The New Faces of Trucking

Leilani and Cheyenne are the first female students enrolled in Patterson High School’s trucking driving program.

Leilani and Cheyenne are not your typical high school students. What sets them apart is that they both share a passion for trucking and see the vast opportunities that industry offers. The students attend Patterson High School, in Patterson, California. Leilani is a senior and is enrolled in one of the first high school trucking programs in the nation. Cheyenne is a junior who is enrolled in the school's supply chain and logistics management class and will be enrolling in the trucking program next year when she is a senior.

The passion these young students have is definitely not the norm as reflected in the current representation of women who are commercial truck drivers—approximately just 6 percent of the commercial truck driver workforce is made up of females and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is up only 1.1 percent since 2008.

Having launched this unique high school program in 2017 as a way to proactively address the driver shortage, Dave Dein, CDL coordinator and instructor, is more than ecstatic to have Leilani, his first female truck driving student, enroll in the class this year.

"It takes great courage and grit to choose to be the first at anything," he says. "I have utmost respect for Lelani to pursue a career in this male-dominated industry and I will do everything I can to support her."

He is equally excited that Cheyenne is also looking at trucking as a career path because it will provide the financial stability, adventure, and challenge that she is looking for.

Dein sees the need to not only promote the vast opportunities trucking offers to females, but he also understands the importance of providing support for those who choose to enter into this industry.

"It is apparent that if we expect to see any significant change in the number of women entering into this industry, there has to be a consistent and an intentional course of action for them to have positive female role models they can connect with," he says.

After Leilani enrolled this year, the first thing Dein did was to find out what resources are currently available to help support females in the trucking industry. He didn't have to search long. The nonprofit Women in Trucking quickly stood out as a premier organization that is dedicated to providing support, resources, and networking opportunities.

One way Leilani and Cheyenne can experience this firsthand is to attend the Women in Trucking Accelerate! A conference, where the students will be able to meet women who have generated their own success in the trucking industry. They can attend seminars designed to empower women and enable them to take on the challenges that they will certainly have to face.

Dein so understands the importance of having Leilani and Cheyenne attend this conference that he created a GoFundMe page to help raise the necessary funds for them to attend.

"My personal goal is for both these young women to find success in the industry," Dein says. "I hope they can come back and be the necessary and needed role models who will inspire a whole new generation of females to carve out their own road in this exciting industry."

Top 4 Mobile Apps for Logistics and Trucking Professionals

The right mobile application can make a world of difference for logistics professionals who rely on smartphones or tablets to help them do their jobs.

Whether it’s your phone’s GPS that safely guides you to an unfamiliar location or a well-integrated app that keeps all your spare thoughts conveniently in one spot, there’s an app to help get you through even the toughest of daily tasks.

Here’s is our top 4 mobile apps for making your logistics or trucking job more organized, efficient, and convenient.

1. Evernote

While not specifically designed for the warehousing and logistics field, Evernote is a regular atop many best app lists. It’s free, simple, and there’s no productivity app that comes close to its utility.

Evernote is on every mobile platform and is fully integrated into all major web browsers. Use this virtual notebook to take notes and create to-do lists or use its voice recording technology to dictate ideas on the fly.

2. Dock411

We host all the details you could possibly want to know about your stop. Want to know if you can use the bathroom? What’s the wait time? Do they have a driver’s lounge and are dogs allowed? Need somewhere to rest for the night? Maybe they have overnight parking. Details like these are important when you’re heading somewhere new. Learn what other drivers have to say about a drop-off. We have 70+ Dock Attributes to help make your trip smoother.

3. Smart truck route

Instant Truck Routes on your Android Smartphone, Tablet or Apple iPhone!

SmartTruckRoute helps you Save Gas, Save Time, and Stay SafeDriving a truck is hard enough without worrying about navigation. The SmartTruckRoute GPS app creates truck-specific routes with free live map updates, so your maps will always be up to date.  Commercial drivers can now navigate with confidence

4.  Freight Tracer

FreightTracer is the freight industry’s most powerful Full-Truck Load GPS Management Tool. You now have the ability to track your freight in real time, regardless of whether you use company drivers, asset-based trucking companies or third-party logistics (3PL) companies.

