Logistics Management (Highlands Ranch, CO) articles from May 2003

Logistics Management (Highlands Ranch, CO) archives from May 2003

Truckers both gained and lost time under new hours-of-service rules. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... Truckers both gained and lost time under new hours-of-service rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued its revised hours-of-service rules for truckers, which take effect Jan. 4, 2004. Drivers may now operate a...

The new hours-of-service rules generated a veritable tidal wave of public comments before they were finalized. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... The new hours-of-service rules generated a veritable tidal wave of public comments before they were finalized. According to Richard P. Schweitzer, general counsel for the National Private Truck Council (NPTC), the FMCSA received an astonishing...

The final numbers are in, and total U.S. logistics costs in 2001 were lower than expected. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... The final numbers are in, and total U.S. logistics costs in 2001 were lower than expected. That's the word from Robert V. Delaney, whose annual "State of Logistics" report has become the standard for calculating the nation's overall logistics...

Are you having a seemingly unsolvable dispute over a freight claim with a motor carrier? (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... Are you having a seemingly unsolvable dispute over a freight claim with a motor carrier? Then consider turning to an arbitrator for help. Arbitrators take evidence, hear arguments, and issue binding or non-binding decisions or awards, depending...

Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) dominate the U.S. commercial warehousing market. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) dominate the U.S. commercial warehousing market, say 3PL analysts Armstrong & Associates. Logistics service providers utilized some 485 million square feet of commercial and contract warehousing space out...

Why did the big unionized LTL carriers seek a five-year labor pact with the Teamsters? (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... Why did the big unionized LTL carriers seek a five-year labor pact with the Teamsters? Answer: LTLs wanted their labor contract to expire before the Teamsters' pact with United Parcel Service finished up, said Tim Lynch, chief executive officer...

The United States will no longer be going it alone on trade security. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... The United States will no longer be going it alone on trade security. The World Customs Organization will soon approve an international data model to provide all the information required by member agencies to assess cargo security risks. It...

New York City wants all truckers to carry truck-route maps or face a fine. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... New York City wants all truckers to carry truck-route maps or face a fine. The New York City Council is considering an ordinance requiring all truck owners to supply their drivers with color maps depicting the legal routes that trucks may use...

Rail shippers are promoting a new bill to heighten rail competition. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... Rail shippers are promoting a new bill to heighten rail competition. Legislation filed in the Senate by Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) would clarify the nation's rail transportation policy to include the need to promote effective competition among rail...

The United States and Canada will soon share information to ensure compliance with NAFTA's rules of origin. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... The United States and Canada will soon share information to ensure compliance with NAFTA's rules of origin. The U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency agreed last month to exchange data to ensure...

FedEx Freight now has an Asian Connection. (Management Update).
May 1, 2003... FedEx Freight now has an Asian Connection. The regional LTL trucker is offering service from Asia to virtually all points in the continental United States in conjunction with sister companies FedEx Ground and FedEx Trade Networks. FedEx Trade...

Due diligence needed. (Viewpoint).
May 1, 2003... The lead story this month asks an intriguing question: "So you think your freight is insured?" The point that transportation claims expert Bill Augello makes here is that too many shippers don't take the time to read and understand their cargo...

Trucking. (Price Trends).
May 1, 2003... As expected, prices in the trucking and surface courier markets are clearly on the rise. In March, the average prices for all categories of trucking services increased by 3.2% over those for the same month last year. Intercity...

Water. (Price Trends).
May 1, 2003... Shippers that rely on U.S-based carriers to move their inbound international shipments caught a small break in March as average prices for those services fell 0.2% compared to the previous month. Still, inbound deepsea rates remained a...

Rail. (Price Trends).
May 1, 2003... When economic times get rough, carrier pricing tends to become more precise. The rail freight industry certainly demonstrates this trend. On average, linehaul operators raised prices for their services by 1.35% from March 2002 to March 2003....

Air. (Price Trends).
May 1, 2003... Shipping cargo via scheduled airline flights continues to become more expensive every month. In March, prices for shipping air cargo on U.S.-owned aircraft increased 0.8% from the previous month and were up 6.5% compared to March 2002. Air...

Railroad equipment costs. (Carrier Costs and Demands Affecting Transportation Service Prices).
May 1, 2003... In the 12 months ending March 2003, the rail equipment industry has seen its direct manufacturing costs rise 2.2%. The damage arose from multiple sources. First and foremost, costs for fuels used in production are up 7.7%, after having fallen...

