Articles
Viewpoint: Logistics & Supply Chain Analysis
Preventing Another Supply Chain Groundhog Day
Rising prices, long delays, and mounting backlogs are factors reminiscent of the 2020 shipping crisis. But businesses still experience some of the same challenges, which are, unfortunately, tracking well ahead of where we were during the pandemic. It’s imperative that we prevent another supply chain Groundhog Day.
Read MoreThe Independent Contractors Rule Raises More Questions than Answers
Employee or independent contractor? The answer to that question under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) relies in great part on the Department of Labor rule on evaluating the relationship. That rule changes yet again on March 11, 2024.
Read MoreDark Data Illuminates the Supply Chain
In the sprawling cosmos of logistics and transportation, there’s a vast, uncharted territory: dark data. This term refers to the untapped, unprocessed information that fleets, freight systems, and supply chains generate but never use. Think of it as the digital equivalent of dark matter in the universe—invisible, yet its potential gravity can pull industries into a new era of enlightenment.
Read MoreAsset Management is Everyone’s Job
When it comes to keeping the supply chain as efficient as possible, asset management is a vital priority that mustn’t be overlooked. Keeping careful track not only of goods, but of the shipping containers and platforms needed to transport these goods, should be everyone’s responsibility.
Read MoreRail Must Prioritize Safety Over Profits
Since the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, the full impact of the devastation to that community is yet to be seen. Although more than 1,000 derailments happen each year, it’s unacceptable that they are considered a simple cost of doing business. Our communities and the industries that rely on railroads to carry their products need and expect the rail industry to do better.
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FMCSA – Safety Is in Your Name. Stay in Your Lane.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s decision to further regulate freight rates, building upon a piece of 1980s regulation that requires brokers to share a copy of the pricing for each transaction with their carriers, is anti-free market and anti-business—and does nothing to solve real problems that impact everyone from carriers to consumers.
Read MoreCollaboration and Connectivity Have to Come Before Technology
Supply chain disruptions are at an all-time high, so it’s no surprise that technology designed to solve problems is plentiful. It should be. With pressure on everyone in the supply chain, we need tools like digital bookings, automated invoicing, and instant integration of data into transportation management systems. Let’s give thanks for technology, because nine times out of 10, it makes a difference.
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Resolving the Driver Retention Crisis
While the trucking industry has been put under further pressure by current supply chain issues, the real problem started long before the pandemic. Driver shortages were being felt as far back as 2005, according to a 2019 American Trucking Associations report.
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The Evolution of Container Chassis Provisioning
When Malcom McLean introduced the world to container shipping in 1956, it not only touched off a seismic shift in the way cargo was handled but also the equipment and infrastructure needed to support containerized operations.
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We Need More Than Overtime Pay to Fix the Driver Shortage
Transportation logistics faces a conundrum. The U.S. commercial trucking industry is the foundation of our economy, yet it consistently struggles to recruit and retain drivers.
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