Articles
Thought Leaders
How Collaboration and Technology Create Efficiencies for SMB’s
One of the things people are starting to realize is that relationships and collaboration matter. Many shippers have long viewed their relationships with their transportation providers as tactical rather than strategic, and they’re the ones suffering the most with today’s supply chain challenges. Simply taking the time to develop meaningful and long-term relationships can eliminate […]
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Hub Group’s Leading Supply Chain Solutions Facilitated Clear Sailing During 2021-2022 Port Congestion
This past year presented extreme challenges for the supply chain. By providing the industry’s leading supply chain solutions for more than 50 years, Hub Group supported its customers by leveraging experience in strategic planning across the supply chain, tailored solutions, dependable capacity, and advanced visibility. Q. These past two years were some of the most […]
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Optimizing Multimodal Shipping with a One-Stop Solution
Q. What does multimodal shipping look like in 2022? A. Historically, companies have relied on third-party freight brokers to handle complex shipments that include multiple modes, geographies, and freight characteristics. Planning and executing these shipments requires careful planning and coordination with various transportation providers for efficient freight hand-off. Industry experts agree that multimodal transport can […]
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Is the Dynamic Unified Logical Data Model the Silver Bullet for Disruptions?
Q. Enterprises that are transforming their supply chain are slow to change. What roadblocks are impeding their efforts? A. Our supply chains of today were designed decades ago to achieve data uniformity across the supply chain ecosystems and not to deal with unwarranted supply chain disruptions. All SCM apps are designed for specific business functions […]
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Why Expedited Is Not a Four-Letter Word
Q. Why is it more important than ever to establish a relationship with an expedited carrier? A. In today’s volatile transportation environment, capacity is king. As a result, securing TL or reliable LTL capacity comes at a significant cost. Even when a shipper is prepared to pay a premium, there is a lingering fear their […]
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Strengthening Omnichannel Capability to Address Fundamental Shifts in Consumer Behavior
Q. What have the past few years revealed about consumer trends? A. With the rise of e-commerce came the demand for next-day or same-day shipping with a catch—no added cost. Consumers crave the instant gratification they would have experienced from going to the store, without leaving their house, and as large online retailers began offering […]
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Right-Sizing and Leveraging Fulfillment Automation
Q. How can right-sizing automation addresslabor shortages? Does it lead to increased employee engagement? A. Automation, when correctly applied, should have two benefits: performing tasks with fewer people, and increasing the value of (remaining) employee tasks. Consider automation as a tool, doing the heavy lifting with repetitive tasks and the heavy thinking that goes into […]
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Reducing Small Parcel Shipping Costs: Here’s Where to Begin
Q. The cost of shipping small parcels is constantly increasing, so how can I reduce and control these expenses more easily? A. Global supply chains are still being impacted by COVID-19, and will likely remain volatile for the foreseeable future. Unprecedented volume is also a huge contributor to these costs. According to Statista.com, the global […]
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DDC Sync Q&A: Supply Chain Efficiency Through Smart In-Cab BOL Capture
Q. DDC FPO just launched DDC Sync, which leverages intelligent automated capture. Why? How can companies gain supply chain efficiencies by automating data capture? A. We’ve been in this industry working with a large portion of leading motor carriers for a long time. One of the common, recurring challenges that we are always helping our […]
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Parcel Is a Crucial Value-Add in the Evolution of the TMS
The growing requirements and demands placed on shippers and logistics service providers have pushed transportation management systems to become more agile and able to support greater service levels and cover multiple modes—especially parcel. Q. Why is parcel gaining attention now? A. Shippers and LSPs want to streamline connectivity and communications with their parcel providers. Accurate […]
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Choose a 3PL with a Culture and Vision that Match Your Own
Transportation has often been considered a commodity. Equipment, fuel, software, and wages are all very similar from a cost perspective. A 3PL’s culture can be a competitive advantage. Q: Why does culture matter? A: Today, cost is just one of many factors to consider when selecting a 3PL. A low-cost provider may produce short-term savings […]
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Making Decisions and Adapting Warehouse Operations with WMS + MES
Q. How does adaptability in warehouse operations allow for a quick response to consumption changes? A. In the past two years the way consumers shop has changed. We witnessed 10 years’ worth of e-commerce growth in 3 months. It also caused a drastic change in consumption patterns where some products saw a 75-85% increase in […]
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Reframing Reverse Logistics: Better Business, Better World
Q: How can reverse logistics help provide a balance between profit maximization and sustainability? A: The moment a product reaches its buyer, the job of the forward supply chain is done. Everything after that point,including aftersales service, warranty management, defective repairs, spare parts management, returns bring-back—as well as the associated transportation, liquidation/disposition including recycling, and […]
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White Glove Services: When It’s Time to Call In a Specialist
Q: When and why would someone need a special commodities carrier? A: Special commodities carriers are experts at performing complex, often delicate, moves that most freight carriers would not typically handle. Customers that utilize special commodities carriers expect an extra level of care, professionalism, and quality of service. Special commodities carriers are selected when the transport […]
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Technology Can Supercharge Your Supply Chain, Here’s Where to Start
Q: What are the most important technology trends in the supply chain? A: With the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting global supply chains, real-time product and shipment visibility has become paramount to disruption planning and customer expectations. According to the most recent Gartner study, "By 2023, 50% of enterprises will have invested in a real-time transportation […]
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Adopt an Integrated TMS to Tackle Supply Chain Complexity
Q: Why should I consider a transportation management system (TMS) now? A: Rates and capacity in all modes will be volatile for months to come. Without the ability to manage rates and carriers, you’ll likely pay more for shipping than you should. Manual tracking or relying on forwarders, brokers, or carriers for updates means you’ll […]
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Supply Chain Continuous Improvement Requires Collaboration, Trust, and Tolerance for Failure
Q: How can a 3PL affect continuous improvement of their partners’ supply chains? A: Ruan’s approach to effective continuous improvement (CI) is centered around creating value within our partners’ businesses. CI begins with a clear understanding of each unique supply chain and baseline performance measures. Although tools and techniques vary, the first steps involve analyzing […]
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Deploy a Robotics-Driven Fulfillment Solution to Reach Peak Productivity
Q: 3PLs and retailers are planning for volume surges ahead of peak season. What is driving this? A: This peak season, as consumers regain financial confidence, e-commerce is expected to exceed a level of volume that exacerbated the supply chain the previous year. Warehouses are already experiencing painful labor challenges including high turnover and shortages […]
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Reducing Inbound Freight Costs and Improving Accounting
Q: How can our company account for inbound freight costs on our month-end accrual reports? We prefer to route our own freight and use our own third-party carriers for these collect orders. A: Unfortunately, you are experiencing an industry-wide issue. Pre-rating based on purchase order information can pose a real risk. Your purchase order may […]
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Rail Transportation: What Shippers Need to Focus On
Q: How have the recent rail mergers changed the rail landscape for shippers? A: Shippers have been averse to rail mergers due to concerns of a reduction in competition, imposed routing limitations, and an increase in service disruptions. The two most recent mergers between the CSXT-Pan Am Railway and Canadian National-Kansas City Southern are still […]
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