Road Trip Planning Tips for Professional Truckers

An experienced truck driver understands the importance of planning each road trip ahead. Planned trips make for higher profits, while also easing stress on drivers. Having a set schedule for when you take breaks for meals, to re-fuel, and rest are vital to making it as a professional truck driver. Here are a few tips to help you on your journey. 

• Check the weather. Use a weather app on your phone to keep track of the daily forecast. Account for heavy showers, and if possible, plan your trip around bad weather areas. 
• Consider your location. If you are traveling in a mountainous region that requires a lower speed limit, and challenging driving conditions, then account for the extra time in your planning. Other things to consider include border crossings and expected traffic delays. If certain areas are prone to traffic build-ups later in the day, plan to arrive there extra early to avoid the crowds. 
• Plan fuel stops in advance. There can be a big difference in fuel prices from one state to the next. Do your research and plan ahead as to where you can get the best deal when filling up. 
• Grocery shopping. While the occasional restaurant stop is good for meeting new people and giving yourself a proper break, it’s good to stock up on foods to keep on hand during the day. Plan trips to stores with big parking lots able to accommodate your truck’s size. 
• Allow extra time. Always plan on allowing yourself more time than you’ll need. It’s good to leave extra room for the unexpected. It also looks good to clients when you arrive ahead of schedule. Keeping yourself ahead of time allows you to maintain proper speed without rushing, and to keep yourself safe while on the road. 
• Keep extra supplies on hand in remote areas. It’s extremely important to make sure you have food and essential supplies on hand, especially when traveling in remote areas. If you were to break down, you will be glad you took the necessary precautions. 
• Use an app. There are several apps out there that make road trip planning easier. Use Google maps as a way to add multiple destinations. Another great one specifically designed for truckers is the Smart Truck Routes, which is great for managing time. If your headed to pick up from a load use the DOCK411 app it is an excellent tool. 
• Keep maps on hand. While we live in a modern age of technology, there are times when things break down or you lose reception while on the road. In this case, keep some maps on hand for back up. It may also help to have a interstate travel guide on hand, such as The Next Exit, a complete guide of interstate highway exits.

Planning ahead can help to minimize stress while on the road. Keep a dated notebook of your planned itineraries, check in frequently with the weather and projected traffic to alter your schedule as needed, and with a little extra planning you’ll make your stops with plenty of time to spare. 

Best Truck Stops

Best Truck Stop.

Whether you need diesel stations to fuel up, looking for a delicious homemade meal like grandma used to make or just looking for a place with truck parking to rest, these are the best truck stops perfect for truck drivers.

• Creek Travel Plaza – Atmore, AL
• Karde’s 151 – Monticello, IA
• Gore’s Travel Plaza – Seiling, OK
• Association of Christian Truckers – Brownstown, IL
• BJs Travel Center – New Madrid, MO
• Hixton Travel Plaza – Hixton, WI
• Kwik Trip Travel Center – Austin MN
• Kwik Trip #202 – Plover, WI
• Refugio Travel Center – Refugio, TX
• Texas 87/ Tiger Truck Stop – Esperanza, TX

What Makes It a Best Truck Stop?

 Truck stops and travel centers with available truck parking, fantastic customer service and useful amenities like showers, repair services, laundry facilities and WiFi found themselves a cut above the competition.

It’s no secret, truck drivers love to eat. That’s why restaurant options and food quality were also included in our decision-making when ranking the best truck stops. The next time you are traveling through America, be sure to check out one of these nearby truck stops.

Need access to the ports? Contact us today, we get you in, out and on your way.  www.crowntwic.com

Adding Value to Your Supply Chain

 

Demand to provide the optimal customer experience continues to escalate, and companies must continually seek out better ways to deliver customer satisfaction and retention. Many companies find that value-added logistics services help give their supply chain a competitive edge. Once limited to services such as shrink-wrapping, display building, and rainbow pallets, value-added capabilities now include everything from inscription and embroidery to configuring kits for e-commerce or inserting coupons or brochures in packages.

