New Juniper Research has shared interesting insight on the current and future state of e-commerce: global online retail sales are estimated to reach $1.7 trillion by the end of 2015, which is 17% higher than 2014’s total. Among the factors that propel e-commerce growth are public Wi-Fi deployment, 4G and LTE rollouts, and social media’s trend of “buy” buttons.

Shippers can’t rely solely on attracting drivers and carriers by paying higher rates during the capacity crunch. Carriers have the privilege to choose which shippers to work with, based on facilities, dependable schedules and flexible contracts. A shipper might assume they’ve proposed an attractive freight rate, but if the facility doesn’t provide restrooms and parking lots for the drivers, it might be more difficult to secure space for your shipments.

Because of low oil prices, fuel surcharges are relatively low, which helps ease the cost of transportation for shippers. Current carrier pricing is better than it has been in years, but this trend won’t last.

Carriers are selective about what freight they haul. They’re taking steps to ensure equipment and personnel are utilized to maximum potential. Due to a lack of drivers, capacity is shrinking and it’s harder for carriers to haul the large amounts of freight that they used to.

Fuel Price: Impact on Logistics The oil prices, mainly due to increased output from North American fracking, has dropped significantly in the past few months. Oil affects just about every industry in the US economy, especially freight transportation.

Here is a quick summary of some of the most talked about transportation, supply chain and logistics topics from September 2015:

The supply chain is always moving and prone to disruptions, which can make consistent delivery difficult. You want customers to trust that you’ll meet their expectations, but disruptions are often out of a company’s control. Your customer won’t care what the problem is; they will only view delays as poor service.

New technological advancements, changes in regulations and shifting shipping trends have made the transportation industry an exciting, and often challenging, environment to work in. Truck drivers especially are noticing new trends in the industry – from same-day delivery expectations to automated vehicles and a proposal to lower the age minimum of drivers.

In July 2013, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented some significant changes to the way drivers record their hours on duty. The 3 main changes included were:

Truck drivers are one of the most important, yet unappreciated professionals in the US. The job isn’t easy – it’s full of risks and challenges. Truck drivers deliver about 70% of all freight in the U.S. — they provide life’s essentials. Almost 80% of US communities depend solely on the trucking industry for the delivery of goods. Without drivers, there would be no food at the supermarket, no medicine in the hospitals, and no fuel at the gas station.

If your business is interested in increasing visibility, improving performance and reducing spend, then TMS technology is the tool you need. TMS software offers an assortment of benefits, including better management, simple monitoring, aggregated data, and stress-free integration. By improving freight management, scheduling, operations, and reporting, this technology provides superior customer service, flexibility and intelligence.

Environmentally-friendly business processes are good for the bottom line and the ecosystem. While most companies have stepped up to keep customers educated on their green initiatives, many have yet to expand those efforts throughout the supply chain. Using a 3PL for supply chain management can be very beneficial to companies.

Shippers everywhere have faced limited capacity because of the driver shortage and shrinking numbers of trucks in the industry. These shippers must discover effective ways to handle transportation with limited resources. A shipper can learn how to be carrier-friendly or spend time searching for the cheapest freight rates, but they can also take advantage of continuous moves. Combining backhaul freight isn’t a new transportation strategy, and it proves to be cost-effective and time-saving.