Transportation & Distribution

Nothing gets software vendors more excited than new government regulations. Sarbanes-Oxley was a boon to enterprise software companies a few years ago. It allowed them to walk down the hall from the CIO's office and talk to the chief financial officer, the person who controls the company's purse strings. Similarly, TMS vendors welcomed the new Hours of Service regulations when they first went into effect in 2003. It was part of the "perfect storm" shippers and carriers were facing at the time (along with rising fuel costs and capacity constraints) that served as a catalyst for TMS sales. The latest regulation that has vendors seeing dollar signs is the Importer Security Filing (ISF) rule, better known to folks in the industry as "10+2."

In Uncertain Times, Get Back to Basics

February 24, 2009

Brad Wyland, senior research analyst, Aberdeen Group

Today's economic uncertainty has brought transportation and distribution operations back to the board room. The fluidity of the supply chain is critical to the long-term success of the organization and should be on everyone's mind.

Back to the Future for Shipper-Carrier Relations

February 24, 2009

Chris Caplice, executive director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics

Expect shipper-carrier relations in 2009 to take a more shipper-centric shape with the shippers dictating the terms. While this is probably not the best long-term strategy, short-term cost pressures will drive many shippers to behave as if this is 1999 and not 2009.

Plugging Into Sensor Networks

February 24, 2009

Dr. Jarrod Goentzel, executive director, MIT-Zaragoza Intl. Logistics Program

Over the next decade, integration of sensor networks will provide a wide variety of real-time data to improve various aspects of business activity and public life-from highway maintenance to healthcare delivery, from energy peaks to emergency services, and from intermodal freight to intelligent transit. Companies that access and leverage these emerging systems and communities early could realize not only a step improvement in supply chain visibility but also enhanced profiles of their mobile customer base.

Transportation & Distribution

The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding transportation and distribution and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are shipping and delivering perishables and manufactured goods faster and farther around the world than ever before through transportation and distribution solutions. New technologies that provide information during local and global shipments via air, ground and sea are transforming the way companies do business - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using transportation and distribution solutions to power their supply chains.