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.

Choosing the right supply chain is key to being a good steward of the environment, says Darrell Zavitz, vice president, supply chain, at the Dow Chemical Company. Moreover, there's always good business value in waste reduction and energy conservation.

In negotiating, you can be self-defeatingly muscular or benign, says Kate Vitasek, on the faculty of the Center for Executive Education at the University of Tennessee. Or you can be credible. That's a lesson supply chain managers can learn from Professor Oliver Williamson.

The truck driver shortages of 1983 and 2004 could be dwarfed by what's coming by 2012, in the view of Tom Nightingale, chief marketing officer at Con-way. New hours-of-service rules and CSA 2010 are doing nothing to help that situation. Still, there are ways to prepare for the crunch.