Plastic foam packaging costs. (Carrier Costs and Demands Affecting Transportation Service Prices).
May 1, 2003... Shippers using foam packaging to protect products shouldn't be surprised if vendors ask for price hikes. The root cause is the increase in crude oil prices, which affected all plastic-based products. Foam manufacturers saw their costs rise 2.4%...

Growing use of shipper tariffs is hurting LTLs: research shows that an increase in the number of shipper-specific tariffs harms carriers' competitiveness while raising their costs. (News & Analysis).
May 1, 2003... A surge in the number of less-than-truckload (LTL) tariffs over the past few years could be weakening the ability of LTL carriers to price their services competitively. The average LTL carrier now has between 200 and 300 active tariffs,...

Shippers win first round in cargo liability case. (Legal Issues).
May 1, 2003... In years past, when it came to cargo claims, there were few protections under federal law for shippers that moved their goods under contracts with motor carriers. Now, thanks to a recent U.S. District Court decision, contract shippers will have...

For better or for worse. (News Capsule).
May 1, 2003... NEWS CAPSULE For better or for worse The International Warehouse Logistics Association asked its members if business in 2003 is better, worse, or the same as it was in 2002. Here's what they said, along with their replies from last...

U.S., Canada agree to improve rail security measures. (Customs).
May 1, 2003... United States and Canadian customs authorities, together with Canada's two major railroads, last month signed a declaration of principles to improve the security of rail shipments between the two countries. The agreement follows several months...

Customs adjusts to new name, new structure. (Government).
May 1, 2003... Just as a family that has recently moved must become accustomed to a new home, employees of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection are trying adjust to their new circumstances. Since March 1, the enforcement arm of the former United...

WMS sales begin to rebound. (Technology).
May 1, 2003... After a few years of dwindling sales, warehouse management systems (WMS) appear to be making a healthy comeback. According to results of a survey conducted by ARC Advisory Group, WMS sales in North America grew by nearly 5 percent in 2002 to...

Ryder System Inc. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... Ryder System Inc. was named the top transportation supplier in North America by Visteon Corporation's Visteon Important Partner (VIP) program. VIP recognizes suppliers that go to extraordinary lengths to meet the shipper's needs and...

Crowley Liner Services. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... Crowley Liner Services received the 2002 Award for Excellence in Customer Service from Toyota Logistics Services. The ocean carrier was cited for outstanding damage prevention, on-time performance, quality, and customer service while carrying...

Celadon Group Inc. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... At its annual conference in March, the Truckload Carriers Association recognized Celadon Group Inc. as being first in fleet safety among U.S. truckload fleets that log more than 100 million miles a year. Indianapolis-based Celadon operates...

New Penn Motor Express Inc. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... New Penn Motor Express Inc. received the Outstanding Carrier of the Year for 2002 from Chanel, the international fashion and fragrance manufacturer. The regional less-than-truckload carrier excelled in key service categories, including timely...

Southwest Airlines. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... Southwest Airlines was named 2003 Airline of the Year by the Air Courier Conference of America (ACCA). This is the second, consecutive year that Southwest received the award, which is based on carriers' performance in service communications,...

CSX Corporation. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... CSX Corporation was named a Supplier of the Year by General Motors. Awards are given to suppliers that demonstrate excellent performance in purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, and logistics.

Philips Electronics. (Winners Circle).
May 1, 2003... Philips Electronics named APL as its Global Ocean Carrier of the Year for the fifth consecutive year for providing consistently high levels of service, technology, and collaboration.

Pacer Stacktrain. (Services).
May 1, 2003... Pacer Stacktrain has announced two new U.S.-Mexico intermodal transportation services designed to make cross-border trade faster and more secure. "PacerMex NonStop" is a premium service between Chicago and points in Mexico, including Mexico...

Averitt Express Supply Chain Solutions. (Services).
May 1, 2003... Averitt Express Supply Chain Solutions is the name of the new business unit created through the integration of the company's dedicated contract carriage and logistics services units. The new organization provides a single point of contact for...

Aeronet Worldwide. (Services).
May 1, 2003... Aeronet Worldwide has opened four new terminals offering domestic and international transportation services at airports in Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City. Aeronet plans to open additional terminals later this year.

CaroTrans International. (Services).
May 1, 2003... CaroTrans International, an ocean freight consolidator, now offers CaroTrak, an online service that lets clients track intermodal shipments at any time. CaroTrak also lets users create and submit booking confirmations, dock receipts, and bills...

