If you can't comply with today's strict delivery windows mandated by many retailers, consider expedited shipments, says Tom Goosmann, sales director of Panther Expedited Services. The cost will be much cheaper than the chargebacks and penalties a merchant will assess.

The third-party logistics services sector in the U.S. is set to expand by more than 13 percent this year, says Evan Armstrong, president of Armstrong Associates Inc. But the future will see more even more dynamic growth in such places as China and India.

Some shippers have treated their transportation providers like commodities, says Vincent Gulisano, chief customer officer of Greatwide Logistics Services, and that's not good. You can always find somebody to do a transaction, but partnering is what's key to your success.

The squeeze on capacity is continuing, and responsible supply chain managers have already ensured that their companies' transportation needs for the next year are under contract, says Vincent Chiodo, senior vice president of Transplace.