Logistics Management

In this annual webcast, group editorial director Michael Levans hosts our panel of logistics and freight transportation analysts who share their insights on rate patterns in all the major transport modes in an effort to help shippers prepare their freight transportation budget for the coming year.

Company officials said that the driver for this new location was to provide the company with the opportunity to be closer to its shipper customers in Maine and northern New Hampshire. And they added that Pyle will offer customized less-than-truckload (LTL) and Custom Dedicated operations out of the facility, which it said will provide greater flexibility and higher service levels for shippers in this region.

A true logistics partner will look for savings beyond the obvious.

Even though the survey's results show that close to seven out of ten shippers were not impacted, that does not mean pain points during the shutdown's 35 days were not felt.

Just how close are we to the ideal digital supply network? Not as close as we might like to think. Our panel offers a “reality check” on the current state of our understanding, adoption and utilization of technology in our logistics and supply chain operations.

Private fleet operators have decided to pump up investment, expand capacity and battle the tight for-hire market with training, improved technology and better driver pay. Will the preparation pay off in the long run?

The Panama Canal expansion is set for late June and may soon be attracting more inbound vessel calls to the East and Gulf ports. In the meantime, trans-Pacific trade is still keeping market share clearly concentrated on the West Coast.

The complexities and speed necessary to be successful in today’s distribution environment have pushed logistics operations to improve their labor management practices. Here are three steps to help along the way.

When searching for the best forwarder, global shippers are advised to first take a deep dive into the middleman’s business culture.

Customers demand lease agreements that allow for change, reduce or eliminate penalties, and prevent surprises during or at the end of the term. Finance partners have responded by offering unprecedented flexibility and risk mitigation.

As e-commerce delivery pressures continue to dramatically alter the service landscape, our panelists offer practical advice for how shippers can re-adjust their packaging and better understand carrier needs—as well as their own.

The maturation of multi-channel distribution has put added pressure on all major modes of freight transportation. “Just-in-time” and “just-in-case” strategies now have to meet the “just do it” demands created by today’s highly impatient consumer.

Warehouse execution system (WEC) suppliers are offering higher-level functionality—such as waveless order processing, performance analytics and mobile apps—turning WES into a configurable platform for warehouse operations management.

Bloated inventories have come to characterize the current state of U.S. manufacturers and retailers for the first quarter of 2016, forcing logistics managers to apply classic reverse strategies to wring out supply chain waste.

Capital expenditure plans for materials handling solutions are ebbing overall, but restrained spending on hardware is balanced by steady investment in the information solutions that tie equipment together.