In today’s tight freight market, shippers are encouraged to be more accommodating to drivers, acting as a “Shipper of Choice”. But being a shipper of choice is often out of a brand’s control and is instead dependent on their warehouse, manufacturing and/or co-packing partnerships. In all freight markets, but especially in tight ones like our […]
Read MoreTopic: Industry Trends
Trucking Industry Outlook and Rates Roundup
There is a plethora of information out there about the current transportation market and freight rates. To help synthesize the information for our audience, we’ve developed a breakdown of what’s most important, right now. We’re facing capacity restrictions like those experienced in 2004-2005. But, the issues of the market are not cyclical like they were […]
Read More
Prepping Pallet Orders for Food and Beverage Shipping
Graduating from shipping cases with UPS or FedEx to shipping pallets via LTL or full truckload is an extremely exciting milestone for food and beverage brands. It can also be a bit overwhelming, taking on entirely new processes. Perhaps pallet orders represent your first sale to a major retailer, distributor, or wholesaler. Either way, it’s […]
Read More
Sam’s Club On-Time In-Full (OTIF) Program
Sam’s Club is moving forward with instituting an On Time in Full (OTIF) program, like its parent company, Walmart. This program exists to score Sam’s Club suppliers on their overall delivery performance and to clarify vendor expectations. What is a Supplier Scorecard? Most retailers have some sort of supplier scorecard system in place to evaluate […]
Read More
Walmart Updates Supplier Guidelines, Again
https://sfa.ziplinelogistics.com/blog/walmart-otif-may-2019/ Over the last two years, Walmart has tightened their delivery standards. The strict guidelines were implemented to help the company run leaner and be more exact with inventory levels. Unfortunately, most suppliers have been unable to meet the strict guidelines. Walmart went from requiring a four-day shipping window in 2016 to a two-day shipping […]
Read More
Freight Outlook 2018: Q2 Trucking Rates Update
“The days of being able to grab a truck for a load on a turn of a dime are going to be coming to an end,” said Walt Dasher, co-owner of Glennville-based grower-shipper G&R Farms, to The Packer. Market conditions support Dasher’s freight rate statement. It’s new territory for both shippers and carriers nationwide. Here’s […]
Read More
10 Powerful Logistics Metrics to Watch for Success
Management guru Peter Drucker famously stated, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Controlling the performance of business operations, which includes your supply chain and transportation, is nearly impossible without business metrics and data analytics. These quantifiable measures and in-depth discoveries of useful information help evaluate the success of your organization in meeting […]
Read More
Zipline Logistics Releases Data Analysis and Freight Tracking Feature Set Enhancements for KanoPI Shipper Intelligence Platform
Columbus, OH – The digitally enabled third-party logistics (3PL) partner, Zipline Logistics, today released multiple new feature sets for its shipper intelligence platform, KanoPI. Zipline Logistics customers can now look deeper into transportation spend and performance with advanced data drilldowns and visualize freight in transit with track-and-trace capabilities. “The enhancements to KanoPI provide our shipping […]
Read More
Freight Rates Outlook 2018
The current freight market is one for the books. Extreme weather, E-Logs, increased volumes, higher fuel prices, and numerous other economic factors have all contributed to an increase in rates and a capacity shortage. The Wall St. Journal explains “a nationwide truck shortage is forcing thousands of shippers into a tough choice: postpone all but […]
Read More
Shipping on Weekends; Added Capacity
As a shipper, you have the option to move product on Saturdays and Sundays. The trucking industry doesn’t operate on a regular schedule. In fact, you can move goods 24/7, 365. Weekends and overnight are never off limits. But when SHOULD you take advantage of this added capacity? There are certain situations better suited for […]
Read More
ELD Mandate – One Month Update
Photo source: Overdrive The ELD Mandate has officially been in effect for one full month, and nearly everyone has experienced hiccups since its enforcement. In fact, FTR asked its audience if ELDs have had an impact since Dec. 17, 2017, and 97% of survey participants said yes. It’s been a bumpy adjustment period, to say the […]
Read More
Partial Load, Co-Loading, LTL, and Load-to-Ride Transportation
Partial truckload, co-loading, less-than-truckload (LTL loads), and load-to-ride all refer to shipping methods that put orders from multiple companies on one truck. Yet, each mode operates a bit differently and provides its own set of benefits. Deciding on the most optimal mode for your transportation needs can be daunting. (That’s why we’re here!) Decisions are […]
Read More