3PL Study

Longer-term contracts, data sharing, and a focus on value-creation in the supply chain are growing concerns for today’s 3PLs and their shipper customers.

As the supply chain continues to deal with a whole host of obstacles, including various disruptions, labor challenges, and strategic misalignments, there is a need for things to get back to basics for both 3PLs and shippers.

When President Trump recently spoke on Fox & Friends, he was asked about American truck drivers being “price gouged” by transportation brokers and what the White House would do to address that. His response indicated he felt that was the case, saying “Oh they are price gouged…all they want is to be treated fairly and we’re going to treat them fairly.” It is fair to say that the Alexandria, Va.-based Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), which is the largest...

As the supply chain continues to focus on key familiar themes, while other ones continue to emerge, there is a clear focus on things 3PLs need to provide for their shipper customers, including being expedient, cost-focused, and green. That was a clear theme in the 2020 24th Annual Third-Party Logistics Study, which was released last week at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Edge Conference in Anaheim, Calif. by Infosys Consulting, Penn State University, and Penske Logistics.

The intersection of supply chain technology, changing online consumer spending habits, data management, delivery preferences, and other factors are all serving as game changers in how 3PLs are continually striving to better serve shippers. That is a key takeaway from the 2019 22nd Annual Third-Party Logistics Study, which was released today by Infosys Consulting, Penn State University, Penske Logistics, and Korn Ferry at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Edge conference in Nashville, Tennessee.