What a whirlwind the 2022 Freight Market was – we saw inflation, fuel prices, and freight rates hit record highs. As we begin the first quarter of the new year, the market is softening and offering shippers relief. Economic Factors Inflation According to Forbes, many inflated costs finally began declining in November 2022 like […]
Read MoreTopic: Industry Trends
6 Ways to Prepare Your Supply Chain for Peak Holiday Disruption
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! . . . But maybe not always for shippers. During the holiday season, we usually see tighter capacity and slightly higher rates as shipping volumes increase. This can lead to service failures, lost sales, and retailer chargebacks. Service Failures Abound During Holiday Shipping Heading into this […]
Read MoreProtect Your Shipments From Freeze Damage This Winter
There’s snow way out of it: winter is coming and so are slippery, congested roadways and freezing temps. Are your shipments ready to endure chilly transit? Let’s talk about protecting your freight from freeze damage this winter. Do Your Shipments Need Protected from Freeze Damage? Where are your shipments headed? Freezing temps vary across […]
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Christmas Tree Delivery Impact on Freight Capacity & Rates
Every year . . . 73 million Christmas trees are planted all over the United States. 25-30 million trees are delivered across the nation to prepare for the holiday season. As the holidays approach and families begin gathering, flatbeds piled high with Christmas Trees are en route to a marketplace near you. Christmas Tree Production […]
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Freight Market Update and Q4 Outlook
Another dynamic quarter in the freight market has come and gone. In Q3, CPG brands and their supply chains have been impacted by an extremely inflated economy, newly implemented bills and freight regulations, and shifts in retailer requirements. Here’s a recap of the quarter broken down by these factors and what shippers should expect […]
Read MoreImproving the Lives of Transportation Professionals
At Zipline Logistics, our mission has always been to improve the lives of transportation professionals. While our state-of-the-art technology and retail-specialized solutions certainly play a big part, living out this mission really comes down to our outstanding employees and the world-class customer service they offer our clients. The overall well-being and mental health of our […]
Read MoreAB5 Threatens to Destabilize the Freight Market
On June 30, 2022, the Supreme Court denied the California Trucking Association’s appeal of California’s AB5, causing the bill to go into effect immediately. What is AB5? California’s AB5 requires companies using independent contractors to reclassify those workers as employees. This bill was originally designed to regulate companies that hire “gig workers” in large […]
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Why Should You Care About NMFC Changes When Shipping LTL?
The April 2019 round of NMFC changes shook up LTL shipping practices for nutritional beverage manufacturers around the country. Nutritional supplement drinks and whey protein were targeted for reclassification in the update. These items previously shipped at class 60 but the update created a secondary qualification for less dense products to ship at class 70. […]
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LTL vs Parcel: When Is It Time to Graduate?
For any CPG business, growth is good. But when expanding, brands can quickly find themselves in uncharted territory, deciphering LTL vs parcel shipping, trying to determine when it’s best to leverage each. A high watermark of an organization is moving beyond solely relying on parcel shipping to fulfill orders and moving onto less-than-truckload (LTL) freight […]
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Looming Tariffs Pose Threat of Capacity Disruption for National Retail Transportation
Editorial Note: Since publication, the Trump Administration reached a trade deal with the Mexican government, which suspended the steep percent tariff rate scheduled to be applied on June 10. Although the tariff will not be instituted as proposed, the threat of the duty temporarily strained capacity along the US-Mexico border, which does affect freight pricing. […]
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Leveraging Trucking Data to Make Key Carrier Decisions for Shippers
As technology advances and continues its march into every facet of our professional and personal lives, we see more and more opportunities to collect “big data” and harness the power behind the numbers. To expand on how trucking data is integral in shaping and driving decisions at Zipline Logistics, our Director of Business Innovation, Dustin […]
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Establishing Minimum Order Quantities Adds Up to Big Supply Chain Savings
There is plenty to consider when analyzing a transportation operation. Among the seemingly endless details that go into making a logistics decision, there is an important and often under-analyzed detail — how a carrier’s minimum charge can work in concert with retail minimum orders to maximize supply chain savings. Though minimum order quantity and minimum […]
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