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.

Linking supply chain and finance is vitally important at MeadWestvaco, says Brian McClure, the company's director of global procurement and supply chain. It helps boost operational excellence, which drives productivity.

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.

SERVICES is an acronym that stands for the menu of offerings that sets C.H. Robinson Worldwide apart from its competitors, says Jim Butts, senior vice president. But in the final analysis, a 3PL has to go beyond slogans and really partner with a customer if it is to realize its expectations.

Price is always important, says Jim Jones, vice president of business development and relationship management at DB Schenker. But the emphasis should be on obtaining the best overall solution. That pays huge dividends in the long run.

Business is moving toward a model of empathy for a partner's organization and its goals, both commercial and fiscal, says Michael J. Stolarczyk, president of Kontane Logistics. A long-term, solid relationship built on that kind of collaboration ultimately pays off for all concerned.

What better way to get greater productivity from your mobile workforce than by equipping it with the proper technology, Steve Tremitiere, vice president of sales at Airclic, asks. And the comparatively low cost is a key advantage of such solutions.

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.

Despite the recession's constraint on corporate pocketbooks, the future of outsourced logistics services is bright, says Cliff Otto, president of Saddle Creek Corporation, a logistics services provider. And shared space, an old concept, is seeing a surge of renewed interest from customers.