Wondering if it's time to add value to your supply chain? Duane Sizemore, senior vice president, marketing and business development with Saddle Creek Logistics Services, examines how value-added services can benefit your business.

1. Expand product offerings. From building gift baskets to creating twin-packs, value-added services help give your customers more buying choices.

2. Get products shelf ready. Value-added services such as price marking, tagging, and display building help to streamline the process of getting products on store shelves.

3. Enhance customization capabilities. Personalization is one of today's hottest trends. Want to offer a choice of embroidered logos on apparel? Allow customers to choose the face plate for their cellphone? Value-added services can help you deliver.

4. Manage inventory more efficiently. With the ability to customize products, you're able to stock fewer SKUs, thereby reducing the cost of carrying and managing inventory.

5. Reduce the number of suppliers. By asking your existing partners to perform more value-added functions, you can reduce the number of suppliers and streamline your supply chain. Even materials such as cardboard for displays can be shipped to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to be built and sent out with customer orders to eliminate one step in the process.

6. React faster to changing business needs. With value-added operations close to the end customer, you can delay product configuration until the last possible minute to respond more accurately to customer demand.

7. Manage transportation costs. The closer packaging facilities are to manufacturing operations, distribution centers, or end destinations, the more cost effectively you can transport products.

8. Control labor costs. With automated solutions and careful review of supply chain processes, value-added services can help eliminate downtime and reduce the number of touches required in the packaging process—ultimately saving money on labor.

9. Ensure continuous improvement. If you team up with a 3PL, they can assist with process reengineering, packaging needs assessment, component purchasing, and supplier evaluation to ensure value-added services are delivering what customers demand.

10. Find a partner. Incorporating value-added services can be challenging. Experienced 3PLs can be valuable allies. They offer the flexibility and resources to accommodate unique requirements, seasonal fluctuations, and business growth. Many of today's 3PLs approach value-added services with a spirit of collaboration.

How Tariff-Proof Is Your Supply Chain Strategy?

Rethinking your approach in a time of uncertainty.

Shailesh Bhadauria

The United States government’s decision to introduce trade tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has kickstarted widespread tariff changes across the major world economies with strong responses from other countries, and further retaliations announced. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, recently met with President Donald Trump to try and de-escalate this issue.

In mid-July, China put in a complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding additional tariffs proposed by the U.S. on Chinese goods, at a value of $200 billion. The U.S. has proposed these further tariffs in a tit-for-tat exchange against retaliations across the globe from the initial tariff changes issued by Trump. A global trade war is forming, and the IMF has reported this could cost the global economy, by lowering worldwide growth by as much as 0.5% by 2020, amounting to around $430 billion in lost GDP.

Regardless of whether these trade tariffs do escalate into a full-scale global trade war or not, they will affect an increasing number of industries over the course of 2018 and into next year. Whatever the ultimate outcome, in this period of uncertainty, businesses must look to dynamic supply chain strategies to address an ever-changing landscape. Here’s a look at the impact this issue may have on industrial companies, along with suggestions for appropriate mitigation strategies.

The Impact on Industrials

The US has levied an import duty of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum. The EU has proposed retaliatory measures in response, imposing 25% tariffs on US motorcycles, denim, cigarettes, cranberry juice and peanut butter, among other products. Although there are foreseen job increases for those working in steel and aluminum industries within the U.S. due to the protectionist move, the impact is already being felt among those industries most dependent on steel and aluminum imports—such as the automotive, building, machinery and consumer appliance industries, as well as on those who are gaining protection from such measures.

Vehicle manufacturing: Automotive uses just over a quarter of total steel consumption in the U.S., and 40% of the aluminium.

Harley Davidson recently announced a plan to move some production operations from the U.S., as the levies introduced in response to the U.S. will increase its costs by as much as $100 million a year.

