Rail transportation has historically been cheaper and slower than over-the-road (OTR) transportation. It’s a valuable service for raw materials, freight that is not time-sensitive or freight that is expensive to haul. As OTR costs rise, many shippers look for new opportunities to reduce overall transportation spend, and despite the current rise in rail costs, intermodal is a practical alternative.

Non-Manufacturing Grows for 72nd Straight Month. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that non-manufacturing activity continues to point towards growth. ISM uses the NMI index to measure non-manufacturing growth and found the economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector continued to grow especially in finance/insurance, real estate/rental, agriculture, health care and public administration.

What is resilience in supply chain management? Supply chains are diverse and complex, so are the potential risks that could disrupt them. A good supply chain management strategy invests in resilience. Resilience refers to the time it takes supply chains to predict and avoid risk, as well as respond and recover from costly disruptions. how to supply chain management strategy75% of companies experience at least one major supply chain disruption a year.

Only 23% of companies have a big data strategy, which isn’t surprising, considering there’s an estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created each day. It’s impossible to analyze it all, but leveraging big data in transportation and logistics can enhance operations and elevate the bottom line.

Automated_Trucks.jpgTraffic and population growth create demand for new roads, but most regions don’t have space or money to build new infrastructure. Today’s concerns over infrastructure, traffic congestion, energy use, and safety are being addressed by new transportation-focused technology.

It’s a difficult economy for industrial distributors. Industrial demand is down – in Q4 of 2015, manufacturing orders were down 20% YoY. Amazon’s low prices and convenience make it difficult to compete. The drop in oil prices, cheap imports, and the strong U.S. dollar all affect manufacturing output, which leads to lower revenues for distributors.

Customer demand and connectivity are high, and retailers are struggling to keep up with the competitive omnichannel environment. Supply chains are shifting in order to accommodate the rapidly changing landscape for the way people buy and the way goods are moved.

Shippers are able to manage the challenge of transporting temperature-sensitive goods; from farm produce to fresh flowers, thanks to refrigerated shipping trailers. Refrigerated trailers can remove or pump heat or create a cool environment for products to be transported in. Refrigerated trailers are designed to maintain the pre-cooled cargo temperature. Maintaining the temperature in a refrigerated shipping trailer, or reefer, is necessary in order to not compromise the product. Failing to maintain the proper shipment temperature can result in serious consequences like wasted or damaged products and sunken costs.

Intermodal transportation prepares for a surge in freight volume due to the driver shortage, increased demand, heightened government regulations, environmental issues and the damaged highway infrastructure.

Less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation, inbound and outbound, can be a complex and expensive process for many companies. Moving LTL freight requires a different approach than moving truckload freight. Without the proper technology and manpower in place, it can be difficult to know where to start implementing cost-saving strategies, and if those strategies are effective.

Retailers and their suppliers face difficult challenges in today’s economy. Consumers are more demanding than ever, and mistakes are more damaging than ever. Transportation is a key component in providing superior service levels and satisfying customers, but retailers and suppliers are often unable to effectively collaborate on transportation.

Industrial manufacturers are being hit hard by the current economic conditions. Overall demand for manufacturing is down, profit margins are shrinking and manufacturers are looking for any way to reduce operating costs.

Here’s a recap of transportation news stories throughout the month: Intermodal Decline for First Time Since ’09. Intermodal freight declined in Q4 for the first time since 2009 on a year-over-year basis. In 2015, intermodal accounted for 48% of all rail shipments and increased about 2% for the full year.

Situation A North American producer of refractory bricks and mortars, with a network of over 30 plants and distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Canada, was concerned about their transportation strategy. The company was apprehensive about their total freight spend but didn’t know the best way to reduce costs.