Logistics List

Midwest 3PL & Logistics Services

Logistics List — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:56:14 +0000

The Midwestern United States (typically known as the “Midwest”) is one of the most important logistics corridors in the country and just about any logistics company that matters has some presence in this vital region. With a population of more than 66 million residing in these 12 states, it is one of the most important of the 4 geographic regions in the US.

From Chicago, the third largest freight handler in the world and the single largest rail transfer in the United States to key distribution points in St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis/St. Paul among others, the Midwest is home to professional 3PL service providers strategically located to best service the midwest region and to create strong anchors in nationwide warehousing and distribution networks.

Midwest Logistics Companies by State

The Midwest has long been a logistics stronghold and you will find quality third party logistics companies providing warehousing, freight management, and integrated logistics providers in all states in the Midwest. As you can see, we have officially launched the entire Midwest region at Logistics List with listings from 3pl companies in each market.

Pacific Northwest Logistics & Warehousing

Logistics List — Sat, 15 May 2010 20:57:16 +0000

The Pacific Northwest has always been a key region for the logistics industry but it is likely to emerge as a growth area in the 3PL industry as the population in the surrounding areas continues to grow and as our trade with China picks up.

While Southern California had the most notable spike in traffic during the recession, the Pacific Northwest with its key ports in the Portland, OR and Seattle, WA markets, will become increasingly important in the coming years.

Currently around 70% of international cargo coming into the region is intermodal and transferred via rail to bigger inland markets such as Chicago. But with West Coast trade volumes set to double by 2020, the Pacific Northwest is set to become key to supporting this growth.

For companies looking for reliable logistics and warehousing services in the pacific northwest there are many excellent logistics companies in Seattle and 3pl providers in Portland.

What is a 3PL

Logistics List — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:07:50 +0000

For people new to the supply chain management and logistics industry, the term “3PL” is likely an unfamiliar term. This is certainly not surprising as every industry always has there own set of acronyms and buzz words, but I’d like to provide some clarity to the commonly asked question, What is a 3pl?

A couple years ago I put together a list to provide a 3PL definition but truly understanding what a 3PL company is and the services they provide really deserves a more in depth explanation.

While it isn’t immediately clear exactly who coined the term 3pl, its beginnings can be traced to the 70′s and 80′s as companies outsourced more and more logistics services to 3rd parties. Over time these 3^rd party logistics service providers (3PLs) expanded their services to cover specific geographies, commodities, modes of transport and integrated their existing warehousing and transportation services, becoming what we now know today as a “3PL”

If there was any one moment that paved the way for the creation and growth of the 3PL industry it was the trucking deregulation of the 1980’s. More specifically it was Motor Carrier Act of 1980 that limited the Interstate Commerce Commission’s authority over trucking which had previously heavily regulated rates and made it near impossible for newcomers to start companies in the trucking industry. With the exception of a few companies with degrees of integration, for the most part the industry was very separated. There were trucking companies, the railroads and then there were storage companies. With trucking deregulation, companies that had previously been in warehousing were given more freedom to move into freight management, and increased competition in trucking moved some trucking companies into warehousing as well.

Another important footnote in the evolution of the modern 3PL was the emergence of IT into trucking and warehousing starting in the 1980’s and into the 90’s. Today technology is among the core competitive advantages of third party logistics providers. Not only are they integrated providers of warehousing and transportation services, but they leverage sophisticated logistics software and inventory management technologies. Also incredibly vital in the history of the 3PL was the move towards globalization. While companies started out with one location and a small fleet of trucks, through both organic growth and aggressive mergers and acquisitions the largest 3PLs were conceived with locations across the globe.

As the 3PL industry continues to mature the role of the third party logistics provider in the supply chain will no doubt continue to evolve, but this is at least a basic overview into its origins and an answer to the question “What is 3PL?”

5 Key Steps to Optimize Warehouse Management

Logistics List — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:17:49 +0000

In these challenging economic times, it is not surprising that managers across all areas of supply chain are being asked to do more with less. In fact, 51% of respondents are feeling the pressure to manage change without increasing staffing or warehouse space.

Learn the 5 Key Steps for 3PL, logistics and supply chain professionals to consider through 2010 in this free report from the Aberdeen Group.

This report provides a picture of how Best-in-Class 3PL providers have leveraged Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) together with process improvements to achieve positive results at a time when many cannot. It also provides guidance to under-performing organizations so that they may find a viable path from current struggles to future success.

