The first session of SMC³’s U.S. Transportation Laws and Regulations course focused on sustainability, guided by insight from Randy Mullett of Mullett Strategies and Mike Kelley, VP of Sustainability at SMC³. Trucking finds itself at a significant inflection point and the pressure to meet sustainability targets and regulations without negatively affecting service has introduced stress.

LTL application program interfaces (APIs) are invaluable tools when it comes to improving 3PL operations. They heighten visibility, eliminate manual processes, and enable businesses to take a streamlined approach to shipping management.

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) sought to improve margins through optimized transportation spend. With BatchMark® XL from SMC3, they streamlined pricing analysis, leading to significant cost savings and improved carrier relationships. Enriqueta Polonus, Senior Business Analyst at ITW, credits the tool for enhancing data integrity and enabling smoother analysis processes. BatchMark XL is pivotal in ITW’s journey towards efficient and informed transportation decisions, impacting their bottom line positively.

“Reducing Invoicing Surprises,” the third session of the SMC³ LTL Online Education webinar, featured Tyler Limbaugh, Truck Audits Manager at American Rail & Truck Audits (AMTR).  He got to the bottom of what can go wrong in pricing freight — and how shippers and carriers alike can avoid mishaps.

Freight classification is an important part of LTL — shaping everything from pricing to operational efficiency. LTL freight is complex, comprising a wide variety of products and materials. Classification gets even more complicated with models like hub and spoke, where freight is moving constantly between different docks and trailers. With all this complexity, how does freight get classified?

For LTL, getting a grasp of what constitutes fair freight pricing goes a long way toward building better relationships between shippers and carriers. A recent session of The SMC³ LTL Online Education webinars asked the experts to zero in on some core fundamentals of pricing. Kevin Housley, Senior Director of LTL pricing at Scan Global Logistics and Clete Cordero, Director of Pricing at Southeastern Freight Lines, provided insights grounded in years of experience on all the factors that should go into LTL pricing in 2024.