Last week, rail carrier Norfolk Southern rejected a $28.1 billion acquisition offer by Canadian Pacific Railway. Norfolk did not solicit the offer, and rejected it on the grounds that Canadian Pacific's interest level is “grossly inadequate, creates substantial regulatory risks and uncertainties that are highly likely to be overcome,”. Canadian Pacific feels that an acquisition would make sense for several reasons - including attractive results for shareholders of Norfolk Southern's investors.
Earlier this week, Canadian Pacific released the following statement:
Does your company have inbound shipments coming from your suppliers? Whether coming from domestic or international points, allowing your vendors to arrange for shipping while they bill you can be probelmatic and costly. When your suppliers know that they're billing their customers for shipping, they are usually not very motivated to make sure their rates are as low as possible. Often, we talk to companies who say that their vendors include freight charges - but rest assured that they are simply building the cost of the freight into the goods you're buying.
Accessorials are charged when a shipment requires additioanl services during transit. Some of the most common accessorials are explained below:
Inside Delivery - If the shipper or consignee requires the carrier to move freight inside a structure, inside delivery will be assessed to the shipment.
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).
Shippers have many expectations for an exceptional LTL freight service. This includes relying on a special type of trucking service that is unique and can provide options for serving whole regions or the entire nation.
Shippers who plan ahead consistently turn to a 3PL, also known as a freight forwarder, for all of their trucking needs. Everyone knows that a 3PL provides a shipper with a tremendous opportunity to save money and save time on certain freight shipping requirements. But some people may not realize how the 3PL can provide all of these fantastic domestic shipping services, while staying under budget and on time.
