The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the supply chain business, and one sector that has had to quickly deal with the new normal is the manufacturing space. During the recent CSCMP Atlanta Roundtable Supply Chain Resiliency Webinar, supply chain stakeholders talked pandemic policies.

David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have an updated RFP process. His company automates the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution.

Jesse Burnett, Central Garden & Pet’s transportation project manager, helped consolidate transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before using the freight transportation procurement tool, the company shipped its freight via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers.

On the final day of the Jump Start 2020 supply chain conference, conversation once again turned to transportation technology and transferring bill of lading information electronically. Panelists also discussed e-commerce logistics and the challenges that arise with final-mile deliveries.

Today’s top LTL carriers have different network needs and service offerings, and that is reflected in the way they calculate LTL shipping rates. Without a neutral, standardized pricing foundation that takes shifting freight flows and modern market pressures into account, it’s impossible for customers to accurately and reliably compare one LTL carrier to the next. Shippers and logistics services providers can simplify their LTL pricing with a modern base rate that reflects the country’s demographic profile and the flow of domestic freight.

As the leaders in LTL rating, SMC³ is the provider of choice for LTL freight APIs and analytical transportation tools. To fit the various needs of its customer base, SMC³ offers both a Volume LTL API and a standalone Volume LTL Rater. Shippers and 3PLs utilize SMC³’s best-in-class rating solutions to optimize their transportation spend, saving time and money on their LTL shipments throughout North America.