For all the enthusiasm surrounding the government's move to the cloud - and there's no shortage - one prominent federal CIO is emphatic that cloud computing, for all its virtues, is no panacea for the government's technology challenges.

Ernie Kremling, vice president of operations with KMG Chemicals Inc., relates the story of how the company selected a 3PL, and what kind of issues it was out to solve in the process. He is joined by Frank McGuigan, president of transportation management with Transplace.

The furious pace of energy exploration in North Dakota is creating a crisis for farmers whose grain shipments have been held up by a vast new movement of oil by rail, leading to millions of dollars in agricultural losses and slower production for breakfast cereal giants like General Mills.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has proposed revising hazardous materials regulations when it comes to return shipments of certain hazardous materials by motor vehicle.

Liquid bulk shipping requires complex planning and scheduling. For many oil, gas and chemical companies, getting the business in shape to manage incoming and outgoing shipments drives competitive edge. As prices fluctuate on a daily basis, understanding the options on large crude oil vessels and having up-to-date market information is vital when bidding on spot cargo to accurately schedule your fleet. Being able to take all unassigned ships to a legal berth, with all constraints considered, is a logistic and economic challenge. So, how can companies maximize profitability and avoid unnecessary demurrage costs?