Parcel shippers, be forewarned. Recent modifications to United Parcel Service (UPS) contracts can potentially increase shippers’ costs significantly. If you are like most shippers, you’ve negotiated... View More
What better time than the summer to consider a six pack? No, I’m not talking about your mid-section, but the top six considerations for investigating a packing application. For the purposes of this... View More
High-volume parcel shippers have used complex and customized automation strategies to help reduce costs in their supply chain for many years. What’s new today is that many of these strategies are... View More
Intro A dollar saved in on parcel shipping costs falls directly to the bottom line. Accurate, timely information about shipments and their costs allows companies to better manage these expenses and improve... View More
Price sheets are promises – invoices are facts. Ever promise to charge your client $15 shipping and end up paying $25 and having to eat the difference? Commercial carriers like UPS and FedEx have... View More
In today's globally outsourced business environment, most of the data that companies need to run their supply chains resides with partners, and typically in the systems of those partners. Cloud platforms... View More
Robert O. Fabrize, doctoral candidate in the Department of Marketing and Logistics at the University of North Texas, and Dr. Martin Theodore (Ted) Farris II, Ph.D., CTL, Professor at the University of... View More
Shippers are often surprised when I suggest setting targets for service providers in transportation sourcing events. Economists refer to this concept as "anchoring". Many, if not most, shippers simply... View More
An important court battle that impacts parcel shippers continues to take shape in US District Court. As reported in Parcel in October 2010 (“FedEx & UPS Policies Regarding Third Party Consultants:... View More
Based on Profit Point’s recent Transportation Survey of industry leaders, 90+% of shippers identify cost, service, and finding adequate transportation capacity as their continuing priorities in... View More
No Free Lunch; No Free Shipping The old adage “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” holds parallels for today’s shipping industry pros. The phrase is generally traced back to... View More
Tompkins Associates has conducted a mid-year checkup on major industry trends that supply chain executives are putting at the top of their strategy lists. “Late last year, we published the Top 11... View More
My first transportation job was as a package car driver in Jamestown New York, in what was called the "down town area". UPS delivered 34 states when I started in 1969. You signed a sheet that had your... View More
Through supply chain visibility technology, it is now possible for companies to view their parcel and freight shipments no matter their locations, and track them in as close to real time as data feeds... View More
Internet retailers are keenly aware that an efficient returns program is a critical factor for maintaining customer loyalty. Quite often a customer’s first visit to an Internet retailer is the result... View More
For carriers to not only become competitive in the small parcel market but also obtain a competitive advantage, the carrier’s capacity to differentiate itself from the competition and adapt to changing... View More
I was recently asked to review three companies that make it simple to sell in foreign markets. In essence, these three companies can help any company market their products to foreign consumers with all... View More
Everybody’s talking about Business Intelligence (BI). So what is it, and how can it help you? In short, BI is using existing data to drive a desirable future outcome. Savvy BI programs know: a) What... View More
At first glance, logistics and Olympic snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis’ infamous gold-medal-losing race may not appear to have much in common. But take away the snow, the global television audience... View More
For anyone who is not closely involved with the shipping industry, it is nearly impossible to know how much goes into the process behind the scenes. As PARCEL readers, however, you are likely to be painfully... View More
