Last week, a leading group of transportation executives and thought leaders have announced that they have brought together more than 20 organizations to support and evolve the LTL industry. The Digital LTL Council brings together carriers, logistics service providers, shippers and technology providers with the sole focus of developing a set of uniform standards that support the scalable automation and digitalization of LTL shipments.

Supply chain education is one of the core goals of SMC³. Since virtual education is the name of the game these days, SMC³ is now providing a weekly bit of bite-sized supply chain education. “Quick Takes” is at the midpoint of its initial run of episodes. This week, Joel Ringer, chairman of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association’s commodity classifications standards board, stops by to explain LTL classification.

Kiko Zuniga, executive director of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America’s National Educational Institute, knows first hand about the importance of supply chain education. Part of his mandate is to make sure NCBFAA members stay abreast of constantly changing regulations for trade between Canada and Mexico. He’ll discuss those topics during SMC³’s fall special supply chain course, “LTL Operations from Dock to Stock.”

Capacity is an omnipresent concern for shippers. Though LTL capacity has ebbs and flows, finding the right freight transportation carrier for the job, at the right price point, is an ongoing issue. To a large extent, the coronavirus pandemic has made finding and securing LTL capacity with carriers significantly more difficult. Shippers may also be shopping around for new transportation providers, looking to save money. But saving money on freight transportation should not be the overriding factor when looking for a new partner.

Clear Lane Freight Systems has experienced exponential growth during its eight years of operations. Tom Nagel, the company’s president and CEO, recently spoke with SMC³ about how the pandemic has impacted operations and how the company uses technology to confront supply chain issues.

SMC³ will offer an exclusive version of its LTL fundamentals supply chain education course SMC³’s exclusive summer version of its LTL fundamentals course features discussions with transportation industry experts. One of those industry experts is Jason Burns, president of New Orleans-based QCS Logistics. In this preview of his discussion with summer school enrollees, Burns explores the current state of the final-mile industry.