Every fall for the past 27 years, Dr. John Langley of Penn State has published the Third Party Logistics Study. I have followed this study since its inception and have found it to be the annual “go-to document” for a thorough analysis of the current relationships between logistics service providers (LSPs) and their customers. Once […]

On August 11, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that over $2.2B would be awarded from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to award applicants. The amount is higher this year as a result of an influx of funds from what is now called the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Projects include […]

From time to time, one of the leading trade journals publishes a feature article on Freight Bill Audit & Payment (FBAP). Supported by FBAP advertisers, to some extent it is a “puff piece”; but usually, there is some good information about FBAP firms and their capabilities. According to the recent 2022 Third Party Logistics Study, […]

In April, we wrote about the then-upcoming hearing before the Surface Transportation Board on the continuing deterioration in rail service. This hearing, entitled “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service”, was held on April 26-27, 2022, and focused on complaints about poor service on four Class I railroads – BNSF, CSX, NS, and UP. In the […]

On June 21, 2022, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) released the 33rd Annual State of Logistics Report. This year’s report is entitled “Out of Sync”, and to a large extent, is a continuation of the discussion of the effects of the pandemic and other economic conditions affecting the supply chain.

For over 20 years, Armstrong & Associates and Penn State’s John Langley and his associates have examined the logistics service provider (LSP) industry. They have become the “go to” experts for the latest on LSP trends and innovations.

For the past three years, we have either heard and read about or experienced reduced levels of service in the trucking industry. Missed and delayed shipments have worked hardships on many firms and consumers. Many of the service deficiencies have been blamed on the pandemic, but in the motor carrier industry, a shortage of over-the-road drivers and the resulting service issues have been a continuing problem.

During the past few years, the term “last mile” has become an ingrained part of the supply chain vocabulary. Referring to the last leg of transportation from distribution point to user, it has become increasingly important as service demands have increased.

The beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Tiger on February 1 may have gone largely unnoticed, but it is beginning to look as if this Tiger year will bring some significant challenges and opportunities to the supply chain manager.

Several years ago, I wrote that the four major impacts on the supply chain during my career were deregulation of transportation, technology, globalization, and Walmart. Recently, a colleague asked me if I was ready to add a fifth, which of course would be Amazon.