Despite the pre-eminence of UPS, FedEx, and USPS, regional carriers can play a substantial role in maximizing the efficiency of a small-parcel supply chain. Sourcing relationships with these carriers... View More
Do you feel as though your workday is consumed by always putting out fires? Some people thrive on this kind of environment (and more power to them), but most of us will eventually get tired of t... View More
In this installment of PARCEL Counsel, we will explore how the enforcement of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Hours of Service (HOS) regulations through the Electroni... View More
Retailers are aggressively implementing omnichannel shipping strategies to fulfill orders from inventory located in closer proximity to their customers. They are shipping from fulfillment center... View More
Supply chain automation as a strategy to keep up with consumer demand and reduce costs is no new concept. What is new, however, is the accessibility of the latest generation of robotics and auto... View More
As they do every year, USPS and all the major shipping carriers have rolled out rate increases and process changes for 2019. But in the case of USPS, this year’s changes are more aggressive th... View More
The cost of the last mile for e-commerce service is a big obstacle. Some estimates show that up to 28% of the total cost of delivering goods reflects the last-mile delivery expense. However, whe... View More
Shippers need to monitor and negotiate more than just the base price of their FedEx shipping.Just as airline or car rental fees increase the ticket or rental base price, FedEx surcharges substantially
Your customers are expecting faster and faster delivery times each year, all while you are trying to cut costs, so network changes are often needed to increase shipping performance. Adding a dis... View More
Dimensional weight (also referred to as DIM weight, volumetric weight, or cubed weight) is the relationship of shipping box size to actual weight of the unit. Shipment pricing based on dimension... View More
The growing influence of Amazon is sending a ripple effect through e-commerce, impacting customer expectations and leaving merchants and warehouses scrambling for ways to keep up. With this chan... View More
Parcel auditing is a necessary task for shippers in today’s rapidly growing parcel market. It ensures that shippers pay the correct amount for their shipments, determines whether their shipmen... View More
When I succeeded my colleague, William J. Augello, as author of this column in 2007, I knew the column would be about transportation law. However, it was not until a few years ago that I realized exac
Warehouse optimization is all about making your operation as efficient, productive, and profitable as possible — in other words, doing more with less to increase your bottom line... View More
Due to the increasing complexity of ground parcel shipping rates, it’s quite possible that many shippers may not be aware of the potential surcharges to which their packages are being subjected.... View More
The first of the year is an excellent time to take stock of your operation and evaluate some changes that need to be made or identify some improvements that can enhance your throughput. Many tak... View More
2018 was a record year for 3PLs but a tough year for shippers. The 3PLs were the beneficiaries of a perfect storm in the trucking market, driven mainly by the enforcement of the electronic loggi... View More
In 2017, Americans gave retailers their best holiday season in over five years. According to a sales report issued by Mastercard SpendingPulse, US year-end holiday retail sales rose 4.9% compare... View More
I recently watched an interesting YouTube video that basically mapped out the history of the universe using a simple chronological chart with milestones ranging from the birth of the Milky Way a... View More
There is zero doubt that the e-commerce market will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. According to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse report, retail sales grew 5.1% year-over-year to $850 b... View More
For companies operating in US Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs), the first several weeks after the Supreme Court’s striking down of the International Emergency Economi
The small parcel market is not simply evolving; it is reorganizing around a different set of priorities. For decades, national carriers focused on maximizing volume, expanding networks, and ca
Amazon’s less-than-truckload freight now ships to any type of destination and serves businesses of all sizes, following strong demand from Amazon selling partners and vendors
The terms of sale used for transactions within the United States have wide spread recognition, however, these terms are not defined in a single source. “F.O.B. Origin” and “F.O.B. Destination”
Once defined by linear processes and disconnected systems, supply chains are becoming dynamic networks that respond in real-time to demand signals, labor constraints, and customer expectations
