Logistics Management (Highlands Ranch, CO) articles from October 2004

Logistics Management (Highlands Ranch, CO) archives from October 2004

Get ready to dig deeper into your wallet, now that diesel prices have cracked the $2 per-gallon ceiling for the first time ever.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... As crude oil approached an all-time high of $50 a barrel at press time last month, diesel prices rose in lockstep. For the last week of September, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that the average retail price of diesel fuel in the United...

The Senate has killed a controversial plan to require hazmat truckers to use global positioning satellite (GPS) systems.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... New York Senator Charles Schumer last month proposed an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill that would have required GPS for all vehicles moving hazardous materials. The measure would also have expanded background checks on...

RFID could pump some life into the flat market for warehouse management systems.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... RFID compliance mandates should generate significant revenues over the next three years for WMS vendors that offer modules supporting the use of RFID technology in warehouses, predicts ARC Advisory Group analyst Steve Banker. Last year,...

Warehouseman Mark E. Richards takes over the reins at CLM.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... Earlier this month, Richards succeeded Elijah Ray as president of the Council of Logistics Management, the educational organization for logistics and supply chain professionals. Richards is currently vice president of Associated Warehouses Inc....

Mexican truckers wanting to operate in the United States could hit another roadblock.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... The House of Representatives last month adopted an amendment to the FY2005 transportation appropriations bill that would require foreign trucking companies operating in the United States to meet the same safety and certification standards as...

Need real-life answers to your supply chain questions?(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... Supply Chain Management Review, a sister publication to Logistics Management, has published a seven-volume series of books called Real Supply Chain Questions, Real Supply Chain Answers. The books address such topics as how to master the basics...

If you're concerned about U.S.-Mexico trade security, consider attending one of three seminars on that topic.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... If you're concerned about U.S.-Mexico trade security, consider attending one of three seminars on that topic to be offered by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency in four of Mexico's largest industrial centers. The agency will hold the one-day...

Sirva has said goodbye to logistics.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... The parent of Allied, north American, and Global Van Lines signaled its departure from the asset-based logistics market with the sale of its specialized transportation business to a group of North American Van Lines agents. That unit handles...

IBM is pumping up its transportation and logistics consulting practice.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... Big Blue recently bought Maersk Data from A.P. Moller-Maersk Group of Denmark, the parent company of ocean carrier Maersk Sealand. Maersk Data provides consulting services and software development for transportation and logistics applications....

With RFID in the technology spotlight these days, it was no surprise.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... With RFID in the technology spotlight these days, it was no surprise when a new RFID trade group debuted at last month's Frontline Show in Chicago. The RFID Business Association (RFIDba) will represent the interests of both vendors and end...

Former LM columnist William Copacino has joined the ranks of shippers.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... The long-time consultant recently was named chief administrative officer of C&S Wholesale Grocers, one of the largest privately held companies in the country. C&S provides distribution services to grocery chains and independent stores....

Sometimes a sense of humor can help when facing a challenge.(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... Sometimes a sense of humor can help when facing a challenge--and that certainly describes the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism's goal of achieving global supply chain security. One of our favorite C-TPAT stories comes from Michael...

That's a wrap ...(Management: an executive summary of industry news)
October 1, 2004... In our September issue, we detailed how Kraft North America reduced in-transit damage by 70 percent. (See "Handle with care" at www.logisticsmgmt.com.) Kraft isn't the only company taking action on the damage front. Another is Procter & Gamble,...

Education at your fingertips.(Viewpoint)
October 1, 2004... OCTOBER FINDS US SMACK DAB in the middle of another conference season. Based on what I witnessed at NASSTRAC's Fall Conference and the annual Council of Logistics Management event--and judging from reports I received from staff attending the...

Carriers stepped on the price accelerator across the board.(Trucking)
October 1, 2004... Average prices for trucking services in August increased 0.4% from the previous month and 4.1% compared to the same month a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Truckload carriers kicked prices up 4.1% from August 2003 to...

Airlines are having trouble generating lift in airfreight pricing.(Air)
October 1, 2004... Domestic carriers dropped their average prices by a full percentage point from July to August. Compared to a year ago, prices for general property on scheduled flights rose by just 1.2%, while those for transporting mail fell by 3.1%. Air...

Deep-sea freight rates appear to be treading water.(Water)
October 1, 2004... Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys show average prices were unchanged from July to August. Compared to August 2003, those rates were down 4.2%. Inland-waterways carriers pushed through a one-month price hike of 1.2% in August, leaving prices...

Rail freight prices stood unchanged from July to August.(Rail)
October 1, 2004... Both carload and intermodal carriers reported no change in prices during that period. Still, average carload rates were up 4.5% in August 2004 versus a year ago. Thanks to tight capacity and congestion, some commodities have seen significant...

Logistics costs drag down industry margins.(Recent Price Trends in Transportation Services)
October 1, 2004... With fuel prices red hot, inflation is on the rise in the transportation sector. Prices for most types of ground freight are very high by historical standards and are rising at an accelerated pace. Buyers of logistics services have also...

