Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 8. KPIs and Reports

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 8. KPIs and Reports

9 years ago

Throughout this series of blogs, the focus has been on how Best in Class shippers ensure their freight is delivered at the right place, at the right time and intact. The beauty of freight management is that so much about transportation is measurable. Over the years we have observed how Best in Class shippers pull […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 7. Strategy

9 years ago

Success in business comes from crafting and executing effective business strategies. The attainment of strong financial performance comes from integrating and aligning the various strategies of the business into a cohesive force. A company’s supply chain strategy, of which transportation strategy is a key component, is often a critical piece of the company’s business strategy. […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 6. Technology

9 years ago

The previous blog focused on some of the core freight management processes that are part of a company’s supply chain. For many years, prior to the age of computers and tablets, these processes were performed with manual procedures, calculators and spreadsheets. Some companies still use spreadsheets to manage a few or all of these processes. […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 5. Process

9 years ago

One can view a supply chain as a series of processes. From inbound freight management, the process of picking up raw materials, to last mile delivery, freight management is a group of practices and procedures that, when performed well, are seamlessly integrated to ensure a company’s goods, arrive on time, at the right place, damage […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 3. Leadership

9 years ago

It takes leadership and management skill to become a Best in Class shipper. One question many companies face is where should Transportation fit within the company’s organization structure? Clearly one size does not fit all since manufacturers may have freight budgets ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to tens of millions of dollars. The […]

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Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 2. Knowledge

9 years ago

Best in Class shippers possess an understanding of the following subjects.  Modal options and trade-offs (e.g. Air, Road, Rail, Marine)  Carrier selection and management in each mode of transport  Routing guide preparation and compliance tracking  Best practices in border crossing and border security (e.g. C-TPAT, AMPS)  Freight rates and freight […]

Becoming a Best in Class Shipper – 1. Freight Data Management

9 years ago

Best in Class shippers have high quality, granular, historical freight data. They capture clean, accurate, complete data on all of their inbound, outbound and inter-branch transfers, across all modes. The most fundamental building blocks are the individual boxes, parcels, envelopes, cartons, drums or pallets. Capturing this data correctly and completely allows a shipper to address […]

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 […]

Freight Bid Tip # 5. Conduct Multiple Rounds of Bidding

9 years ago

The objective of a freight bid project is to secure a range of carriers and logistics service providers that are best able to supply a shipper with the service (e.g. transit times, customer service, shipment tracking information), capacity (e.g. drivers, tractors, trailers, straight trucks) and pricing to ensure the company has a competitive advantage […]

The Current State of the LTL Freight Industry

10 years ago

During the Great Recession, the LTL freight industry experienced a “near death” experience as declining freight volumes, excess capacity and falling rates conspired to dramatically reduce revenues and profits. The LTL market shrank from more than $33 billion U.S. at the peak in 2006 to $25.2 billion at the recession’s trough in 2009. As we […]