January 2016

Trade and transport analysts see a negative market outlook worsen, though some contend that this trend could be reversed later in the year. Meanwhile, logistics managers should brace for a volatile period of rate fluctuation.

As LTL carriers announce pricing model shifts where dimension and density trumps classification, shippers can turn the tables and realize more benefit from collaboration.

TMS users achieve an average freight savings of 7.5 percent thanks to increased usage of preferred carriers, better procurement negotiations, and use of lower-cost mode selections. Now the cloud is making it easier than ever for midsized businesses to reap the benefits.

New developments in global trade (TTP, T-TIP, ACE) will play a significant role in 2016, making an impact on a wide spectrum of U.S. shippers. Analysts contend that those who are properly prepared can make substantial gains this year—while those who lag behind may run into unanticipated grief.

Seeking better efficiencies and workforce productivity, logistics organizations are slowly, but consistently embracing the idea of mobile technology within the four walls.

Whether a company might uncover thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars, fleet managers are finding that disciplined maintenance programs work to replace reactive processes with predictive capabilities.

In what’s become an lm tradition, we kick off the New Year with our annual Rate Outlook cover story and subsequent Webcast. For the past 11 years, we’ve rounded up the top economists and freight transportation analysts in each mode—trucking, air, ocean, rail, intermodal—to offer this comprehensive snapshot on what shippers can expect in terms of freight rates and capacity in the coming year.

Recently, Uber announced that they’re beginning to coordinate small package express deliveries by their independent cars in New York City—competing, of course, with global players like FedEx, UPS, and even the bicycle messenger services.

Agility may not be a new business priority, but it couldn’t be more important in today’s era of digital disruption. The threat comes in all forms—from individual players that force you to remake your entire business to thousands of start-ups that gradually carve up your entire value chain bit by bit. Consequently, agility has again become a priority topic in many boardrooms.