Truckload marketplace Transfix is adding a new dimension to matching drivers with available loads, says CEO Drew McElroy. By making greater use of smartphones, McElroy says Transfix makes more efficient matches, which reduces empty miles and driver wait times.

Reshoring is delivering wide-ranging benefits for an increasing number of U.S. manufacturers, who see it as a way to maintain (or regain) global competitiveness. According to the Reshoring Initiative, in 2003 about 140,000 jobs were lost to offshoring. In 2014, for the first time in two decades, the U.S. realized a net gain of 10,000 reshored jobs.

SmartCentres, the largest shopping center developer in Canada, has launched a popular drive-in pickup service for e-commerce customers. Located at existing shopping centers, Penguin Pickup accepts deliveries from any online retailer.

Mergers and acquisition in the 3PL industry are on the upswing, with deals in the first two quarters of this year outpacing all of last year, says Ronald Lentz of G2 Capital Advisors. Lentz looks at factors driving this trend and other issues impacting the industry's financial health.

Contract terms being demanded by shippers and consignees in their agreements with logistics providers have become unacceptably onerous and one-sided, says Philip M. Coughlin of Expeditors International. Coughlin details common requirements, such as shifting all risk to providers, which he considers unfair, as well as discussing ideas on how to move forward.

CEVA Logistics has opened a global distribution center in Born, the Netherlands for industrial spare parts.