers 1.3799 C.H. Robinson 3.1893 Distribution Center 1.6570 E-Fulfillment 1.413 Endicia 1.1082 ERP 2.1904 European Logistics 1.1409 Exel 1.1076 Expedite Management Tool 1.683 Exports 2.5454 Free Trade 1.587 Freight 1.1179001 Global Supply Chain 1.908 Global Trade Management 1.1687 HOS 1.3682 Intermec 1.2887 International Freight 4.1988 International Logistics 1.1110 International Trade 1.1035 JDA Software 1.2322 KIVA Systems 1.1206 Kronos 1.1214 Management Dynamics 2.3767 Mexico 1.1430 MIT 1.877 Mobile Powered Workstations 1.660 Negotiations 1.1119 Newcastle Systems 1.597 Ocean Freight 1.1321715 Outsourcing 1.2013 Pacer 1.665 Parcel Optimization 1.608 Parcel Shipping 1.1408 Rapid Deployment 1.977 ROI 1.3416 Ryder 1.2655 SaaS 1.3961 Saddle Creek 1.2023 Sage 2.972 Shipping 1.9518 Supply Chain Management 1.502311 Third Party Logistics 1.862940 TMS 1.1437599 Transportation 1.45780 Transportation Costs 2.1461 Transportation Management 2.616765 Transportation Management Systems 3.586426 Trucking 1.1461865 US Customs 1.64 Vantage Partners 1.808 Wireless 1.2601095