Request Free Report “5 Key Steps to Optimizing Warehouse Management”

Also see Logistics List’s newest Logistics White Papers

4 New States Added to 3PL Directory

Logistics List — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:06:00 +0000

To ring in the beginning of 2010, we have again expanded Logistics List into 4 new states in our continued mission to expand the depth of our leading 3PL directory serving the warehousing, transportation, and distribution industries.

The new states added to Logistics List include:

Indiana (logistics providers in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Elkhart, IN)

North Carolina (3pl companies in Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, NC)

Tennessee (3rd party logistics providers in Nashville & Memphis, TN

Colorado (logistics companies in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, CO)

We’d like to thank you for your continued support and patronage of our growing logistics directory. We’ve taken great pride since 2005 in helping companies find quality third party logistics providers and trusted partners that can meet the specific requirements of their supply chain.

Logistics Executive’s Strategies for Weathering the Recession

Logistics List — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:59:00 +0000

Over the last year, logistics and supply chain management executives worldwide have been working tirelessly to respond to the recession and develop next generation supply chain strategies to get their respective organizations back on track.

The Aberdeen group recently released a valuable year end report titled “The Supply Chain Executive’s Agenda 2009: Weathering the Recession” examining the strategies leading companies are adopting to weather the recession and better position themselves as the market begins to remove.

Find out how your organization can achieve best-in-class results

Develop cost reduction strategies
Increase perfect order deliveries
Boost perfect shipments received
Create accurate supply chain forecasts

Access these valuable strategies and research for free (a $399 value)

Request free copy of “Supply Chain Executive’s Agenda 2009″

(a $399 value, offer ends Jan 1, 2010)

Also check out more free logistics white papers from Logistics List

Florida & New York added to 3PL Directory

Logistics List — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:39:00 +0000

In our continued expansion into additional regions, we are happy to announce the addition of new extensions to Logistic List’s regional offerings covering logistics companies in Florida (focusing on 3PL providers in the FL marketing including Jacksonville, Orlanda, Miami, and Tampa) as well as a long overdue section for New York 3PL companies for logistics providers serving the greater New York area.

Also for you folks that are into social media we also would like to announce our arrival on twitter. Feel free to follow us @logisticslist. If there is a state that you think we should add next to our logistics directory please let us know.

3pl Study 2009

Logistics List — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:49:00 +0000

This year’s annual 3pl study sponsored by Oracle, Capgemini, Georgia Institute of Technology and Panalpina was just recently released.

Since its inception 14 years ago, the Annual Third Party Logistics study has documented the growth and evolution of the 3PL industry.

The 2009 3PL study includes four streams of research:

a web-based survey
workshops with shippers
leveraging the Capgemini Accelerated Solutions Environment
focus interviews with industry executives.

To request a copy of the full study click here

New Regional 3PL Directories

Logistics List — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:00:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce the launch of two new regional directories at Logistics List covering Logistics Companies in Texas and 3PL Providers in Ohio. Our mission is to continue building out our directory to serve all of the major markets for warehousing and transportation services. While a good number of the logistics companies listed have a national presence it continues to be valuable to our visitors to be able to drill down and get a list of leading 3PL’s in each individual market.

If there is a state that you are looking for that we don’t presently cover look out in the coming months as we begin to add new states to our directory.

Also if you are looking for warehousing, transportation, or logistics quotes in any city or region please complete our logistics information request form to receive up to 5 competitive quotes from respected providers in the industry. Click Here

Logistics Service Providers & Lead Logistics Providers

Logistics List — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:46:00 +0000

In this increasingly volatile business environment, logistics providers continue to look for ways to define themselves and deliver best-in-class services. But a lot of times these attempts at differentiation lead to confusing jargon and acronyms that continue to be built upon year after year.

A few years ago I wrote a post to help distinguish the difference between 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th party logistics. The other day I read a great article in DC Velocity that claimed there was a consultant out there that was trying to define “5th party logistics”.

The latest jargon that is now gaining adoption is that of the Logistics Service Provider and Lead Logistics Provider

Logistics Service Provider – An LSP is really what most people would see as a traditional 3PL provider offering a combination of warehousing and transportation services or one or the other. As global and multi national providers enter the game, things have certainly changed, but the Logistics Service Provider at its core is fundamentally the same.

Lead Logistics Provider – An LLP is the new term that consultants now more frequently use instead of 4PL. At the most basic level a Lead Logistics Provider is nothing more than a Non-Asset Based 3PL, but there is certainly an emerging field of logistics providers that oversee and manage a portfolio of warehousing and transportation providers from a higher level.

At the end of the day you can call 3PL providers whatever you want but its still about storing and shipping things.

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