eyefortransport 3PL Summit likely to answer many questions about the market

Given the uncertain economic environment raising its head in the last few weeks, it looks like now may be a good time to hit the road. And that is exactly what I am doing tomorrow, when I push off to Atlanta for the 9th annual eyefortransport 3PL Summit.

This will be the sixth time I have attended this event. It must be good or I would not endeavor to trek down to Atlanta and 100 degree heat.

There are a few things I really like and look forward to about this event every year: the excellent networking opportunities and ability to interview literally a who’s who of 3PL movers and shakers all under one roof.

As I alluded to earlier, with the economy back to being a dicey situation, it will be very interesting to hear what these people have to say about things, given that it appears the moderation in freight volumes could be quite real and not temporary, even through lower diesel prices are helping to lighten the financial load a little bit.

I know that many providers will tell me that in light of current events, things are good. I have no reason to dispute that at all. What I will endeavor to learn and tell you is what the biggest challenges and pain points have been for 3PLs in the last year and also what are your main objectives when it comes to service, shipper relationships and overall expectations for the next year or so.

This line of questioning typically garners good results as the event is always near the mid-point of the calendar year, and I have no reason to expect things will be any different this time around.

Last year, a major topic of the event was CSA 2010 and its potential impact on capacity. I am sure CSA will be in the mix this year, too, no question. But I am willing to bet we will hear a bunch about managing capacity, with conditions very tight right now, as well the recently proposed HOS regulations, managing diesel prices and coming up with alternative energy solutions for freight transportation, sustainability, 3PL-shipper relationships and more. In other words: the usual.

If you are heading to Atlanta this week, I look forward to seeing you. If not, please remember to check www.logisticsmgmt.com later this week and into next week to learn about what went down.