Beyond The Road | The ATS Podcast

Over the years, October has become synonymous with things like pumpkin pie, Sunday Night Football and piles of leaves begging for the chance to become a playground of color into which children tumble.  Don’t worry though, you won’t miss out on all the fun. You see, during its 31 days, October also brings mounds of excitement to the transportation world — creating new roadblocks and challenges for...

Protecting cargo is top of mind for many companies. That said, ensuring freight arrives at its destination in good condition can sometimes be challenging on open-deck shipments which have external elements, like the weather, to contend with. It’s not like you can avoid shipping these cargoes. So, what can you do to ensure your load is delivered damage-free? You’ve never been one to shrink from a c...

Freight brokerage companies are a staple piece of the transportation industry. With their assistance, companies with cargo to collect and freight to distribute can do so in a swift, and often cost-effective, manner. But what is a freight brokerage really? What do they do, how do they source capacity, what should you expect when working with one and, perhaps most importantly, how do they actually m...

September is a pivotal month in many respects. The seasons shift from summer to fall and shorts are swapped for long pants as the warmth of longer days slowly dims. For American families, nights spent at the ballpark watching children live out their Little League dreams, come to a close. Baseball cleats are exchanged for shin guards, the diamond for a grassy field.  That said, domestic life isn’t...

Sometimes, moving freight can be a frustrating process. Struggling to get solid pricing commitments from your transportation providers is more than frustrating though; it’s harmful to your bottom line and reputation.   In the pursuit of making yours a company that always delivers for its customers, understanding your transportation spot rates is crucial.  Too often, good businesses fall short of t...

There are three main options for transporting freight via marine vessel. These options are roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro), containerized/flatrack transportation and breakbulk. Without the proper understanding of, and expectations for, the international transportation service they use, many companies have trouble moving their freight in a time and cost-effective manner.  In a world of more than 190 count...

Your supply chain is only as good as its weakest link. Unfortunately, this title is sometimes held by the transportation providers you utilize — companies you rely on to help you deliver for customers.  Without a well-rounded network of carriers, meeting your business goals will be a constant struggle. Which raises the question: Why is it so difficult to maintain a network of reliable companies? ...

August is a month that can have a serious impact on the trucking industry, national supply chains and your shipping dollars — a fact that will hold true this year.  What makes August a unique time for the transportation marketplace? And what should are we expecting to see this year in particular? August can be a challenging time for underprepared shippers. However, with the right information and p...

Freight brokerages that operate with an agent model are a widely popular option used by shippers around our nation. These companies offer their service at a high level as they prioritize customer service and follow-through over everything. As you continue your pursuit of a well-optimized transportation network, agent-model freight brokerages are certainly worth consideration.  That said, agent mod...

Making the best transportation provider selection decision for your business will take more than a basic understanding of your options.  Selecting a single great transportation company can be challenging. Filling your network with them can feel next to impossible.  Choosing a company based on a single metric or quality alone won’t make this any easier. And, with so much at stake for your business...

If you’ve recently, or ever, used less-than-truckload or partial-truckload transportation services for your freight, you’re probably wondering why the transit timing for these shipments is so hard to predict -- especially at the time of pick up.  This can be extremely frustrating especially if you consider that your full-truckload shipments frequently arrive quicker than these other shipping servi...

Meeting the aggressive deadlines associated with project freight shipping takes a high level of oversight, comprehensive planning and a reliable mix of transportation options — a fact that’s not lost on you.  No one, yourself included, wants their project to be thrown off track due to a lack of options and an inability to find timely, cost-effective transportation solutions.  So, it’s understandab...

In the trucking industry, July makes busy bees of us all as produce season in southern states continues to ramp up and Q3 stretches its legs in anticipation of an exciting three months. While July is a great time to catch some much-needed rays out on the water with your friends and family, finding truck capacity may prove a bit trickier.  The 4th of July will be disruptive and practically every dr...

If, as a shipper, entering a drop trailer agreement with your provider has ever intrigued you, you’re in the right place.  Utilizing drop trailers can make a significant impact on the right supply chain, allowing these companies to gain efficiencies and keep their freight moving consistently.  Up to this point, though, it has likely been difficult to figure out whether a drop trailer program would...

Open-deck freight shipping using flatbed, step-deck and double-drop trailers, though an intricate process, shouldn't break the bank. You have a transportation budget to stick to and rigid freight requirements. That is why you can't afford to overpay for your open-deck shipment unnecessarily. However, with so many factors influencing the spot rates you receive, it can be difficult to budg...

National holidays are meant to be relaxing and stress-free, a time for reconnection with family and friends. When it comes to shipping freight over the days leading up to, or immediately following them, however, stress is often unavoidable. Why does moving freight around a national holiday get more difficult? Has it always been that way? Most importantly, is paying more to move your cargo unavoida...

June is interesting for the transportation industry; household goods season kicks off, construction projects commence and supply chain activities across industries ramp up. In this episode of Beyond The Road, Eric outlines some of the things shippers and logistics managers should think about when planning out their shipments during June. By prioritizing trailer type flexibility and maintaining a s...

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Logistics professionals and supply chain managers around the U.S. and the world are constantly seeking to take their dollars further. With so many things to deal with, achieving this end is often easier said than done. To name a few, the rising fuel prices, inconsistent transportation companies, and the ongoing truck driver shortage are things all shippers battle with. These things are out of your...