Industry experts agree that costs across all sectors worldwide will continue to rise in 2018, and the most successful shippers will be those that are able to mitigate their impact on profitability. The right technology will play an increasingly vital role in driving efficiencies across the global logistics network.

Today's marketplace has generated a paradigm shift in customer demand and expectations. I would argue the millennial started all this "gotta have it now" pattern but it makes no difference from where the demand was generated. There is no going back. I just wonder if it can get any worse. As the saying goes, “adapt or die”, and that is what most companies are doing now. The findings from the “26th Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends” suggest that more companies are realizing that competitors and new business models are shifting customer requirements. Firms like Amazon are departing from traditional business practices, using true supply chain management thinking to blur the boundary between days and think more in hours.

Well, it is finally here. The day truckers will be able to get the rates they need without the haggling, so shippers need to be prepared. The trifecta of tightening capacity, increased demand and the ongoing surge on e-commerce deliveries has come in and it will pay big benefits for the trucking industry. Adding to the issue further is the increased cost of trucking equipment. Tractor costs are up sharply due to emission and safety standards. Trailer costs are up due to increased material and labor costs. So, buckle up if you’re an LTL shipper. Truckload shippers won’t fare much better.  If that’s not enough, mandatory logging devices are costing large carriers millions of dollars to install and manage. 

Today's dynamic logistics environment demands an ever increasing supply chain efficiency sprouting new strategies, practices, and processes, all of which are designed to meet the requirements of the new digital economy. The "Amazon Effect" has been the major catalyst for the evolution of contemporary supply chain design. The Amazon effect is the ongoing evolution and disruption of the retail market, both online and in physical outlets, resulting from increased e-commerce. The name is an acknowledgement of Amazon's early and continuing domination in online sales, which has driven much of the disruption. We'll highlight just a few new technologies that are being implemented in varying degrees in the next gen supply chain design.

A Trump presidency and a Republican-controlled Congress will bring some changes to the transportation industry. Trump was heavily backed by the trucking industry and they are looking for a return on their investment. Here are some areas where a Trump administration could have an impact, based on the president’s campaign promises.

Wall Street is buzzing and XPO Logistics shares have risen sharply amid rumors of a buyout by Home Depot. XPO Logistics is a top ten global provider of cutting edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company operates as a highly integrated network of people, technology, and physical assets. They use their network to help customers manage their goods more efficiently throughout their supply chains. As of the end of 2016, XPO served more than 50,000 customers and operated with over 87,000 employees and 1,425 locations in 34 countries.

When Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla would start building electric semi-trucks that would have 500-mile range, and come with a version of Tesla’s Autopilot driving aid, the world realized it wasn’t a matter of if, but when these new trucks would be hitting the highways. The pace of technological innovation is advancing at an exponential rate. With advanced hardware, software and connectivity becoming accessible and cost effective on a global scale, we’re experiencing an innovation shift from desiring “better gadgets” to discovering entire new business categories built around technology.

Brick and mortar mall retailers may not be dead, but many are on life support. The challenge is how to attract shoppers back to malls when online shopping and home delivery is so effortless. What is going to motivate these shoppers to return to the traditional mode of shopping? Here are some ways retailers are trying to reinvent the shopping experience and lure back their customers.

Years ago, the term "Expedited Service" would send chills down the spine of the accountants, and almost always get someone a good thrashing for whatever went wrong to create the need to call an expedited carrier. As today's supply chain and inventory systems have evolved into a complicated dance of extreme efficiencies and razor thin inventory levels, expedited freight transportation has matured along with them as an integral cog that is the wheel of the 21st century supply chain philosophy. The additional costs of premium transportation can now be justified with the new supply chain savings.

Ok, I'll bite. What is level 5? Ford announced it’s skipping over Level 3 and will put a fleet of Level 4 autonomous vehicles on the road in 2021. Mobileye and Delphi promised Level 4/5 self-drivers by 2019. There's little reason to define levels prior to this point so let's explore what level 3, 4, and 5 autonomous vehicles are.