Manufacturers and distributors often work with freight brokers. In fact, according to Armstrong and Associates, 90% of Domestic Fortune 500 companies “rely on third-party logistics (3PL) providers for outsourced logistics and supply chain services.” According to the report, 3PLs can increase supply chain efficiency, provide relevant...
Is Your Contract Rate too Low? JoAnne is a logistics manager for a midsize midwestern manufacturer. She’s been in logistics for a few years, so the ups and downs of the freight market aren’t new to her. But things are tough these days. Her regular contract rate...
Super Sizing You remember how it used to go back in the good old days. You’re in the McDonald’s drive-thru. A slight breeze is wafting in the opened car window, and you’re ordering a large order of fries to go with your Big Mac. That’s when...
Outsourced Logistics Here at AMT, we have lots of great customers we’ve been working with for a long time. That’s how it is when you’ve been in the business for 30 years. But what we really like to do is to figure out problems and create solutions...
“I don’t work with freight brokers.” Joe’s been in the manufacturing business for years now, and when a freight broker (or 3PL) makes a sales call, Joe usually snorts derisively. “I don’t work with freight brokers,” he says. “I work with asset-based providers.” The problem for...
Heard it at the truck stop. . . A couple of weeks ago, my husband Eric was gassing up his 1990 Ford Ranger at a local truck stop. Eric worked in trucking for a long time, so he enjoys meeting and talking with truck drivers (and...
The Candy Bar Scenario I know a guy. We’ll call him Merle. Merle is in his 50s, and he’s been working the same job for most of his adult life. He’s pretty comfortable. Nice house, nice family, a new car every couple of years. And Merle’s...
COVID-19 Sheds Light on Big Freight Broker Struggles Recent reports about a large brokerage and its refusal (in spite of an uptick in COVID-19 cases) to allow employees to work remotely, have us shaking our heads. It’s a no-brainer, really. Here at AM Transport Services, we’ve had...
Tight Capacity The summer freight market has continued to heat up with July hotter than June. According to Seth Holm, in a recent article on FreightWaves, “there are no signs of any sort of typical seasonality this year” and the Outbound Tender Volume Index “has crossed...
