Those specialized sectors, with their need for strict regulatory compliance and product control, have lagged other industries in the use of third-party service providers. But the picture is beginning to change, says Angela Watson, UPS's vice president of enterprise sales for the healthcare sector.

Rod Derifield, chief executive officer of Envirocooler LLC, outlines some of the new ideas and technology that providers are deploying to boost efficiencies in the movement of temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals.

There are three basic reasons why supply chain managers should pay attention to sustainability initiatives, says Kevin Smith, president and CEO of Sustainable Supply Chain Consulting.

Truckload motor carriers see demand picking up and are optimistic that 2010 will mark a strong recovery for the sector, says Kevin Burch, chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association and president of Jet Express.

The clean air standards for heavy truck engines that went into effect Jan. 1 of this year culminate a three-tier process that began with legislation passed in 2001. Don Kilfin, a fleet sales manager for Nalley Motor Trucks and retired Detroit Diesel executive, says the challenges for engine manufacturers in meeting these standards have been substantial and have come with a price.

Rather than take a hands-off approach to transportation, the U.S. Department of Commerce is very much involved in trying to bring efficiencies to the country's freight policies, says Joe Holecko, a global trade specialist with the department's International Trade Administration.