In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, attention is again being called to the security of the world's transportation systems. Concerns about port security, airport security and the inspection of cargo being transported on planes, trucks and ships have been at the forefront of the industry for a number of years. In 2012, the Obama administration failed to meet its goal of inspecting 100% of incoming container freight when it arrives at US ports. The government pushed this deadline back to 2016 - which is now upon us.
As most shippers know, carriers and 3PLs consider LTL (Less than Truckload) to be 6 or less standard sized pallets. Usually, LTL shipments weigh less than 10,000 lbs. Conversely, FTL (Full Truckload) shipments occupy an entire trailer (or close to it). The shipments which are too large for LTL, but smaller than FTL are referred to as Volume shipments. Volume shipments are similar to a partial load, and are moved via common carrier (UPS Freight, Saia, Conway, etc).
The most active shippers pay attention to industry trends so that they can project the transportation prices for their supply chain. In the trucking industry, the trends are looking very promising. The results are in from the first quarter of 2014, and trucking companies have a lot of reasons to celebrate. According to the reports, there has been a nearly 5% increase in shipping volume during the past quarter. This was one of the fastest quarterly increases in years in trucking. The trucking carriers are doing very well now.
Every shipper is trying to save money on shipping to help improve the bottom line for a supply chain. You use an instant freight quote tool and try to find the lowest rate. You think that you may have saved a few bucks in the process. It turns out that shippers might still be losing money. A recent Journal of Commerce report found that every year, US companies are losing billions of dollars to foreign corporations because of errors relating to the invoicing process.
When a shipper speaks to a freight forwarder about helping with logistics, there are several options for shipping. The options are shipping by ocean, by air, by rail and by truck. More often in the US, it seems that trucking has been the dominant form of transportation. This is a trend that continued to grow last year. According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry transported 69.1% of the freight last year. This total comprised of 9.7 billion tons of cargo.
The Shipper’s Export Declaration form is a US Census requirement for single commodities more than $2,500 in value. It is valuable in ocean freight shipping. All shippers should speak to their freight forwarder if they have any questions regarding this form. Here are five common questions about details that shippers have regarding this important form:
Promoting your business as an exhibitor in a trade show, convention or business expo can be a great thing. This event gives your business the opportunity to reach numerous interested clients at once. Most businesses prepare for trade shows by determining the visual setup of their booth, complete with large displays. Some exhibitor booths are so large at the trade shows that the booth literally includes a second floor connected by stairs.
