Let's Talk Logistics

Palletizing LTL and Truckload Shipments

From the largest shippers to the smallest ones, LTL or truckload, when it comes to palletizing your shipments, everyone occasionally gets it wrong.

Not paying attention to important palletizing details when you're preparing a shipment for transport can cause any number of unnecessary problems. Worst case scenario, you can wind up with damaged product, costing your company time, money and your most prized possession, your company’s reputation. You can also experience longer loading and unloading times, as well as creating underutilized trailer space. Getting it right is important, and even though the process is becoming more automated every year, most shipments still are prepared manually.

The latest trends and shifts affecting the transportation/freight market

After coming down off the bull market of 2018 when unparalleled economic growth resulted in record-high rates and short capacity, January may have been a disappointment for some. Lower than last year's record success, the manufacturing sector is experiencing a steady 3% growth rate, year-over-year at present. That might sound disheartening, but keep in mind, this is the traditional “slow" time of the freight year and it is still growth. If you’re worried about our economy, take notice of other countries, like Europe, who are seeing a much more drastic decline in economic prosperity with Brexit looming and tariffs of their own to worry about. The truth is, the whole global economy is slowing down.

We all want to save money, right?  So how do we do that in the world of transportation and logistics?  A shipper probably feels like they are exercising his or her due diligence by getting rates from several 3PLs for their shipment. Then, by comparing prices and choosing the one that has given them the best service and best rate, they select a 3PL.

Survey confirms rates and capacity as top challenges for shippers, but not this week! 

Choptank Transport - Port and Drayage News

There are roughly 800,000 federal employees being affected by largest and longest government shutdown in history. How, then, are the 360 U.S. ports feeling the effects when there are so many government agencies involved in port activities? Surprisingly there are conflicting reports about the issue.

If there was ever an industry that was the poster child for, “the only thing constant is change,” it’s the logistics industry. In the last two decades, the world of freight management and 3PLs has undergone a transformation that no one could have imagined 20 years ago. What the future holds in the next decade will be both exciting and transformative. 

There are two things you can say about shipping costs; they are consistently inconsistent and they will be rising in the coming year with more people needing more food and more "stuff." As a result, shippers will be on the lookout for new and innovative ways to reduce freight spend in 2019. When it comes to budget planning, cost-savings is at the top of the wish list for 2019 shippers.

Food for thought in the perishable foods supply chain 

From cantaloupes to lettuce, the transport of perishable foods in the U.S. is a hot topic these days, especially for produce. In May we saw one of the most publicized food recalls in the nation's history.  More than 200 people recorded illnesses related to the E. coli virus which was linked to romaine lettuce, with 90 hospitalizations and five people dying as a result.

Cargo theft is a growing problem that impacts nearly every industry. All supply chains are different, and their complexities often permit gaps in security that increase the risk of theft. When theft occurs, it impacts everyone. Suppliers lose money on stolen goods, shippers lose money, and consumers end up paying more for the products that do reach the shelves of their local stores.