Supply Chain Optimization

Avoid High-Cost Carriers: Why You Need Transportation Planning

Transportation Planning provides an incredible competitive edge. To quote a VP at a Fortune 50 consumer goods manufacturer: “We deploy, at a premium cost, a product that may not be needed, from sites that may struggle to ship it, to sites that may ...

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Obvious Yes— But It Still Hurts

American Transportation Research reports trucking operating costs = $1.855 per mile, a 12.7% year-over-year increase only slightly offset by a 14.8% decrease in deadhead mileage Trucking companies hired about 73,000 new workers in the 12 months ...

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Congratulations Kimberly-Clark For Being A Finalist For The CSCMP Innovation Award!

Many major shippers suffer high-cost spot freight. And Kimberly-Clark did something about it: Project EARL (Early Tendering and Leveling). AutoO₂ and our sister company’s LevelLoad are the underlying technologies driving the savings. Call Tom Moore ...

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Predictions On Container Rates = Guesses

The contradiction is: Maersk’s CEO sees inflation pushing container rates up faster than 25% to 30%. This is aided by port and rail congestion Spot rates for containers are sometimes not below contract rates. The average rate per 40-foot container ...

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Controversy In Warehousing + Fewer Refineries = Higher Diesel

June 1, 2022 Expect controversy and some great tips from veterans Jeff Potts and yours truly. 15-minute webinar on June 9th. 1 PM CST Registration: https://new.elasticwebcast.com/user/registration/theme_04/index.php?videocast=NDY0. Diesel prices are ...

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Freight Rates Up And Down

May 24, 2022 The good news: The Cass Freight Index declined 0.5% year-over-year in April. The bad news: Petroleum product tanker rates for routes originating in Europe rose to record highs in April 2022. And this is important because of how we ...

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The Fallacy of Transportation Contracts

Most contracts read like this: “We’ll give the carrier x lots per year (maybe), and the carrier will accept some of them if they feel like it.” Sounds like a great basis for a partnership. So, what is happening: Ocean carriers are refusing contract ...

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Diesel $5.509 (A Record) + Amazon Fighting Unions

The second Staten Island Amazon distribution center rejected the union by a factor of 68% to 32% — wait, there is more. Amazon is challenging the other election where the union won by, amongst other things, attacking the NLRB (National Labor ...

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JB Hunt + Addressing Rail Issues

JB Hunt quarterly report: Intermodal (JBI) revenue grew 36%, driven by a 28% increase in revenue per load and complimented by a 7% increase in load volume. Truckload (JBT) and Integrated Capacity Solutions™ (ICS) — aka brokerage — grew revenue by ...

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Unintended Consequences + Diesel $4.849

The unintended consequences of developing Electric Vehicles (EVs) are numerous. Sometimes collateral damage is self-inflicted. Here are examples. The push for Electric Vehicles and “clean” power has the unintended consequence of: Large mines must be ...

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