3PL

Clearing business hurdles, achieving efficiencies and elevating customer service with SMC³’s LTL APIs, a SMC³ Case Study.

A trio of well-known logistics services providers, Dallas-based privately held freight brokerage and authorized UPS reseller Worldwide Express, Phoenix-based GlobalTranz, a full-service 3PL focused on freight brokerage and technology, GlobalTranz, and Dallas-based Unishippers, the second-largest privately held freight brokerage in the country, announced today they are collaborating on what they called a new “corporate identity,” entitled WWEX Group.

A continued shift to remote work; the need for retailers to offer nimble shipping options; and the importance of warehouse operations to reduce inventory while increasing throughput are factors pushing laser-focused 3PLs to invest heavily in automation to make it all happen.

San Francisco-based Uber Freight, a subsidiary of the ubiquitous, ride-sharing service Uber, whose proprietary app matches trucking companies with loads to haul, and a non-asset-based third-party logistics services provider, provided multiple updates on various technology-focused services and initiatives at Deliver, its annual customer conference

Under the terms of the agreement outlined by GXO, GXO and PFS entered into a definitive agreement in which GXO will acquire PFS for $7.50 per share which it said represents an equity value of around $181 million.

The current order fulfillment environment presents a myriad of challenges for 3PLs, such as restrictions on labor and real estate. It is crucial for these logistics companies to address the optimization of warehouse space utilization as a key area of concern.

You've done everything right regarding 3PL inventory management and upped your re-orders; but despite your best efforts, you're still selling through your stock. This is good news — you have a popular product that customers love. Either that, or it could be that there’s a problem with your warehouse management process.

Third-party logistics company iForce deployed an automated packaging solution to provide the speed and labor efficiencies needed to keep up with new picking automation, while the solution’s carton right-sizing also improves the customer experience.

Interest in yard management systems (YMS) is growing as the software helps more companies automate processes, speed up trailer turnaround times, and save money.

In this case study McCollister's Global Services conducted an assessment of their product labeling process and discovered significant challenges, including up to 20 labeling errors in a day. This resulted in potential losses of $1,000 per error. Tyler Yoos, VP/GM of McCollister's Global Services, will discuss the problem and the solutions that improved the company's labeling process to over 99.8% accuracy, leading to happier and less-fatigued workers.

Truckload was the only segment to see a gain for shipment volumes, up 1.9% sequentially, and down 1.4% annually. LTL was off 2.8% sequentially and 5.8% annually, with intermodal down 2.4% sequentially and 16.4% annually. Other modes were down 0.2% sequentially and 11.5% annually.

Which carriers, third-party logistics providers and U.S. ports reached the pinnacle of service excellence over the course of the past year? Our readers have cast their votes, and now it’s time to introduce this year’s winners of the coveted Quest for Quality Awards.

Service levels rise in tandem with investment

In today’s high-demand and increasingly digitalized supply chains even the most robust platforms don't have all the capabilities required to deliver the efficiency and insight businesses are seeking.

Great strides have been made to bring supply chains into the digital age. Many leading shippers and 3PLs have capitalized on TMS and LTL freight API developments, recognizing that automation can lead to greater efficiency, cost savings, and visibility.