Quest for Quality 2014

Which carriers, third-party logistics providers, and U.S. ports have reached the summit of service excellence over 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.

As we wrap up the first half of 2014, the longer-haul less-than-truckload (LTL) sector is seeing a lot working in its favor, including better-than-expected volume levels. The sector is also enjoying a financial renaissance, one that Contributing Editor John Schulz says has the leading LTL carrier executives “breathing a collective sigh of relief.”

The challenges faced by its longer-haul less-than-truckload (LTL) brethren are only magnified for carriers in the Regional LTL sector.

Despite mounting operational pressures, LM readers tell us that the following 38 TL carriers continue to offer top service.

Through record-high investments and a sharp focus on service, rail and intermodal providers are still delivering on their service promise to shippers—and doing it with improved efficiency, say LM readers.

As we’ve reported over the last year, even the most dominant U.S. ports can’t afford to become complacent in the face of several factors currently converging.

Earlier in the year, Executive Editor Patrick Burnson issued the forecast that 2014 would be the year ocean cargo carriers finally return to profitability.

According to Evan Armstrong, president of 3PL consulting firm Armstrong and Associates, U.S. 3PL gross revenue in 2013 saw annual gains, up 3.2 percent over 2012 at $146.4 billion. He says that while global trade and economic activity serve as the “ultimate drivers” of market growth, the maturity of competitive service offerings and the size of major players are contributing to slower growth rates.

As noted in the 25th Annual State of Logistics Report, the air freight industry has been facing chronic overcapacity and deteriorating yields—and data surfacing in new research mirror these findings.

For over 30 years, Logistics Management’s Quest for Quality Survey has been regarded in the transportation and logistics industry as the most important measure of customer satisfaction and performance excellence—and the annual Quest for Quality Awards Dinner has been widely considered the best evening of the year for carrier and 3PL executive networking.

Once again it’s our honor to present the logistics and transportation community with the results of the Annual Quest for Quality Survey.