Carrier capacity constraints, looming labor disruptions, shifting consumer behaviors, and shuttered carrier facilities are just a sampling of the hurdles parcel supply chains have had to navig... View More
In e-commerce, where every dollar counts and efficiency is king, lies a battleground of logistics. The art of moving goods from warehouse to doorstep is the story of survival, told in the margins of p
When I joined the supply chain field in 2021, there were whispers that Amazon would be entering the parcel shipping market as a carrier. This was greatly felt by my clients, who are retail and p... View More
In the middle of 2022, the US parcel market began shifting in shippers’ favor. While it took a while to make up the ground lost in 2020/2021, savings started to become a possibility, even a li... View More
As we turn the page into a new year, we often find ourselves filled with ambition to take on new challenges. While many are setting personal home, work, and fitness goals we often find ourselv... View More
Every year, parcel carriers announce a general rate increase where they cite an average increase in their rates. For 2024, UPS and FedEx announced a 5.9% average increase. In the parcel indust... View More
In the wake of the recent GRIs implemented by both UPS and FedEx, with a 5.9% increase, it's crucial for shippers to reevaluate their budget assumptions. Despite any preconceived notions of being pre... View More
Amazon is finally throwing its hat into the ring of carriers. Industry experts have long speculated the company would one day compete with FedEx and UPS - myself included, with a few article... View More
Editor's Note: This article was written in fall of 2023, but even though this most recent peak season is now over, we still thought this article from our November/December issue should be share... View More
During the course of my career, an uncomfortable conversation has occurred again and again. It is one most shippers know all too well. That conversation is one which historically occurred wit... View More
If you ship all your packages with one carrier, you are a single-sourcer. Single-sourcing isn’t necessarily bad, especially as a new company. It’s easy to process packages and it... View More
The last three years have been a rollercoaster in our industry, with higher demand and costs than we have ever seen. So where are we now, and where are we going with parcel costs in the future... View More
Consumers today want whatever they want whenever they want it. The demand for instant gratification has seeped into every corner of our lives, especially e-commerce, with 97% of shoppers calli... View More
During the 2022 peak holiday season, FedEx’s on-time delivery fell through the floor. It was a crazy time with nonexistent capacity and overwhelming demands on parcel carriers. Still, FedEx... View More
UPS has released high-level guidance that its 2024 General Rate Increase will mirror FedEx’s announcement at a 5.9% overall increase in rates. But, as always, the devil is in the de... View More
FedEx has announced an average General Rate Increase (GRI) of 5.9% that will go into effect January 1, 2024. The increases are generally softer than in 2023 (for reasons we’ll explain) but f... View More
As e-commerce surged and parcel excess capacity dried up in mid-late 2021 shippers the focus of many shippers shifted. For years, the primary goal, in many cases the only goal, of carrier nego... View More
Back in 2021, FedEx initiated a key change to its market strategy by rebranding FedEx SmartPost as FedEx Ground Economy. Effectively, this decision resulted in a complete network redesign –... View More
Most shippers understand the potential disruption an August 1 Teamsters strike at UPS would cause to their business, the economy, and UPS as a company. But have you considered the po... View More
In 2023, shippers are acutely aware of the annual rate increases by the prominent carriers. Additionally, the escalating labor negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters have also caught their... View More
