Definition of Freight Routing Guide  An inbound freight routing guide outlines the rules of engagement between a company and its vendors.

Definition of Transportation Software (TMS) A TMS is the software platform that companies use to manage their freight and logistics activities.

Definition of Managed Transportation Services Solution: Managed Transportation Services Solutions (Managed TMS) involve shippers outsourcing their freight and logistics processes to a third party logistics (3PL) provider.  

Definition of Logistics Logistics and logistics management is a subset of processes that fall under supply chain management that plans, executes, reports and coordinates the movement of goods within an organization’s network of stakeholders that include:

Often, companies start their quest in optimizing their logistics and supply chain management strategy by implementing a transportation management system (TMS) to improve their company’s cost and service structure for freight movements, while also bringing full transparency to all inbound and outbound product moves for its supply chain stakeholders.

As we have shared previously, less-than-truckload (LTL) can be one of the most difficult freight moves to get “right”.  Between NMFC class ratings, confusing tariff schedules, various service coverage maps and claims, there is plenty in play that can take a great deal of energy away from other priorities in a shipper’s logistics and supply chain strategy. With all the moving parts LTL brings, the priorities of cost and service often takes a back seat to just getting the product from your dock to the ultimate customer at a better cost than last year.

Today’s world requires companies to operate increasingly complex supply chains to optimize their results.  This new world view challenges shippers with import and export obstacles they have not previously had to negotiate, as both customers and suppliers do not all reside within the confines of the United States.

A couple weeks back, we wrote an article comparing a logistics service provider to a freight broker.  Within that article, we touched briefly on asset motor carriers and said we would come back to the discussion of comparing them to non-asset freight service providers.

Year-after-year logistics teams are tasked to reduce their freight spend and improve the supply chain performance of the company.  Time-and-again inbound freight management is not identified as an opportunity, which continues to have those in the logistics and supply chain industry scratching their heads as to why because according to the Aberdeen Group, inbound freight can consume 40% of an average organization’s annual freight spend or 3.6% to 5.2% of a firm’s total annual sales.  

Let’s face it, the freight audit and pay process is one of the least favorite tasks within the logistics industry.  One would think moving freight from anywhere in the country to anywhere in the country on any given day comes with challenges that would never approach paying a bill, but that is just not the case.