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

You take care of your warehouse. You maintain your TMS. You make certain your staff is taken care of. And yet, you may be destroying your most valuable transportation asset; namely your shipping data.... View More

Still today the management of the inbound freight function is one of the most overlooked areas for significant cost reduction in many companies. Some estimates rate inbound freight costs as high as 35%... View More

Finding waste in your supply chain is easy. Removing waste and actually achieving measurable improvement is a bit more challenging. Many companies say they are implementing best practices – but what... View More

Most parcel agreements signed over the past ten years contain some form of revenue-based incentives. UPS calls them Portfolio Tier Incentives. FedEx calls them Earned Discounts. Whatever they are called... View More

There is no question that the parcel industry is facing uncertain times. However, this uncertainty in our logistics environment is nothing compared to that faced by Europe in the early 1800s. In 1812,... View More

Is Packaging That Important? Packaging is an often overlooked aspect of total transportation cost management. The balance between labor, packaging material cost and transportation cost is unique for each... View More