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

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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 […]

Crafting an Effective Intermodal Utilization Strategy

9 years ago

Back in the 90s, I had the privilege of leading Canada’s largest Intermodal Marketing Company. Since that time, I have been a big supporter of this service. In our consulting work with shippers, we are often struck by the fact that this service remains undervalued and underutilized. The purpose of this blog is to challenge […]

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A Lack of Routing Guide Compliance Dooms Many Freight Bid Projects

9 years ago

Many shippers don’t achieve the cost savings they expect from their freight bid exercises. This can happen despite the time, energy and costs that go into these projects. Based on our work with shippers over the past twelve years, these are the main reasons why this happens. A Failure to Provide Full Disclosure of Requirements […]

Managing Accessorial Charges – Part 2

9 years ago

Once you gather the necessary data outlined in the previous blog (http://www.dantranscon.com/index.php/blog?view=entry&id=229 ), it is time to take action. Here is a set of steps to follow to save money on accessorial charges. Set up a cross-functional team As you will realize when you review your research notes, it will often take a number […]

Managing Accessorial Charges – Part 1

9 years ago

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the new pricing processes that LTL (and small parcel) carriers are employing to improve the profitability of their operations. I noted that freight carriers are emulating some of the activities that have been undertaken by the airlines such as dynamic pricing (i.e. adjusting rates based […]

Now is the Time to Conduct your next Freight Bid

9 years ago

As everyone knows, it is very difficult to time the stock market. While we are all aware of the old adage, “buy low and sell high”, in reality, this is not easy to do. When it comes to freight rates, it is sometimes problematic to select the right time to put a company’s freight […]

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 […]

Is your company a Best in Class Shipper? – Find out with a Transportation Audit

9 years ago

Many manufacturers and retailers throughout North America spend millions of dollars a year on freight transportation. Freight costs can represent between 1 and 10 percent of a company’s operating revenue, one of the largest cost items. They are often treated as a necessary evil. From time to time a shipper may try out […]

Final Reflections on Freight Bids

9 years ago

Freight bid projects have become one of the most commonly used methods of sourcing freight transportation services over the past two decades. They have become popular with shippers for obvious reasons. When done well, they produce good results. Manufacturers and distributors can strengthen their supply chains by selecting a dedicated group of professional transportation companies […]