Volvo recently opened its first U.S. factory, a $1.1 billion plant in Charleston, South Carolina. This will help partially insulate the automaker from the threat of tariffs and encourage Volvo to source more parts in the U.S., which is presumably what the Trump team would want. But it will not help the company if it wants to export vehicles during a global trade war. The more likely result is less U.S. investment, not more. Volvo’s CEO has indeed stated: “If we go back to the 19th century when everyone wanted to protect their own market, that is definitely not good for the wealth of nations. That would really be bad—not just for Volvo.” Volvo had promised to hire 4,000 employees for a new plant in South Carolina, but has said it may have to break this promise as a result of the tariffs.

Building and construction: uses 43% of total steel consumed in the U.S. and 14% of the aluminium.

The increase in import costs has forced America’s largest nail manufacturer, Mid-Continent Nail, to lay off employees. There is concern that more layoffs will come.

Consumer appliances: The 20% tariff on washing machines in January helped  Whirlpool Corp: it had been losing market share to Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung, and had asked the U.S. government for protection from competitors. The company has created 200 new factory jobs, thanks to the tariff introduction.

Mitigation Tactics: How to Prepare and Respond

With the shift in trade policies, we now have many countries looking to alternative sources of products outside of the U.S.—and creating trading links with them—and we have businesses looking to move to more regional production within their home country.

As this increases supply chain complexity and, ultimately, costs, buyers should investigate alternative supply sources. When assessing suppliers from non-exempted countries, emphasis should be on the long-term supply chain risks. It is also advisable to include in the equation the impact a shortage of supply would have on manufacturing and operational costs.

Another factor to consider is an increase in the cost of raw materials throughout the production chain. For instance, the tariffs on steel and aluminium imported from China may increase raw material costs by 2 to 5%. This may not be enough to increase product costs in all cases, but there are certainly circumstances when cost escalation is hard to avoid, and the end-consumer has to bear the brunt as product prices increase. Cost rationalization, in this case, becomes critical for procurement. Sourcing restructuring and more effective supplier negotiations, for example, with a focus on the categories not affected by tariffs, may help offset the unavoidable cost increases. Since the duties are imposed on aluminium and steel, companies can try and optmize their spend on other metals such as copper, nickel, titanium, cobalt—as no matter what you do, the cost of buying aluminum and steel will result in increased cost of components dependent on these two materials.

 An escalation in trade conflicts could also lead to more processed and therefore value-add products included in the retaliations and escalations. And as manufacturers pass the cost increases to customers, they risk losing market share. Take a textbook example of the duopoly between Boeing and Airbus. If Boeing increases customer pricing given an increase in raw material costs, then it will certainly lose business to its European competitor. Boeing, in this scenario, can use alternate materials like composites and carbon fibers, which is the case in the latest aircraft, along with cost rationalization through productivity improvements. The result: optimizing logical costs and earning somewhat lower margins—and eventually earning more through maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) contracts, which run for 10-15 years.

To adapt their category strategies as global trade changes, procurement teams need to more closely monitor commodity prices and how they may impact sourcing, quality and supply continuity. By working hand-in-hand with the commercial and finance teams—and being involved in all strategic discussions that take place within the  business—procurement can respond and advise depending on how global trade shapes up in the future.

Both internal and external data and intelligence should be leveraged to generate insights to help plan for future scenarios, as well as improve risk mitigation across the business. One way to ensure that knowledge is captured and shared is to form a cross-functional team, with representation from across the business—covering supply chain, government relations, marketing, strategy and finance. Bringing in outside perspectives from third-party experts to provide specialized analysis on specific categories or supplier environments can also add value.

Are freight forwarding companies at a crossroads?

Technology companies promise to disrupt the freight forwarder, but will they succeed?

AUTHOR

Edwin Lopez@EdwinLopezT37

Innovation is spreading like wildfire upon the logistics world, promising to disrupt the freight forwarding process like never before. Online load boards; cloud-based freight marketplaces; connected containers; online customs processing.

