Truckload carriers continue to innovate to remain profitable, particularly through service diversification and driver retention, according to TMW Systems' first Transportation & Logistics Study - North America For-Hire Truckload Carrier Benchmarking Survey. Truckload carriers that are diversifying their businesses are adding new higher margin services, including brokerage, logistics, LTL-to-TL consolidation, dedicated services and intermodal services. Those looking to expand are exploring dedicated services first (27 percent), followed by brokerage services (21 percent). The majority of them are working on an accelerated schedule, within a one-year time frame.

Digital coupon users spend 42 percent more per year at supermarkets than the average shopper - a differential of $1,029, according to a GfK report, based on more than 120 campaigns run by Coupons.com in 2012. This reflects a 7-percent increase compared to 2011.

A huge opportunity exists to develop new, safer materials as companies look to phase out hazardous substances and textiles from their supply chains.

Operational excellence is about five things: driving innovation; managing talent; improving customer retention; ensuring strategy aligns with tactics; and determining optimal enterprise velocity.

There are few issues guaranteed to make environmentalists' blood boil quite like packaging and food waste. From single bananas in plastic wrapping to giant bags of produce that spoil within days, packaging and food waste remain one of the most visible symbols of resource inefficiency and a source of deep frustration for green campaigners and mainstream shoppers alike.

A recent Deloitte study offers a concise overview of the challenges companies face within their supply chains and how they, in turn, can partner with their suppliers to solve current problems and prevent new ones.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has announced a program to engage and shape young executives to be the trucking industry's next great generation of leaders.

GHX has announced Case Xpert and Order Intelligence, reportedly the healthcare industry's first end-to-end supply chain solutions for managing and tracking implantable medical devices, including the physician preference items (PPI) used in operating rooms.

Automakers like Ford rely on thousands of tier-one suppliers to provide the materials, parts and services to make its final products. Many suppliers serve numerous automakers, and each of those suppliers, in turn, has multiple suppliers. Other industries' supply chains (such as electronics) are intertwined into the automotive supply chain. There are often six to 10 levels of suppliers between an automaker and the source of raw materials that eventually enter the manufacturing process. The breadth, depth and interconnectedness of the automotive supply chain make it especially challenging to effectively manage business and sustainability issues.

In the past year, there have been numerous articles debating whether "reshoring" is a myth or really happening. For example, the cover article of the April 22, 2013 issue of Time magazine was "Made in USA - Manufacturing is Back - But Where are the Jobs?"