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accolades: awards and recognition

  • Quintuple crown. ABF Freight System Inc. has been awarded the 2003 President's Trophy for safety by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). ABF is the only carrier in the industry to have won the honor five times, winning the award in 1984, 1989, 1993, 1998 and now again in 2003.
  • Two out of three ain't bad. TNT Logistics North America won two of the automotive industry's top honors in 2002, Chrysler's Gold Award and Ford's Q1 Award. The Chrysler Gold Award is presented to logistics companies for excellent overall perf o r mance. This is the second straight year TNT Logistics Nort h America has earned the award. At the same time, TNT Logistics North America's Jacksonville, Fla., operation, which handles Ford's truckload business, won that company's Q1 Award, the highest honor for Ford's preferred suppliers. The Q1 Award recognizes suppliers that have achieved a sustained level of excellence in customer satisfaction, while meeting systems and results requirements in quality, delivery and management.
  • Zero defects. Hub Group Inc. has received an Outstanding Service award from DuPont Logistics, based on the carrier's record of customer satisfaction, safety and zero distribution incidents in 2002.
  • Multitalented multiregional. Members of the National Small Shipments Traffic Conference (NASSTRAC) have selected FedEx Freight, a provider of regional and interregional lessthan- truckload (LTL) freight services in the United States, as the organization's Carrier of the Year in the multiregional category. NASSTRAC's annual awards recognize a carrier's excellence in innovation and industry leadership, technology, claims prevention, rating and billing accuracy, service performance and support of NASSTRAC.

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Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy picked up speed in January

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in January, growing at its fastest clip in more than two years, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) report, released this week.

The LMI jumped nearly five points from December to a reading of 62, reflecting continued steady growth in the U.S. economy along with faster-than-expected inventory growth across the sector as retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers attempted to manage the uncertainty of tariffs and a changing regulatory environment. The January reading represented the fastest rate of expansion since June 2022, the LMI researchers said.

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Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

Disrupting the furniture supply chain: An interview with Jay Rogers

As commodities go, furniture presents its share of manufacturing and distribution challenges. For one thing, it's bulky. Second, its main components—wood and cloth—are easily damaged in transit. Third, much of it is manufactured overseas, making for some very long supply chains with all the associated risks. And finally, completed pieces can sit on the showroom floor for weeks or months, tying up inventory dollars and valuable retail space.

In other words, the furniture market is ripe for disruption. And John "Jay" Rogers wants to be the catalyst. In 2022, he cofounded a company that takes a whole new approach to furniture manufacturing—one that leverages the power of 3D printing and robotics. Rogers serves as CEO of that company, Haddy, which essentially aims to transform how furniture—and all elements of the "built environment"—are designed, manufactured, distributed, and, ultimately, recycled.

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Gartner: GenAI tools create anxiety among employees

Generative AI (GenAI) is being deployed by 72% of supply chain organizations, but most are experiencing just middling results for productivity and ROI, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.

That’s because productivity gains from the use of GenAI for individual, desk-based workers are not translating to greater team-level productivity. Additionally, the deployment of GenAI tools is increasing anxiety among many employees, providing a dampening effect on their productivity, Gartner found.

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German 3PL Arvato acquires two U.S. logistics firms

The German third party logistics provider (3PL) Arvato this week acquired the U.S.-headquartered companies Carbel LLC and United Customs Services, saying the move would grow its client base, particularly in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle segments.

According to Arvato, it made the move in order to better serve the U.S. e-commerce sector, which has experienced high growth rates in recent years and is expected to grow year-on-year by 5% within the next five years.

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Supply chain pros are wary of inflation and labor woes

The top worries that supply chain leaders hope to address with new innovations this year include inflationary concerns (68%) and labor shortages (50%), according to a survey on innovation from the third-party logistics provider (3PL) Kenco.

And many of them will have a budget to do it, since 51% of supply chain professionals with existing innovation budgets saw an increase earmarked for 2025, suggesting an even greater emphasis on investing in new technologies to meet rising demand, Kenco said in its “2025 Supply Chain Innovation” survey.

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