March 21, 2017

Here’s How Grocery Retailers Can Reel in Millennial Shoppers

Grocery retailers spend hours, days, and even months trying to differentiate their brand and make themselves the consumer’s go-to store. In an industry that touches almost every target market, this can be tough.

March 16, 2017

8 Things to Know if You’ve Never Worked with a Freight Broker

A substantial amount of over-the-road freight transportation is handled by freight brokers. A freight broker is a person or company that brings together a shipper (with freight to move) and a qualified carrier (who has the capacity to move the freight).

March 14, 2017

Market Update: Secure Capacity with These 3 Tips

Shippers are expecting higher rates and less capacity this year, so many are trying to lock in contract rates and secure trucks before the spike. Carriers have been hammered by low fuel prices, strict regulations, and rising equipment costs.

March 9, 2017

3 Global Supply Chain Issues Affecting Your Bottom Line

Large and even medium-sized, companies that are strictly domestic are becoming increasingly less common. Today, the clear majority of enterprise-class companies are global because the benefits of low-cost sourcing into other countries and selling into new foreign markets cannot be passed up.

March 7, 2017

Consider This When Choosing Your Next DC Location

When a company outDistribution_Center.jpggrows its distribution capacity, it expands by opening a new distribution center (DC). The best approach to choosing your new DC location is to evaluate your entire logistics strategy.

March 2, 2017

Everything You Need to Know: Spot Market Freight

Have you ever wondered about how the product you buy from a store ended up there? The complexities of a supply chain and the steps for moving freight to its end location are often overlooked. But, for manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers, logistics is a top priority to business operations. Accurately planning for efficient transportation routes and potential delays comes with many challenges, which is why many shippers turn to a freight broker to ship goods.

February 28, 2017

Trending Transportation Updates: February 2017

“Trucking Futures Exchange” Could Launch This Summer: DAT Solutions and Transvix have teamed up to create a futures exchange that will allow trucking companies, 3PL’s, and shippers to better combat spot market rate uncertainty. The Exchange would use a similar process to the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. Futures contracts will be bought and sold on commodities like fuel, oil, or grain. (Read more: The Interrelated Issues Facing the Trucking Industry)

February 23, 2017

Market Update: More Than Half of Shippers Look for Alternative Modes

The 2017 Capgemini Third-Party Logistics Study revealed that 3PLs and shippers are moving toward more meaningful relationships, where shippers rely on 3PLs to provide advanced solutions and real competitive advantages. One trend that emerged in the study is the shift from shippers using single-mode providers to using flexible solutions to utilize the most cost-effective method of moving freight.

February 21, 2017

5 Secrets to Master Supply Chain Visibility

The 3 main goals of supply chain visibility are 1) to reduce business and supply chain threats, 2) to improve performance and service, 3) and to identify inefficiencies and opportunities in the supply chain.

February 16, 2017

State of the Market: 3PL Relationships Focus on Adding Value

In the past, shippers and their third-party logistics providers stuck to a uniformly transactional relationship. This relationship was one of utility for both parties and lacked any true value or longevity.

February 14, 2017

Shipper Strategy: Flower Demand and Reefer Rates

Demand for reefers is not only seasonal but regional.Reefer.jpg In late November 2016, reefer load and truck posts rebounded after the Thanksgiving holiday. Load posts jumped 49%, yielding a 36% increase in the load-to-truck ratio. That’s the highest reefer ratio since March 2015. Then, in January 2017, reefer load posts dropped 9%, compared to December 2016. From January 29 to February 4, DAT Trendlines show that reefer load posts dipped 5%, and the national average reefer rate fell 6 cents to $1.91 per mile to accommodate the loss in demand.

February 9, 2017

Data-Driven Decisions Rule the Modern Supply Chain

data-driven supply chainShifting capacity, increased shipper demands, and unpredictable disruptions make informed decision-making a top priority for logistics professionals. For shippers trying to optimize the supply chain, efficiency is the number one priority, and analytics drives results.

February 7, 2017

Can Shippers Beat This Year’s Capacity Crunch?

From 2015 to 2016, freight declined hurriedly, by as much as 15% in the dry van sector. In 2016, freight volume and rates began to rise and shippers had a consistent capacity. Freight demand was strong at the end of 2016; the DAT Freight Index revealed that spot market demand increased for 6 straight months, from June-December 2016. This year, analysts are predicting less capacity, steady freight volume, and rising rates.

February 2, 2017

Automakers Succeed with Lean and Resilient Supply Chains

The automotive industry has a lot of moving parts and experiences ebb and flows as demand and economic conditions shift. Most US automakers outperformed December expectations, selling 17.55 million new vehicles, ending 2016 on a high note. In 2015, US markets set a sales record of just under 17.5 million vehicles, up 5.7% from the year before.

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