NASSTRAC

Despite the never-ending state of cold weather in the Northeast, which really is no exaggeration as I see falling snow out of my office window at the moment the calendar says that next week marks the kickoff of the annual NASSTRAC Shippers Conference and Transportation Expo.

Shippers and transportation intermediaries are opposing a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposal designed against putting undue pressure on truck drivers to violate hours of service and other rules.

Three years ago, Candace Holowicki, the company’s director of global transportation and logistics, joined its Global Services Organization and helped to level functional silos and bring together procurement, logistics, operations, and continuous improvement areas—a move that now saves millions annually.

The editorial staff of Logistics Management(LM) is thrilled to again have the winner of the NASSTRAC Shipper of the Year Award grace our October cover. For 15 years, LM has partnered with NASSTRAC, one of the leading logistics and transportation advocacy organizations in the market, to fix the spotlight on a savvy logistics operation that has demonstrated excellence in the execution of a strategy designed to streamline its company’s operations and contribute to the bottom line.

Earlier this year, Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman conducted an on stage interview with Tim Gomez, CEO of pencil manufacturer Dixon Ticonderoga at the NASSTRAC Shippers Conference and Transportation Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) formally rolled out its new trucking Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations, and in advance of their debut really, there has been and remains a large amount of differing opinions about why these rules were needed, if they really took into account the day-to-day travails of trucking, and, of course, the safety reasons that came with these new rules.

CEO Timothy Gomez led the charge to vertically integrate manufacturing and distribution at the 218-year-old pencil company—and saved $5 million in logistics costs in the process.

The editorial staff of Logistics Management (LM) is thrilled to once again have the winner of the NASSTRAC Shipper of the Year Award grace our October cover. For nearly 20 years, LM has partnered with NASSTRAC, one of the leading logistics and transportation advocacy organizations, to fix the spotlight on a savvy logistics operation that has demonstrated excellence in the execution of a strategy designed to advance their company’s business mission.

Even though the economy is clearly not running on all cylinders, things are better than they were just a few years ago, especially in related supply chain, freight transportation and logistics sectors. And as things slowly get better, pricing has returned to the forefront as a balancing act between shipper and carrier relations. That was a main takeaway at the CEO Panel of the recently-concluded NASSTRAC Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Having trust in your colleagues, or teammates, if you will, is crucial and makes for the stronger product, service, or brand. That was a key message from Lee Corson, ESPN College Football Game Day Host and Director of Business Development for Dixon Ticonderoga, a Florida based pencil manufacturing company, at last month’s National Shippers Strategic Council (NASSTRAC) Annual Conference in Orlando.

A recently released study from the National Shippers Strategic Council (NASSTRAC), entitled “Freight Transportation 2013,” revealed many interesting takeaways on various links of today’s supply chain operations and performance.

This report explores shippers’ perspectives of emerging trends in the freight transportation industry. It addresses issues related to business strategy, collaboration practices, carrier selection, rates, capacity, mode selection, outsourcing, advocacy issues, technology, sustainability, and more.

The Reliance Network (TRNet) will be participating in the NASSTRAC Conference in April as an exhibitor and sponsor. This is the second NASSTRAC Conference the alliance has sponsored.

As the Chairman of NASSTRAC’s Advocacy Committee, in concerns me when a shipper asks the following: “Why should I get informed, engaged and involved in what is happening in the transportation industry?”

At a truckload panel at NASSTRAC, two top truckload executives provided a frank and candid assessment of the sector’s travails, and the regulatory and pricing environment, among other topics.