The New Economic Paradigm of Freight Transportation

The New Economic Paradigm of Freight Transportation

9 years ago

As we approach 2016, there are a number of forces that are shaping the economics of Freight Transportation. Here are a few to consider. The US Economy and the US Dollar The US economy is providing a number of mixed signals in December of 2015. Unemployment is at only five percent. Economic growth, while sluggish, […]

The Top Surface Transportation Stories of 2015

9 years ago

The past year started with some solid tailwinds as the economies of the United States and Canada appeared to be in a growth mode. Then a number of unexpected events took place that changed the trajectory of the year. Here is our synopsis of the major freight transportation stories of 2015. The Collapse in Energy […]

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 […]

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Freight Carriers – How to Achieve Success with Freight Bids – Part 1

9 years ago

Freight Bids or Freight RFPs have been around for over two decades. Every year we hear comments about their imminent demise. Unfortunately for many motor carriers, this is wishful thinking. While these exercises are often detested by freight companies, they are popular with shippers across North America. Why? When well done, they provide the […]

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 […]

The 2015 Surface Transportation Summit is just a few weeks away

9 years ago

The 2015 Surface Transportation Summit (www.surfacetransportationsummit.com) will be held at the Mississauga Convention Centre on October 14. We are delighted to report that the event has a new partner, the Freight Management Association of Canada. Here is an overview of the day. The one day event will be kicked off with a […]

Dan’s Transportation Newspaper

9 years ago

Many of us receive information from multiple news sources on a daily basis. You may start your day with the morning newspaper in hard copy or on your iPad or Surface. If you are in the transportation industry, you are likely receiving trade magazines in hard copy and/or digital form, news feeds and white papers […]

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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 […]