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West Coast and California Logistics Blog

What candy companies should look for in refrigerated truck carriers

Feb 6, 2020 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Food Supply Chain, 3PL Outsourcing, Cold Chain Managment, Refrigerated Trucking

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Candy companies and other food and beverage companies need to move products to retailers ever faster, while remaining compliant with stringent food industry regulations. You can keep pace with these demands by installing effective logistics providers throughout your supply chain. In this article, we’ll examine one set of those providers – refrigerated truck carriers – and help you identify the right one for your business.

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What cold chain logistics services do 3PLs provide for candy products?

Jan 23, 2020 / by Jerry Critchfield and Todd Naramore posted in Warehouse operations, Food Supply Chain, 3PL Outsourcing, Cold Chain Managment, Refrigerated Trucking, Temperature Controlled Warehousing, Pool Distribution

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Candy products come in all shapes, sizes and colors, but share many of the same needs from a logistics standpoint. They all need to be carefully handled throughout the supply chain so that they reach customers exactly as intended. In this article, we’ll examine the cold chain logistics services a third-party logistics provider (3PL) can provide to protect the integrity of your products every step of the way.

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What is Contract Warehousing and When is Your Operation Ready for it?

Dec 12, 2019 / by Bob Lilja posted in Shared Warehousing, Warehouse Rates, Warehouse operations, 3PL Outsourcing, Labor issues, 3pl contracts

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When your business is growing, shared warehousing with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) enables you to scale your warehousing investment to match your order volumes. Need more or less space? You can add or remove it based on your needs.

But, what happens with a mature business that is flying high and wants a more customized distribution solution? Companies in this situation often turn to a contract warehouse model to support their supply chains. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at contract warehousing and when it may be a good fit for your operation.

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The Benefits of Using One Integrated Logistics Services Provider

Nov 21, 2019 / by Bob Lilja posted in Logistics Management, Third Party Logistics, Transportation Strategies, Warehouse operations, 3PL Outsourcing, Drayage, Distribution

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Conventional wisdom tells you not to put all your eggs in one basket. In the logistics industry, however, this isn’t always good advice. By leaning on one third-party logistics services provider (3PL) for each leg of the distribution cycle, you may find greater efficiency and improved operational success than you would sourcing à la carte.

In this article, we’ll examine the benefits of an integrated logistics services approach.

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What should you expect from your 3PL's WMS?

Nov 14, 2019 / by Todd Naramore posted in 3PL Outsourcing, Multi Channel Fulfillment, Fulfillment B2C, Metrics-KPIs, Inventory Control, Electronic Data Interchange, Warehouse

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It wasn’t that long ago that simply having a sophisticated warehouse management system (WMS) was a major selling point for third-party logistics (3PL) providers. Over time, however, this technology has become commonplace, with just about all 3PLs having their own WMS bells and whistles to advertise.

But, while having a full-featured WMS may no longer be a differentiator for 3PLs, the way a 3PL uses the system certainly can be.

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How 3PLs can help you create a more efficient CPG supply chain

Oct 24, 2019 / by Curtis Millican posted in Public Warehousing, Shared Warehousing, Third Party Logistics, Logistics Technology, 3PL Outsourcing, Labor issues, supply chain cycle time

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For consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies, efficiency is the name of the game. Your online customers expect faster delivery, while your retailer KPIs continue to multiply and grow in importance. Understandably, many CPG companies struggle to keep up with these increasing demands. In this article, we’ll examine where many companies are falling short, and show you how third-party logistics providers (3PLs) can be invaluable allies in overcoming CPG supply chain inefficiencies.

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Understanding Millennials and Other Warehouse Labor Challenges

Oct 17, 2019 / by Todd Naramore posted in Warehouse operations, 3PL Outsourcing, Labor issues, Labor-Productivity

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Warehouse labor is hard to come by. With national unemployment the lowest it’s been in 50 years, there are simply more jobs than there are people to fill those jobs. There is no easy remedy for attracting and retaining warehouse talent in this economy, but there are ways to adapt. Following are some important ways that your warehousing operation can navigate this ‘full employment’ economy.

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What shippers should know about driver misclassification by California drayage carriers

Aug 8, 2019 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, West Coast Distribution, Third Party Logistics, 3PL Outsourcing, Labor issues, Drayage, Regional Logistics, Northern California 3PL, logistics in California

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With the state supreme court’s Dynamex decision, followed by its Senate Bill 1402 (SB 1402), California’s position on the hiring of independent owner-operators by drayage carriers is now firmly established.  In short, the state asserts that many of these contractors are not independent after all – and those that claim to be acting as employees of the hiring companies have solid legal ground to sue for wages and benefits. 

Many beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) have seen the writing on the wall and are protecting themselves from possible legal and financial penalties by turning away from drayage carriers who engage contractors.  Others are not yet reacting, while still others may not even be aware of recent legal precedents.  In this article, we’ll get you up to speed on these developments and help you determine whether your prospective carrier’s drivers in California are actually considered to be on that carrier’s payroll or are sub-contractors.

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Why Experience Matters for Drayage Drivers

Jul 25, 2019 / by Jerry Critchfield posted in Southern California Ports, West Coast Distribution, Port Logistics, 3PL Outsourcing, Labor issues, Drayage, Distribution, logistics in California

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Drayage is technically just another transportation service.  A driver picks up a load and then delivers it.

With port drayage, however, this simple process becomes much more complex.  Navigating seaport terminals is a tricky business on a good day and can become extremely difficult as rules change from terminal-to-terminal, or even hour-to-hour.  To navigate the ports effectively – and avoid wasting time and money – shippers need to ensure the drayage carriers they work with have a roster of experienced drayage drivers. 

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Life After FBA: Amazon Seller Fulfillment of Your Prime Orders

Jul 11, 2019 / by Todd Naramore posted in Shared Warehousing, Third Party Logistics, Vendor Compliance, 3PL Outsourcing, eCommerce Fulfillment, Fulfillment B2C

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If you’re selling online, chances are you’re selling on Amazon.  And, if you’re selling on Amazon, you want to be Prime-certified to reach Amazon’s 100+ million Prime customers.  These ‘frequent flyers’ spend an average of 1,400 per year[i] on the site. 

To become Prime-certified, many sellers go straight to the source and let Amazon handle fulfillment through their Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program.  But there is another Prime-friendly option available to you: Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP).  In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this Amazon seller fulfillment program and the ways in which it differs from FBA.

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