Much has been made of the good and bad changes at FedEx. And rightly so. But it's not like the waters have been calm at the brown giant. Peak Surcharges by Any Other Name . . . Whe... View More

In a developing story, Capitol Forum is reporting that U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is sunsetting the postage reselling program. This program has allowed Pitney Bowes, Stamps.com, and o... View More

To say that the transportation markets are in flux would be a gross understatement. 2020 and the effects of COVID-19 have uncovered gaps in the resiliency of transportation networks across mod... View More

We are living through the most dynamic transportation environment in recent memory. The parcel carriers, in particular, are in a state of flux, with large shifts in service offerings, strategic allian

Well, another peak season is in the books. And while the results aren’t fully quantified yet, there are still some interesting lessons we can draw from the exciting, and often chaotic, experience

The names FedEx and UPS are so ubiquitous in the parcel space that there’s often no room to talk about other options. But other options do exist — potentially valuable options. Regional carr

Ready or not, here’s comes peak. And with peak comes the inevitable concerns about late deliveries and upgraded (and expensive) service levels. Now is the perfect time to examine what lessons... View More

Many shippers we’ve talked to over the last several months have some basic misunderstandings about DIM weighting, and the resulting planning efforts are often leading them down the wrong path. We’ve... View More

Omni-channel is the newest buzzword in the supply chain world. But unlike previous “hot new things,” omni-channel has the potential to deliver on its promise. This article is the first in a... View More

When negotiating a parcel carrier agreement there is an endless number of factors that can be potentially considered and negotiated. To start you will always need to review the discounts on your most commonly... View More

Your operational, administrative, and technical requirements should be driven by, and a reflection of, the identified mission and KPIs of the transportation function. The importance of considering these... View More

If you’re not using technology to select service levels, you may be giving your parcel carriers free money. We regularly see shippers that use Next Day Air, Next Day Air Saver, Priority Overnight... View More

Maybe it’s just a bias I have, but the supply chain and logistics field seems to be a hotbed of innovation at the moment. Every day we see new innovations in process improvement, operational efficiencies,... 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

In last month’s article we talked about the similarities between the parcel carriers’ list rates, rating logic, and accessorials and surcharges. This month we’ll delve into the more recent,... View More

I often hear clients complain about the similarities between UPS’ and FedEx’s rates. Their concern is that UPS and FedEx appear to have colluded to set rates and are somehow conspiring against... View More

To quote Jerry Garcia, what a long, strange trip it's been. 2010 has been a challenging year for shippers for a number of reasons. Costs are up. Demand is down. Shipping managers are being asked to do... View More

Please download the PDF in order to see the referenced charts. On September 29 FedEx released a part of their 2011 General Rate Increase (GRI). To this point FedEx has released information concerning four... View More

Most shippers use WMS/TMS technology in managing their supply chain activities. Most modern WMS/TMS technologies include mode optimization, service level optimization, and even carrier optimization logic.... View More