As the economy continues to recover, the demand for goods and services has steadily increased, but members of the supply chain should continue to carefully manage expenses, as there is still a long way to go.

Logistics Management recently released its 2011 Logistics Rate Outlook. The report anticipates how transportation logistics will fare this year. The logistics magazine believes that shippers will need tighter "spend management" when they determine routes because transportation costs will rise this year.

The price of fuel will have a big impact on the strength of the economic recovery, but there's widespread uncertainty of how energy will be sourced and paid for, Derik Andreoli, an energy analyst at the University of Washington, told the source. Read More.