FMCSA proposes onboard recorders for trucks--again: the federal safety agency says electronic monitors in truck cabs would address courts' objections to new hours-of-service rules.(News & Analysis)
October 1, 2004... Uncle Sam wants to climb into truck cabs and peek over drivers' shoulders as they go about their work. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) last month issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, putting the industry...

Senate bill would penalize imports delayed on docks.(Maritime)
October 1, 2004... Ignoring shippers' concerns, the Senate last month passed a maritime security bill that would penalize imports that don't move off the docks quickly. S.2279, backed by Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), would require...

On the fence about clean air.(New Capsule)
October 1, 2004... Truck makers are a ready getting ready for strict emissions regulations planned for 2007. (See "Bracing for Cleaner Air" at www.logisticsmgmt.com.) But half of the respondents to our reader poll aren't thinking about those rules yet. Are...

Technology advocate says RFID boom is still years away.(Technology)
October 1, 2004... Although the U.S. Department of Defense and major retailers like WalMart and Target are already requiring suppliers to mark cases and pallets with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, adoption of that technology won't become widespread...

NASSTRAC honors four LTL carriers.(Awards)
October 1, 2004... The National Small Shipments Traffic Conference (NASSTRAC) has bestowed its 2004 Carrier of the Year awards on four less-than-truckload motor carriers. The group, which represents LTI and parcel shippers, recognized Roadway Express in the...

Truck tonnage slips for the second time.(The Economy)
October 1, 2004... A summertime slide in retail sales caused the nation's truck tonnage to fall in August. That was the second consecutive monthly decline reported by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). The Alexandria, Va.-based organization said that...

Sea Star Line.(Services)
October 1, 2004... Sea Star Line has purchased 50 new, state-of-the-art refrigerated ocean containers. The ocean carrier, which offers roll-on/roll-off and containerized service from North America to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, designed the 45-foot...

New Penn Motor Express Inc.(Services)
October 1, 2004... New Penn Motor Express Inc. has opened two new terminals in central New Jersey and central New York state. A renovated facility in the Trenton, N.J., area has 81 dock doors on 13.4 acres; a newly constructed facility near Syracuse, N.Y., has 57...

Lykes Lines and TMM Lines have added a second service connecting the U.S. Gulf, the Caribbean, and the East Coast of South America.(Services)
October 1, 2004... Lykes Lines and TMM Lines have added a second service connecting the U.S. Gulf, the Caribbean, and the East Coast of South America. The service, which operates every two weeks, calls at Houston and New Orleans as well as at ports in Brazil,...

ProLogis has signed a joint venture agreement with Shanghai Northwest Logistics Park Group Co. Ltd.(Services)
October 1, 2004... ProLogis has signed a joint venture agreement with Shanghai Northwest Logistics Park Group Co. Ltd. The joint venture will build a 258,300 square-foot distribution facility to be leased to Hymall, an operator of hypermarkets. ProLogis will also...

Regional LTL carrier Pitt Ohio Express has expanded its service areas for regular and next-day delivery.(Services)
October 1, 2004... Regional LTL carrier Pitt Ohio Express has expanded its service areas for regular and next-day delivery. The company now provides regular service to and from all points in Canada in partnership with TransX. Pitt Ohio also now offers next-day...

Datebook.(Logistics Briefing)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... October 17-19. 2004 Productivity Convention and Expo. Dallas, Texas. Food Marketing Institute, International Foodservice Distributors Association. 202-452-8444 or www.productivityconvention.com. October 17-20. Loss Prevention Conference...

Take advantage of multiple density-based ratings.(Bohman on Pricing)
October 1, 2004... In order to equitably distribute the transportation cost burden for both shippers and carriers, the trucking industry has established multiple rating scales based on density--that is, weight per cubic foot--for commodity groups that have a wide...

Continue making investments in supply chain technology.(Byrne on Excellence)
October 1, 2004... Economically speaking, the millennium's inaugural years have been rather bumpy. But according to a recent survey, productivity wasn't one of the casualties. In fact, more than 80 percent of 300 IT executives and business managers polled by...

A case for sole sourcing: most shippers are leery of giving all their business to one carrier. But Best Buy found that an exclusive relationship can yield greater savings, efficiencies, and customer loyalty.(NASSTRAC Shipper Of The Year)
October 1, 2004... Partnerships. For years, shippers and carriers have talked about forming "true partnerships" as a way to cut logistics costs and increase efficiencies. All too often, though, both parties find that those relationships are constructed on little...

Avoiding the liability trap: changes in the law make LTL shippers more vulnerable when trying to collect full value for cargo loss or damage. Here's what you need to know to make sure you're not caught unawares.
October 1, 2004... Shippers rarely understand the true cost to their companies of freight loss and damage. This is no small matter: For every $1,000 of loss, a company that operates on a 1 percent profit margin must sell $100,000 of its product or services to...

