Shippers are increasingly digitizing their operations, as transportation teams are asked to do more with the same or fewer resources in the current environment of rising costs, labor shortages and truckload capacity constraints. However, choosing the right technology partner must transcend a transactional exchange in order to customize solutions that meet the needs of unique processes and terminology.
To understand one such partnership, FreightWaves recently took a close look at Convoy’s...
At the outset of the pandemic, USA Truck and Convoy met in Seattle to discuss two challenges facing the industry: the waste from underutilized assets and the imbalances between freight supply and demand. Through their conversations, the companies identified the need for a new solution that expands access to elastic capacity, and forged an unlikely partnership.
The freight industry is no stranger to competitor collaboration with trailer interchange agreements and 3PLs working together on behalf...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-future-of-freight-collaboration-over-competition
The past 18 months conjured a perfect storm for the largest independent distributor of appliances in the United States. While appliance retailers remained open as an essential business, inventory was scarce due to international supply chain issues.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Almo Corp. historically relied on less-than-truckload freight for the appliances arm of its business, servicing smaller independent retailers. Almo operates distribution centers across the country as well as an...
The supply chain is becoming a mainstay of public concern as a result of COVID-19, but industry leaders know that supply chain health is historically fragile under natural and market forces: hurricanes, tariffs, wildfires, labor regulations, and carbon-reduction mandates. The rising demands of e-commerce amid increasing consumer expectations for fast and free shipping have only added more stress to the system.
The combination of these forces has pushed the supply chain into the spotlight,...
For Idaho’s largest and fastest-growing beverage distributor, the pandemic exacerbated its perennial supply chain issues: shortages of drivers, cans, pallets and ingredients. This suddenly caused a lack of control over inventory and freight management.
“Last year, we were really struggling with getting trucks and suppliers to ship in a timely manner, as well as find out where our trucks were,” said Brandon Elliott, supply chain specialist at Hayden Beverage. “That was a big thing — we didn’t...
While the subscription economy was thriving well before the pandemic, people stuck in their homes during the height of COVID-19 increased their spending on subscription box deliveries, accelerating this trend. Today, whether it’s a monthly delivery of clothing, a curated box of skin care or a handpicked collection of pet treats — the average American pays for two or more subscriptions.
Financial services firm UBS projects the subscription market to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2025, doubling the...
For the environmentally minded consumer, dropping an empty soda can or beer bottle into a recycling bin might at times be reduced to an act of faith.
In a recent interview with Ardagh Group, one of the world’s leading suppliers of metal cans and glass bottles, it became clear that on the supply side, recycling is more than faith; it’s strategy, data and, eventually, financial viability. In other words, the circular economy for aluminium and glass — a structure that benefits business, society and...
In 2017, The Home Depot announced an ambitious $1.2 billion investment in its supply chain, with a goal to construct approximately 150 logistics facilities in the United States within three years.
Today, that investment looks incredibly prescient, as The Home Depot’s focus on serving customers no matter how they shop – in stores or online – supported 80% digital sales growth in the third quarter of 2020, with 60% of those orders fulfilled at stores.
All told in the third quarter, The Home...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-home-depots-culture-of-supply-chain-innovation
While COVID-19 brought doom for some retailers, it was a boon for others. Forced lockdowns drove consumers to buy less apparel and more home decor, gym equipment and, believe it or not, toys for kids.
By September, toy industry revenue surged 19%, a figure excluding peak holiday season, which usually accounts for 40% of the toy industry’s revenue. Parents seem to be assuaging the world’s uncertainty and school closures by filling their children’s daily lives with colorful and educational...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/toy-seller-joyins-2020-boom-offers-lessons-in-agility
Executing automotive freight is hard. Assembly plants run on little inventory and need just-in-time deliveries. Inbound trucks often have multiple stops at suppliers before their final destination. The freight can be high-value and often must be handled with care. And great visibility data is crucial to measuring carrier performance and supplier efficiency.
The truckload carriers that run automotive freight tend to specialize in it and offer dedicated capacity solutions that can become embedded...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-faurecia-leverages-convoys-automotive-practice-group