As consumers, have become conditioned to expect services on demand, businesses too will begin to feel the pressure of customer service. Like e-mail did to fax, or bank statements to endless teller lines, shippers are looking to bypass the micro inefficiencies — those bureaucratic delays that add up, making the entire process slow and burdensome.

In fact, the process is so complex that shippers have long outsourced it to an agent: the freight forwarder. A shipper may choose to contract independently with the truckload carrier, a customs broker and an expeditor for emergencies — in fact, many do — but the forwarder pledges to take on the burden otherwise. A supply chain manager must worry about S&OP and excess inventory, why should they have to file customs documents, too?

Yet the emergence of new, convenience-driven technologies has raised a troubling question: If the process becomes more efficient, will the forwarders’ job become obsolete?

1. Why freight forwarders are not threatened by automation

The answer to that question is, not anytime soon, both traditional and next-generation forwarders told Supply Chain Dive. At the end of the day forwarding is a service, not a task.

Take a typical supply chain: An automotive manufacturer based in Detroit may have buyers in Mexico, Canada and Japan. Without a forwarder, in each case the manufacturer would have to determine the best intermodal route to send shipments to each country:

• Under what circumstances would air freight make more sense?
• Should the shipper send the shipment by rail to Seattle or Los Angeles?
• Would it make sense to truck the goods, and if so, which carrier could provide the best rate?
• When a crisis strikes, how can the shipper ensure production continues?

Adding to that, questions of contracting versus spot rates, customs filing for each good and the need to ensure pickup and delivery cause the job to quickly become overwhelming.

Until technology can offer the same level of customer service and relationships, freight forwarders will not bat an eye.

Supply Chain Dive

Yet the freight forwarder deals with these questions on a daily basis, so when the shipper calls, answers and recommendations are available. In addition, they may have divisions for pursuing better contract rates due to long-standing relationships with carriers, or for ensuring customs compliance is up to date.

If shippers have trusted freight forwarders for decades, it is not only because they can get a product from point A to point B, but because they can dedicate to doing it exceptionally well. This in turn frees the shipper up to manage more complex, strategic issues. Until technology can offer the same level of customer service and relationships, freight forwarders will not bat an eye.

5. How technology will optimize the forwarding process

If the forwarder is not at risk of being replaced, then what’s all the buzz around the new platforms, marketplaces and uber-for-X apps constantly promising to disrupt the industry? Conversations with these companies reveal it is not the freight forwarder’s role they are looking to disrupt, but the forwarding process altogether. In fact, some so-called next-generation forwarders are looking to sell software to forwarders themselves.

The reason? The forwarding process has yet to reach the digital age. A recent survey by online freight-marketplace provider Freight of revealed that just 1 of the top 20 global freight forwarders could provide an instant quote online for an anonymous prospective client.

1. The missing link: full supply chain visibility

Yet, technology providers and apps cannot fix the burdensome market inefficiencies alone. Consumer trends demand both visibility and low rates from an extremely fragmented industry. Yet, technology overhauls can be costly and ROI remains uncertain. In fact, the status quo is compelling in this industry as shippers themselves have been slow to reach industry 4.0.

Digitization may be the name of the game for industry leaders like A.P. Moller Maersk, DHL or Kuehne + Nagel, but supply chains must walk in lockstep if they are to reach the full benefits promised by next-generation technology.

All signs say they are starting to, but … slowly. In just one example, the trucking industry fought a mandate forcing electronic logging devices, a precursor to many of today’s apps, for two decades. Similarly, the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement — encouraging a customs standard and pushing online publication and processing in a minimum of 110 countries — just entered force this year despite being proposed in 1996.

Innovation is the first step, however — and at least for the moment, disruption in the positive sense appears to be coming for the supply chain.

Antiquated systems within the relationship business has created significant market inefficiencies due to a lack of transparency and access. Why would the spot market rate be lower than a contract rate? How would a shipper know?

From load boards to Big Data-enabled route or rate calculators, new technologies promise to improve access, reduce delays and increase visibility for those who choose to use it.