With all the discussion about capacity and high rates in the transportation industry, the task of finding a new 3PL to move your product is not any easier. 2018, the time of record diesel prices, higher than normal truck rates and a pretty tight capacity. You may have looked into a new provider recently but were faced with the daunting question of WHO? Well, look no further, as well have a thought out list of what to look for when choosing a 3PL that works for you.

The driver shortage is a complex issue caused by a variety of factors. According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), the driver shortfall will grow to more than 175,000 by 2026 if the trends don’t change.

It’s not a secret that we are all currently operating in the conditions of the record-breaking capacity crunch. The crisis has been caused by several factors which we have previously discussed in our post, even more so with the ELD mandate finally going into effect on December 18th. This fact adds up to the reasons to use a 3PL in the tight capacity time.

The ELD mandate went into effect on December 18th, 2017, despite the attempts to delay it. The start hasn’t been smooth, many have been feeling the effects of it, but many are getting used to what is now a reality. A big topic of discussion is whether the mandate will remain in place, but it appears it is.

We are officially into 2018, the year of opportunity and change. 2017 laid out the foundations for what is to come. In today’s , we break down what you can expect to see throughout the year in the realm of logistics and transportation. It’s going to be quite the busy year!

Everything You Need to Know: Spot Market Freight: Have you ever wondered about how the product you buy from a store ended up there? The complexities of a supply chain and the steps for moving freight to its end location are often overlooked. But, for manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers, logistics is a top priority to business operations. Accurately planning for efficient transportation routes and potential delays comes with many challenges, which is why many shippers turn to a freight broker to ship goods.

We understand why it might often be assumed that an asset-based carrier has more advantages than a 3PL. Quite often, shippers don’t feel comfortable working with non-asset based 3PLs and end up limiting, and thus hurting, their supply chain.

Still searching online last-minute holiday gifts? Well, you are one of the millions this holiday season to use an e-commerce site to do their shopping. Whether you ordered something for your home, business, or a loved one, expect to see some delays in delivery.

Earlier last month, President Trump announced that he was going to unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan for the nation sometime this January. The proposal is a 70-page memo, that is on track to be submitted to Congress next month, will be the stepping stone for the creation of the legislation. During his 2016 election campaign, Trump vowed to invest $1 trillion to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure. This could mean major changes within the expanding transportation industry.

No one likes damaged freight. Not only does it cost money and relationship with your customers, but also adds more stress and pressure to your daily operations. Freight claims are usually time-consuming and, honestly, quite unpleasant to deal with.

What Does Tesla’s Automated Truck Mean for Truckers? Semi_Front_Profile.0.jpg Tesla unveiled their latest addition to the automated fleet, the Tesla Truck. The truck is a fully electric truck capable of automated transportation up to a significant 500 miles between charges while carrying 80,000 pounds of cargo. This is a historical moment in the trucking industry as Elon Musk enters with his technology. The entrance of the truck could help road safety but hit the job market in a negative route. Read more on the Tesla Truck here.

As we have mentioned in an earlier post, one of the traits of a successful 3PL is having established processes in place, or in other words, standard operating procedures (SOP’s). It’s hard to overestimate the importance of SOP’s in general, but even more so in logistics operations. This is not only applicable for 3PL’s – any supply chain/warehousing operations will benefit greatly from implementing SOP’s into their day-to-day.

Blockchain has been a very popular subject over the past few months. Recently, Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) had its first meeting in Atlanta, GA. They conducted an informational seminar to help others understand blockchain. It’s no simple topic though, even broken down it is still a complicated technical system.