Activity-based costing (ABC) is an important financial tool for trucking companies, says Paul Dugent, vice president of pricing and traffic at Estes Express Lines. The cost elements allocated to customers through ABC are used to help determine the price of services, though pricing "is more art than science."

Shippers are looking to turn over responsibility for logistics, and third parties are happy to oblige. But are they ready for what 2010 will bring?

Trucking companies today are taking a more strategic view of information technology, says Ben Wiesen, vice president-products at Carrier Logistics.

Using automated tools to record the physical dimensions of packages, pallets and loose freight helps carriers and shippers capture additional revenue and optimize available warehouse space, says Jerry Stoll, marketing manger at Mettler-Toledo, which makes dimensioning systems for the supply chain.

Soliciting, analyzing and awarding transportation contracts through a bid process is a complex process. To get the best outcome, transportation buyers need to conduct a thorough opportunity assessment and make sure they have the infrastructure and framework in place to effectively manage the bidding process, says Art Nourot, senior director of carrier procurement at Unyson Logistics.

Mileage-based rates within the trucking industry typically are not calculated using actual miles driven. Instead, they generally are based on historical zone-to-zone mileage or on the standard shortest possible route between two points. That's known as "practical routing," explains Craig Fiander, vice president of marketing at ALK Technologies, which provides mileage mapping software.

A networked transportation management service, in which key supply chain participants share information and visibility through a central hub, is more cost efficient and more effective than traditional transportation management applications, says Alan Dunkerley, vice president of product management at Descartes Systems Group.