It’s no secret that the U.S. infrastructure is in desperate need of repairs. In fact, there is $2 trillion worth of deferred maintenance in this country in roads, bridges, sewer systems, and water mains. President Obama recently announced the Build America Investment Initiative that will address many of the issues facing America’s infrastructure. Not only will repairs make the roads and bridges safer and more reliable for commuters and commerce, but it will support millions of jobs as well as create new ones.

With the variety of materials being shipped throughout the country every day, you’re bound to run into a problem or two along the way. Knowing how to solve these problems ensures a more efficient shipping process, and more importantly, a healthier bottom line. Here are some tips for freight shipping – commonly asked questions and problems that many shippers and 3PL providers experience on a daily basis.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing a rule to eliminate Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) when a driver does not find any truck defects during a pre- or post-trip inspection (no-defect DVIRs). This comes after a similar rule was put in place in 2012 for Intermodal carriers. The new rule does not include passenger-carrying Commercial Motor Vehicles and does not significantly change any other requirements of inspection, repair, and maintenance rules. Here is a brief executive summary is given by the DOT:

The shortage of truck drivers is getting worse by the day. There are goods not being shipped, trucks left on lots, and qualified drivers leaving the industry for numerous reasons. One report from the ATA states there will need to be 1 million new drivers by 2024 to meet freight demand. The driver shortage is approaching dangerous levels.

Transportation plays a critical role in the economics of oil and gas development, and vice versa. The need to ship Shale Gas creates a high demand for motor freight.

Conflicts in the Middle East, as well as general shortages of petroleum and natural gas, are all factors in the rising cost of gasoline and diesel fuel over the past several years.

Understanding the standard pallet and truck dimensions, namely trucks and vans, can make it easier when a customer has to select a transportation option to best fit their needs.

On June 5th, the United States Senate Appropriations Committee voted 21-9 to suspend the current 34-hour restart provision of the hours of service rule to allow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) time to study its impact.

FedEx and UPS have switched to a dimensional pricing program for ground shipments. This new system specifically applies to packages under 3 cubic feet, as both carriers already use dimensional pricing for packages bigger than 3 cubic feet.

Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce powerhouse who owns two online marketplaces that are larger than Amazon and eBay combined, has just launched a new U.S.-based online marketplace called ‘11 Main.’

Although they are closely connected, transportation and finance often hold opposing views when it comes to transportation costs. While the Finance department mainly focuses on ways to become more profitable, logistics managers are more interested in analyzing their department’s budgets and metrics.

Since the federal deregulation of the transportation industry in the late 1970’s, LTL transportation has morphed from a heavily unionized group of carriers operating in a largely non-competitive environment into a high tech, cost-effective and service-oriented transportation industry.