SMC³ works with some of the leading service providers in the supply chain industry, giving them the tools to optimize their LTL operations. Frank Hurst, president of Roadrunner Freight, recently spoke with SMC³ about how the company uses its logistics technology products and how the carrier views innovation.

In this Technology Focus, SMC³’s Chief Commercial Officer discusses what makes SMC³ tick, how the company adapts to changing customer demands and why SMC³ is built for speed.

The activity-based freight costing model, Cost Intelligence System, allows carriers to analyze transportation costs at the load level and optimize shipment profitability and improve customer service. The result is a unique set of data points – not a freight costing average.

Representatives from carriers, shippers and 3PLs – basically, anyone who works in the supply chain at all – knows EDI messaging has long been the standard way to communicate among logistics stakeholders. And while it is an old technology, electronic data interchange (EDI) is so entrenched in the supply chain that companies trumpeting the refrain “EDI is dead” are getting ahead of themselves.

Attendees come to SMC³ educational events for the unvarnished truth, and Don Ratajczak’s ability to provide the crowd with the information they need to make informed decisions about economic pain points is unparalleled. His extemporaneous, animated speaking style provided a jolt many attendees likely needed after a late night of rocking out to Lou Gramm.

SMC³ hosts its Connections and Jump Start educational conferences in order to bring together supply chain stakeholders for three days of informative panels and targeted, meaningful networking. But on the first two days of Connections 2018, there was plenty of talk of the NBA and of one star player in particular.