Managing Inbound Transportation – Part 2 – Action Steps to Save Money on Freight

Managing Inbound Transportation – Part 2 – Action Steps to Save Money on Freight

8 years ago

The first blog in this series looked at the money saving opportunities for organizations that take control of Inbound Transportation. This blog will outline a series of steps that need to be taken to make this happen. A Commitment to Act In the last blog, it was highlighted that some vendors place a mark-up on […]

Managing Inbound Freight Transportation – Part 1 – Identify the Cost Savings Opportunities

8 years ago

Managing Inbound Freight is often overlooked or not optimally managed as an opportunity for cost savings in many companies. This is a conclusion we have come to after working with a range of companies and industries over the past 13 years. When we are invited to meet with a manufacturer or distributor of freight, the […]

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In this Period of Declining Freight Rates, Shippers need to be Smart, not Greedy

8 years ago

During this period of modest economic growth and ample capacity, freight rates have been in decline. This is confirmed by the various market indices that track freight rates. Lower energy prices that have translated in lower fuel surcharges have also helped keep freight rates in check. The data also indicates that some shippers are […]

Understanding the Canadian Freight Market – Part 3 – Intra-Canada Freight Transportation

8 years ago

This blog will focus on road and rail transportation within Canada; the next blog will look at cross-border freight transportation. Rail Transportation As outlined in the first blog in this series, Canada is large land mass with limited population. As a result, Canada’s two class 1 railways, along with the country’s short line carriers, play […]

Freight Management is a Team Sport

9 years ago

Freight costs represent between two and five percent of revenue in many manufacturers and distributors. They are typically the single largest supply chain expense. When transportation costs begin to escalate, the Transportation department and the Transportation leader can become the “whipping boys” for senior management. Over the years, we have observed that the companies that […]

Creating an Effective Shipper – Motor Carrier Freight Agreement – Part 1

9 years ago

Further to the last blog, a well written motor carrier agreement can be a powerful tool in promoting partnerships between shippers and freight companies. Listed below are some of the major components of a comprehensive contract. 1. Parties to the Agreement The document must clearly identify the parties to the agreement, including the use of […]

It’s all in the Numbers – Part 2 – Action Steps that Shippers can take to Reduce Freight Costs

9 years ago

In the last blog, I highlighted some of the opportunities that shippers miss out on to save money on freight when they don’t manage their freight spend data effectively. What steps can a shipper take to correct this situation? Here is a partial list. • Utilize a Transportation Management (TMS) System. TMS systems have changed […]

It is all in the Numbers – Part 1 – Manage your Freight Spend Data to Improve Your Bottom Line

9 years ago

A company’s freight costs often represents between two and ten percent of total revenues. For many companies in the manufacturing, distribution and retail sectors, their freight spend has a direct impact on their bottom lines. Nine years ago I wrote a blog with the title above. In that blog, I identified one of the consistent […]

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Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 10. Operational Excellence

9 years ago

Some companies have strong leaders with good strategies and good systems. Unfortunately, they don’t put the pieces together and therefore deliver less than stellar freight management results. In other words, the execution isn’t there. Projects are identified but they don’t produce the desired results. Some companies seem to adopt a “flavour” or “mission” of the […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 9. Carrier Friendly

9 years ago

As we all know, freight capacity throughout North America is tightening. A shortage of drivers, new government regulations and rising fleet costs are making it increasingly challenging for trucking companies to operate their fleets. As a result, carriers are being selective in terms of the shippers for whom they will offer their fleet capacity. Smart […]