Search

In this article the authors discuss the result of a survey conducted on twenty chief executive officers (CEOs) in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry in North America in 2007. They reveal that the average annual revenues declared by respondents ranged from 225 million dollars to 8.5 billion dollars. They also indicate that only 25 percent of the surveyed CEOs admit that their respective companies had exceeded revenue growth projections.

This article reports the findings of a survey of large American manufacturers concerning their use of third-party logistics services. Data generated in the survey show that the use of such services by this group of companies continues to grow and that the service providers continue to deliver logistics cost and service improvements to their customers, both domestically and internationally. Many of the users of third-party logistics services now share their service provider with their large vendors and customers, and this has contributed to supply chain integration. Few existing 3PL relationships were harmed by the recession as many providers and users collaborated to address related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides insights into the third-party logistics (3PL) industry by examining the results of a survey of the CEOs of eighteen of the largest 3PL companies in the U.S. Their responses to questions concerning current conditions in the industry and the industry's outlook are not only reported, but also analyzed and compared to the results obtained in previous surveys. Based on the data obtained, the authors raise important questions concerning the industry's prospects, as well as strategic initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a follow-up of a third party logistics (3PL) provider research undertaken by the authors during the past four years in the U.S. This research reveals the perspectives of chief executive officers (CEOs) of 1997 on the current status and future prospects of the 3PL service industry in the U.S. An annual survey of the CEOs of 25 of the largest U.S. corporations within the industry, based on annual sales volume, was conducted under the study. Most of these companies are subsidiaries of companies in the transportation or warehousing business, and they often engage in joint marketing and advertising activities with their corporate parents. While all 25 CEOs agreed to participate in the 1997 survey, only 21 completed questionnaires were returned. The responses indicated that industry practices vary widely, not only from company to company, but also from contract to contract. The most commonly reported format consists of a fixed management fee plus variable transaction charges. Among the other pricing formats reported were cost plus a performance incentive, and a variety of gain-sharing agreements.

This article focuses on logistics as a strategic variable in post-1992 Europe. Logistics will play a key role in determining whether American companies will remain competitive within the European Community (EC) after 1992. The Single European Act, which took effect on July 1, 1987, committed the EC to achievement of internal harmonization of member markets by removal of non-tariff barriers in both goods and services by December 31, 1992. The legislation provided for approximately 300 regulatory and policy changes to promote that harmonization. Many of those changes impact on transportation operations within the EC and consequently will affect the logistics activities of American companies operating in the Community. This study addresses these changes and discusses their implications for those companies. The 1987 legislation mandated the creation of a "free transport market without quantitative restrictions." Specifically, the legislation was intended to 1) eliminate delays at border crossings; 2) open transport markets to many new entrants while allowing existing carriers to modify their route networks; 3) simplify documentation; and 4) promote greater price competition among carriers.

The article focuses on the responses of general commodity motor carriers to just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing programs. These programs represent significant organizational commitments to improve the quality of finished goods, reduce all inventories to a near zero level, enhance production efficiencies and increase responsiveness to customer needs. The study presented here focused on the experiences of general commodity motor carriers in servicing JIT manufacturers. This group was selected for study not only because of the predominant role which trucking plays in supporting most JIT manufacturing programs, but also because of national market coverage of those carriers as a group. Six primary topics were addressed by this study. The first was the importance of the market for JIT services to the general commodity trucking industry. A survey questionnaire designed to address these issues was developed on the basis of feedback from experienced executives in logistics and the motor carrier industry. The individuals chosen were selected because of their past experience with JIT programs.

The article examines the impact of just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing programs on the corporate transportation component of logistics. JIT manufacturing programs represent organizational commitments to improve input and finished product quality, eliminate raw material and work-in-process inventories, increase manufacturing efficiency, and respond more effectively to market demand. JIT manufacturers seek to include their suppliers (both internal and external) in their programs to enhance effectiveness. These supplier-oriented programs include technical support for statistical quality control, sharing production planning information, and engaging in long-term contracts. The dramatic results achieved by companies implementing JIT manufacturing programs have been described in many publications, and articles addressing these matters are appearing with greater frequency. However, little attention has been given to the impact that a JIT commitment has on the corporate transportation component of logistics. Consequently, little is known about this subject and how related functions are being integrated into and affected by JIT.

The article explores the related status of labor or management relations in the major sector of the airline industry during the deregulation period. According to the article, labor costs per employee in the major segment of the industry have generally been held more in line with inflation. The most significant development of the deregulation period, according to the article, has been the trend toward the emergence of five or six very large majors through mergers that is likely to affect labor relations in the sector of the industry.

The article determines how widespread part-time employees and contracting out have become in the transit industry in the U.S. One long-standing target of critics of the transit industry is its labor-cost components. Payroll costs comprise nearly two-thirds of the industry's annual operating costs and the work force has often been criticized as being low in productivity. Consequently, considerable pressure has been exerted on transit management to make more effective usage of labor inputs. Two frequently suggested approaches to addressing this issue are increased use of part-time employees and contracting with outside firms to perform certain transit functions/services which historically have been provided directly by transit operators. While individual system development and efforts to measure its impact have given the part-time employee issue considerable visibility during the past several years, little information has been gathered concerning the extent of its use in the transit industry in general.

Focuses on the role of public opinions regarding automobile safety in the development of automobile safety programs in the U.S. Role of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the development of automobile safety programs; Federal regulations regarding the installation of airbags in new automobiles; Success of recent efforts to combat drunken driving.