Resources & Insights

Dry Van vs. Reefer Trailers: Which Is Best for Your Freight?

What Is Nearshoring? Definition, Benefits, and Supply Chain Advantages

Key Takeaways

• Nearshoring definition: Moving production closer to the consumer market to reduce risks and costs.
• Why it matters: Improves supply chain resiliency, lowers transit times, and reduces shipping expenses.
• Industries adopting nearshoring: Automotive, aerospace, retail, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and more.
• Primary benefits: Efficiency, profitability, and adaptability in a volatile global marketplace.

International shipping is, by its very nature, risky business. So many things can disrupt a global supply chain, from sluggish port operations to geopolitical conflict to capacity shortages. Heck, even the weather can set a supply chain off its course, careening toward disaster!

What is Freeze Protection in Shipping?

If you live in an area with cold winters, you undoubtedly know a thing or two about protecting yourself and your property from those seriously frigid temperatures. 

Infographic: Transloading vs. Cross-Docking

Transloading vs cross-docking — what's the difference? 

While both are commonly-used logistics methods, the difference between transloading and cross-docking is their purposes.

Transloading focuses on transferring goods between different modes of transportation, often with additional handling steps, while cross-docking focuses on quickly moving goods from inbound to outbound trucks with minimal storage time.

What Is Managed Transportation?

• Managed transportation definition
• What makes managed transportation different
• How managed transportation works
• The shipper benefits of managed transportation

To say that freight shippers have a lot on their plates would be an understatement. The constant juggle of schedules, carriers, regulations, costs, and timelines can be overwhelming — not to mention a drain on valuable resources that could be better spent on core business priorities.

What Is the Right of First Refusal in Transportation?

As a freight shipper, you’re always running into transportation-industry-specific terms, jargon, and abbreviations. Even if you’ve been in the industry for decades, the constant barrage of lingo can be confusing at best — and downright frustrating at worst. 

Headhaul vs. Backhaul: Definitions & Their Effect on Shipping Costs

Line hauls and tankers and BOLs, oh my! The transportation industry has a lot of lingo. As a shipper, if trucking isn’t your first language, you might struggle to keep up in conversations with your carrier. 

What Does Free on Board (FOB) Mean in Freight Shipping?

The transportation marketplace is full of terminology, documentation and regulations. People who haven’t worked in or around the transportation industry for an extended period can sometimes feel intimidated at all there is to “know.” In fact, even the most seasoned transportation professionals stumble across something new every now and then. 

Reasonable Dispatch Standards: What They Are and Why They’re Important

The importance of your work is undeniable; your company’s supply chain is crucial to its success. Maintaining a healthy set of practices and a robust network of transportation partnerships is your job. And, as any other logistics professional will tell you, planning, education and relationships are your greatest allies in this field.

[Video] What is a SmartWay Certification?