Watch this short video on the “Top Reasons Why You Need Logistics Plus.” If you’re not into videos, you can also read this similar online post we published a few months back.
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When you think of Valentine’s Day, you probably associate it with an abundance of flowers, boxed chocolates, and sappy love letters. Valentine’s Day is a holiday where millions of Americans will spend substantial sums of money on gifts to express their feelings of love, as they do every year. However, many most likely have no appreciation for the vital role that the transportation industry plays in the delivery of this special day.
Valentine’s Day is a great testament to how much consumers are willing to spend to show their love. What few people realize is that behind every bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates is an unseen and highly choreographed dance of logistics. This invisible performance can employ numerous modes of transport encompassing airlines, maritime shipping, as well as trucking, and even railroads. The successful execution of this supply chain will ensure that customers receive the gifts they desire, and the providers are rewarded for their efforts.
Achieving and delivering consistent results can be a challenging task for the Valentine’s Day deadline. Many variables enter the equation, including conditions where flowers are grown, as well as the weather on the big day. Also, careful control of temperatures during transport is critical to ensure no degradation of fragile floral cargoes. While other items purchased during Valentine’s Day may not require the demanding conditions as flowers, forecasting supply and demand for these items, like cards and candies, can affect profitability.
Though many do not consider the supply chain to be a vital component of Valentine’s Day, it’s clear how critical shipping is to this fruitful occasion:
We hope you enjoyed these fun Valentine’s Day supply chain facts. Keep Logistics Plus close at heart when considering your transportation needs throughout the year. We LOVE logistics – it’s in our DNA!
There’s a lot going on in the world of logistics right now. At Logistics Plus, we’ve been keeping pace with many of the current transportation and logistics trends, and here are some things to watch in both trucking and global logistics over the next several years.
What trends will you be watching in 2018 and beyond? What’s your most pressing logistics or supply chain challenges for the coming year? Some informational links are provided below if you are interested in further reading on trends within the transportation and logistics industry.
Key Takeaways from the 3PL Value Creation Chicago Summit 2017 (Armstrong & Associates)
Ten Trends Trucking Should Watch in 2018 (Fleet Owner)
3 Tech Trends Shaping the Future of Global Logistics (Supply Chain 247)
2018 Third-Party Logistics Study – Key Takeaways (3PL Study)
In case you haven’t had a chance to read the 2018 Third-Party Logistics Study, here are some key takeaways from the results and findings of the 22nd annual report by Dr. C. John Langley and Infosys:
Shippers Are Outsourcing More. 61% of shippers in the study noted that they intend to increase their usage of outsourced logistics services. Domestic transportation and warehousing remain the two most outsourced logistics services; however, outsourcing of information technology (IT) services had the greatest year-over-year increase for the second consecutive year (see graph).If you haven’t already, you should download and read the entire 2018 Third-Party Logistics Study. The authors also share some perspectives on the impact blockchains could have on logistics; automation and digitization in the supply chain; and the logistics talent revolution.
If you’re a shipper looking to outsource some or all of your transportation, logistics, or supply chain activities, let us know. We stand ready to help businesses address their most critical logistics challenges.
At Logistics Plus, we provide both 3PL and 4PL solutions. What’s the difference between a 3PL and a 4PL? In a nutshell, a 3PL is a partner that provides logistics services to a client using either their own assets, contracted assets, or both. Conversely, a 4PL is an integrated and outsourced partner, often with dedicated, onsite resources, that manages other logistics providers on a client’s behalf. In many of these situations, the 4PL provider becomes the de facto logistics department for the client. However, for many of our clients, the ideal Logistics Plus® solution lies somewhere in-between – or as we refer to it … 3½PL™ solutions.
With our 3½PL approach to 4PL solutions, we become a valuable extension to your existing supply chain management team. We provide you with onsite or offsite dedicated logistics resources and preferred access to both our own and contracted assets. That includes access to our National Truckload (NTL) capabilities, LTL and truckload solutions, warehousing and distribution options, import/export services, project cargo expertise, global trade compliance oversight, and technology platforms. An additional aspect of our 3½PL solutions is that they can be highly customized or even à la carte. Only need warehousing and fulfillment? No problem. Just need customs brokerage and freight forwarding? We can do that too. Need customized technology integrated with your shopping cart? We’ve got you covered.
In a 3½PL arrangement, even though our own assets and resources are available to you, we are not married to them if other logistics partners can provide better or more affordable solutions. That’s the beauty of this approach. As part of your team (and not a replacement for it), we can look up and down your supply chain, identify the greatest opportunities for improvements, and then act on them. So, not only do you get access to a nationally recognized great supply chain partner and a top freight brokerage firm, you do so without having to increase (or decrease, if that is a concern) your own staff. Additional benefits include:
The presentation shown below provides a general overview of our 4PL solutions. Although we still often refer to them as 4PL solutions, which is a more common industry term, you should know that our trademark 3½PL approach is a key point of differentiation that has led to many successful programs for clients such as GE Transportation, GE Oil & Gas, WeWork, Canadian Solar, HeroBX, and others. If you’d like to engage Logistics Plus to help you with your own logistics challenges, simply click the button below to get started.