As Fuel Surcharges Decline, Shippers Should Not Be Complacent in Managing Freight Costs

10 years ago

Here are few statistics to consider. On June 27, 2014 a barrel of crude oil cost $107.26 U.S. On the same date, a gallon of diesel fuel cost $3.91 in the U.S. or $1.35 per liter in Canada. The cross-border (Canada/U.S.) fuel surcharge was 20.1 percent on LTL, 47 percent on truckload. Last week, the […]

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As Freight Rates Go Up, an RFP is still one of the Best Ways to Control Freight Costs

10 years ago

This year, all signs point to rising freight rates. With driver shortages across North America, driver wages are on the rise. On an almost daily basis, there are reports of trucking companies offering signing bonuses and pay for performance (productivity) packages to attract more drivers (at a higher cost) to their firms. Capacity shortages, government […]

What Can Shippers Do to Mitigate the Upcoming Freight Rate Increases?

11 years ago

Freight rate increases are coming this year. The economy is on the upswing. Truck capacity is tightening as driver shortages, government regulations, cost overruns from a very challenging winter and carrier financial prudence all push freight rates in one direction – – – higher What can shippers do to mitigate the impact? A lot. Here […]

The Top Freight Transportation Stories of 2013

11 years ago

As the year 2013 winds down, it is time to reflect on the major transportation trends of the past year. While I saw and read about a wide range of developments, these are the ones that resonated most with me. 1.Technology Comes to Freight Transportation Last year I predicted that we would see a flurry […]

Shipper-Carrier Collaboration – How do you make the RFP Process work for Both Parties?

12 years ago

The subject of Shipper-Carrier Collaboration and Freight Bids came up in at least three tracks at this week’s Supply Chain Canada Annual Conference, presented by SCL and Canadian Industrial Transportation Association. The subject was discussed at length during a panel discussion entitled, “Shipper-Trucker Relations” led by Lou Smyrlis, Editorial Director, Transportation Media, Business Information Group. […]

U.S. and Canadian Governments Provide Resources and Incentives to Operate an Energy-Efficient Fleet

12 years ago

Trucking is a $37-billion industry in Canada. The U.S. trucking industry is about ten times the size of Canada’s trucking industry. In 1998, almost half of the industry’s registered trucks in Canada were heavy-duty vehicles weighing more than 15 000 kg (33 000 lbs.) in gross vehicle weight (GVW). They were used primarily to transport […]

Have you looked at Deferred Packaging and Transloading as a way to Reduce Freight Costs?

12 years ago

An article in the February 11 issue of Bloomberg BusinessWeek caught my eye and got me thinking about another way of reducing freight costs. Here is the idea. Hardys became Britain’s best-selling Australian wine brand by selling wine for as little as $5 a bottle, despite the 37 percent surge in the home country’s currency […]