Transportfolio Blog: Join the Supply Chain Conversation

A few weeks ago, Walmart reported in its 2012 Global Responsibility Report that it had improved the efficiency of its fleet by 69 percent compared to its 2005 baseline. The company delivered 65 million more cases—while driving 28 million fewer miles—by increasing its pallets per trailer and better managing routes (emphasis mine). Walmart also reported success in reducing empty backhauls, specifically in Mexico. "Our focus on backhauls," the company reported, "saved more than 56,000 trips" last year. Read More...

Editor’s Note: Last summer, Kevin McCarthy’s Leveling the Surcharge Playing Field blog post on TMC Blog generated a lot of discussion on fuel surcharge programs. We’re sharing his original post here on Transportfolio because fuel is always a good topic of conversation. Please share your thoughts and read Kevin’s January blog post, How to Make the Best Choices in Procurement Bidding Season.

Is it possible to create a fuel surcharge program that is consistently fair to shippers and carriers? Read More...

What does U.S. geography have in common with shipping oversized items? Answer: a lot. Each state has different requirements for oversize shipments, so it’s important to know the legal requirements for each state. For that reason, and many others, navigating the specialized world of flatbed shipments can be tricky, especially when shipping oversized loads like tractors, combines, bulldozers, cranes, steel beams, wind blades or prefabricated homes. When preparing to move any flatbed load it’s important to know the exact dimensions and weight of your shipment in order to plan for the correct type of equipment, and make the delivery according to customer expectations. Read More...

It’s a logistics conundrum that almost every shipper faces: how to best route freight that is more than 6 pallets but not enough for a full truckload. LTL may not be your best option because most common LTL carriers shy away from these high pallet count loads. So if they do take them, you could end up paying cost equivalent to a truckload—or even more! And in some cases choosing truckload service may be a less eco-friendly choice because of the unused space. This is the spot where freight consolidators can add value and efficiency to the supply chain. Read More...

Flatbed freight is a highly specialized transportation service and differs from traditional van freight in many ways—the highly fragmented market and array of equipment requirements can present many challenges. Flatbed trailers are used for shipments that cannot be accessed from a standard loading dock and to carry over dimensional objects. Whether you know a little or a lot about the flatbed market, there are several ways to improve your flatbed procurement processes. Read More...