Going to extremes: think you have it rough? Not compared to shippers and carriers in the far north. Here's what it takes to operate a logistics under challenging conditions.
October 1, 2004... There was a time, not so long ago, when a holiday or back-to-school shopping trip for residents of Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, could only be accomplished by jumping on a plane and flying to Seattle for a long weekend. "When I moved to...

Global shift: shippers are changing the way they buy and use import/export software. here's what they're doing--and why.(Import/Export Software)
October 1, 2004... Importing and exporting have to be among the most labor-intensive, paper-heavy activities on Earth. When you add up all the shipping and payment documents, advance shipment notices, licenses, certifications, and inspections required by the...

I can hear you now: as the technology matures and ROI improves, the adoption rate for voice-recognition technology is rising.(Warehouse & DC: insights for today's distribution professional)
October 1, 2004... Voice-recognition technology hit the warehouse scene nearly 15 years ago with major installations in the grocery and food industry, and companies such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Kellogg's have been successfully using it in distribution centers...

Walgreens beats the summer heat.(Warehouse & DC: insights for today's distribution professional)
October 1, 2004... Even in the summer, dock workers at Walgreens" southern distribution centers keep cool. The national pharmacy chain, based in Deerfield, Ill., has equipped the loading and receiving docks of three distribution centers down South with...

Ports go high tech.(Ports Supplement)
October 1, 2004... United States ports are facing a serious dilemma. Already lagging behind their European and Asian counterparts in the areas of productivity and efficiency, they are positioned over the next few years to experience a tremendous upsurge in import...

Distribution on the front lines: RFID, visibility, collaboration with suppliers, and meeting ever-increasing volumes are just a few issues on the radar screen of military distributors.(Distribution Strategies)
October 1, 2004... Like their counterparts in the commercial world, United States military distribution professionals rely on the latest technologies and strategies to meet their objectives. And often, they are in the advance guard of new efforts. The Department...

Take a load off with air-cushion doughnuts.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... The Skid-Mate air-filled doughnuts act as both pallet runners and load feet, minimizing vibration damage incurred during transit and storage. Made of polyethylene, a chemically inert substance, the Skid-Mate works in temperatures ranging from...

Real-time warehouse control.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... Siemens Dematic's Warehouse Control System (WCS)integrates the subsystems of warehouse management systems into one interface, allowing real-time monitoring of all automated and manual material handling processes. The WCS also serves as an...

Web-based freight-bill payment enhances TMS.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... FreightLogic has introduced a new turnkey freight-bill payment module to fit into its existing Web-based transportation management system (TMS). The module is integrated fully into the FreightLogic TMS, and allows users to track freight charges...

Better reading of bar codes.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... The MS-860 compact raster scanner makes fixed-mount barcode reading more versatile with its EZ button feature. The EZ button initiates an automatic calibration process that adjusts the scanner's read settings for the specific barcode format,...

RFID device combines encoding and printing.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... The R110XilllPlus RFID "smart" label printer/encoder is capable of thermal/thermal-transfer printing as well as encoding and verification. Compliant with the EPC Class 0 and 0+ standards, it encodes case-and pallet-level information on UHF...

Comfort and control in a lift truck.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... Hyster's J40-65Z series of electric tire lift trucks offers a quiet motor that does not emit exhaust. The J-Series AC induction drive motor comes without motor brushes, commutators, or contactors, and offers easy maintenance. The 80-volt...

Matrics upgrades RFID readers.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... Even though EPCglobal's Generation 2 specification is still in the process of being ratified, forward-thinking logistics managers can plan ahead with the new "Gen 2-ready" AR 400 RFID readers. The AR 400 can operate in several existing protocol...

Track trailer activity with door sensor.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... Protect cargo and keep statistics for future precautionary measures with Cadec's DoorTracker, a device that monitors opening-events data for up to three trailer doors. The wireless sensor communicates a breach to drivers via an audible alert...

Unobstructed access to pick shelves.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... The Flow Cell workstation with tilted pick shelf angled at 22 degrees allows for an unobscured line of sight and easier access to picks. The "drop-in" shelves slide on securely without the use of tools, and the shelf frame itself is easily...

Real-time tracking for intelligent booking.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... Power2Ship's MobileMarket now allows shippers to keep track of their goods as well as carriers' unused capacities. Through this online service, shippers may predict future carrier capacity, view prices, and make informed decisions based on data...

Software simulates supply chain environment.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... The Timogen Decision Manager (TDM) Version 3.5 comes with a redesigned interface for more intuitive usability. It directs users through a set of steps to determine solutions based on individual objectives, and creates "virtual environments"...

Software helps revamp packaging and loading.(New Products)
October 1, 2004... CAPE Systems is now offering two solutions to improve warehouse and transportation efficiency: CAPE Pack helps design palletizing and packaging schemes and Truckfill helps maximize shipping space. In addition to providing design capabilities,...

"Big Brother" threatens drivers and management alike.(Parting Shot)
October 1, 2004... BIG BROTHER IN THE CAB. Truckers have called up that Orwellian image whenever the federal government has proposed placing onboard recorders in truck cabs to monitor compliance with the hours-of-service (HOS) rules that regulate drivers'...