Overnite Transportation Co. (Services).
May 1, 2003... Overnite Transportation Co. has introduced new service standards that reduce transit times from New York City and Miami to 16 states and Western Canada by as much as 48 hours. The LTL carrier also guarantees three-day delivery to Denver from...

SK Daifuku. (Services).
May 1, 2003... SK Daifuku, a manufacturer of materials handling equipment, offers free online training at its Web site, www.skdaifuku.com/training. The company plans a series of Webbased courses to supplement its onsite training sessions. The first in the...

Datebook.
May 1, 2003... June 2-4. IATA Dangerous Goods Transportation by Air seminar. Minneapolis, Minn. Dangerous Goods International Training Center. Classes offered throughout the year in various cities. (800) 338-2291 or www.dgitraining.com June 8-10. NCSC...

A new choice for appealing NCC decisions. (Bohman on Pricing).
May 1, 2003... For several years, shippers who are dissatisfied with classification decisions made by the National Classification Committee (NCC) classification panels have been able to appeal such decisions to the full NCC, provided they are a party of...

So you think your freight is insured? If you don't check the fine print in your insurance policies, you could be in for some costly surprises.
May 1, 2003... Have you ever heard the saying, "insurance covers you for everything except what happens"? Well, it's true! Unfortunately, most transportation and logistics professionals fail to understand that this maxim applies not only to life insurance but...

How to pick a private logistics exchange: before choosing a vendor to build a private logistics network, shippers should consider these seven key factors.
May 1, 2003... If you've been a regular reader of this publication, then you've heard quite a bit about private logistics exchanges in recent years. These exclusive Web sites, also known as private portals or private networks, help companies centralize...

Is NAFTA at risk? New security regulations threaten to undermine NAFTA's promise of open borders and free-flowing trade.
May 1, 2003... North American manufacturers have their fingers crossed that the federal government's new security regulations won't unduly restrict the free flow of cross-border trade between the United States, Canada, and Mexico--one of the original goals of...

The need for speed: as more customers demand faster delivery from shippers, expedited service is becoming the rule rather than the exception.
May 1, 2003... Many years ago, an express-delivery company you may have heard of marketed itself with the slogan, "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." It was a novel idea at the time, but it wasn't long before expedited delivery of...

Better layout = Higher throughput: to squeeze more throughput out of your warehouse, consider these factors when designing or reconfiguring a facility.
May 1, 2003... Want to speed product flows through your warehouse? If you're looking for one place to focus your efforts, then zero in on maximizing throughput by improving your facility layout. Although many companies today choose to make those gains...

Amway's Dutch gateway to European success. (Case Study).
May 1, 2003... Serving a direct sales network covering 23 countries and thousands of independent business owners requires logistics capabilities that only Dutch logistics expertise can support For more than 40 years, Amway has maintained its global...

Europe's top container ports take expansion route. (Updates).
May 1, 2003... All of the top container ports in Europe enjoyed positive growth rates in 2002. Despite difficult economic conditions, this increase in container throughput is forecasted to continue into this year thanks to trade expansion, further...

Bigger is better for today's DC projects: despite the economy, large retailers and consumer products companies are building huge DCs with the help of developers that manage all aspects of the project.
May 1, 2003... RECESSION? WHAT RECESSION? WHILE transportation companies, technology vendors and other sectors of the logistics industry find themselves struggling through a stubborn recessionary slump, large developers of distribution centers (DCs) are in...

Supply chain software still has much to offer. (Copacino on Strategy).
May 1, 2003... The supply chain software industry has been on quite a roller coaster ride over the past three years. The market changed from a situation where there was enormous interest and feverish buying to a situation today where many companies appear to...

Three-wheel electric truck focuses on safety. (New Products & Services).
May 1, 2003... Toyota's new 7 Series three-wheel electric lift truck, available in capacities of 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, offers several new power and safety features. A programmable power-select function allows the user to choose between four performance...

Reusable corrugated boxes reduce packaging costs. (New Products & Services).
May 1, 2003... Techno-Box reusable corrugated plastic boxes feature self-locking bottoms and tops that require neither glue nor tape, and knock down flat for easy storage. They are available in sizes up to 48 inches long by 24 inches wide by 38 inches high,...

Trade shows must offer real value. (Parting Shot).
May 1, 2003... As I've traveled to logistics and transportation industry events over the past couple of years, I've noticed a disturbing trend. Logistics managers are showing up in ever-smaller numbers at the many--some would say too many--conferences and...