<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993</id><updated>2011-07-07T23:23:35.229-07:00</updated><category term='import'/><category term='import logistics'/><category term='rail traffic'/><category term='mexican rail traffic'/><category term='quality warehouse'/><category term='export'/><category term='third party logsitics'/><category term='canadian rail traffic'/><category term='3pl'/><title type='text'>Quality Warehouse</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>15</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-5298979934360488094</id><published>2010-05-26T06:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2010-05-26T06:39:33.379-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='3pl'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='third party logsitics'/><title type='text'>Third-Party Market Analysis Released</title><content type='html'>Source: &lt;a href="http://www.3plogistics.com/"&gt;Armstong &amp;amp; Associates, Inc.&lt;/a&gt; (research firm)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Introduction of press release, "U.S. and Global Third-Party Logistics Market Analysis Is Released":&lt;br /&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;"2009 wasn't a pretty year for third-party logistics (3PL) providers.  In lock step with the global economic nose dive, domestic revenues for the 3PL market sank.  Hardest hit was the International Transportation Management (ITM) segment with gross revenue (turnover) falling 23.7% as total U.S. import and export ocean TEUs (trailer equivalent units) dropped 12.3% (1).  Airfreight metric tons dropped similarly with reductions at JFK and the &lt;span class="xn-location"&gt;Chicago&lt;/span&gt; airports exceeding 20%.  As prices dove in the face of soft demand, net revenues (gross margins) shrank by 18.9%.  Expeditors International, the largest U.S. freight forwarder, saw gross revenue decrease 27% and net revenue decrease 14%.  The good news is that first quarter 2010 results have included double digit improvements in ITM and other 3PL market segments as the economy steadily recovers.     &lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Overall, U.S. 3PL market gross revenues decreased 16% in 2009 dropping to &lt;span class="xn-money"&gt;$107.1 billion&lt;/span&gt;.  Dedicated Contract Carriage (DCC) fell 16%.  Domestic Transportation Management (DTM) was down 15.1% in gross revenue and 11.4% in net revenue.  Value-Added Warehousing and Distribution (VAWD) suffered with only single digit reductions."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To finish reading the PR NewsWire release, please visit the following &lt;a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-and-global-third-party-logistics-market-analysis-is-released-94771894.html"&gt;page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-5298979934360488094?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/5298979934360488094/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/third-party-market-analysis-released.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/5298979934360488094'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/5298979934360488094'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/third-party-market-analysis-released.html' title='Third-Party Market Analysis Released'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-4685750639491642446</id><published>2010-04-27T10:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2010-04-27T10:21:14.447-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='mexican rail traffic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='rail traffic'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='canadian rail traffic'/><title type='text'>Article from Trains.com on Rail Traffic</title><content type='html'>One of the editors of Trains Magazines (online site is www.trains.com ), recently published an article on the state of Rail Traffic and economic conditions that are directly related. After &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/transportation.html"&gt;Mexican rail traffic&lt;/a&gt; fell last year.. and even the U.S. with its state of economy, we are seeing &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/transportation.html"&gt;Canadian rail traffic&lt;/a&gt; bring in higher volumes and become the dominate carriers. &lt;br /&gt;With some positive outlooks are on the rise, let's hope that we can tune up our people and locomotives to be ready for the rise in demand!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;h4&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;h4&gt;&lt;a href="http://cs.trains.com/trccs/blogs/trains-talk/2010/04/15/rail-traffic-bounces-back-and-stays-back.aspx"&gt;Rail traffic bounces back (and stays back)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;!-- Body --&gt;     &lt;div&gt;         &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt;"&gt;"The economists who officially date the start and finish of  recessions know when The Big One began. That would be December 2007,  when the previous economic expansion topped out. But the group, called  the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic  Research, says it’s still too soon to declare that recession over. While  they dither, I’ve got news: The nation’s railroads are back in  business, big time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Latest data, covering the week ending Saturday, April 10, again confirms  a strong up-trend that began seven weeks ago, when the number of  originated carloads started topping 375,000 consistently. The  improvement in carload freight follows that of intermodal units, which  began improving last November. This data, reported by ASI/Transwatch, is  collected by the Association of American Railroads.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What I did, to smooth out the numbers and reduce anomalies, was compare  the averages for the past four weeks with averages for the same four  weeks in 2009. Here’s the percentage improvement versus the past year  for the seven North American Class 1 railroads and Mexico’s two biggest  carriers:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;EAST&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;CSX                                                2.5%&lt;br /&gt;Norfolk Southern                  17.5%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;WEST&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;BNSF Railway                          12.2%&lt;br /&gt;Kansas City Southern           14.8%&lt;br /&gt;Union Pacific                           14.1%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;CANADA&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Canadian National                21.9%&lt;br /&gt;Canadian Pacific                    23.9%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;MEXICO&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Ferrocarril Mexicano           33.4%&lt;br /&gt;KCS de Mexico                       24.7%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Mexican economy truly tanked in 2009, which explains why Ferrocarril Mexicano and Kansas City Southern de Mexico made such gains this year. I asked railroad consultant and TRAINS author Roy Blanchard why the two Canadian-based railroads scored such big traffic pickups. Roy’s explanation: “From the financial press, I sense that the Canadian government is doing a much better job of running their country than the U.S. government is. Banks are stronger and so is the Canadian economy. That’s what I ascribe it to.” In the eastern U.S., CSX simply has not revived its business volume to the extent that rival Norfolk Southern has. NS and Union Pacific were hurt last year by the collapse of automobile sales, but benefited from the revival of that industry in 2010; they are the dominant carriers of new cars in the east and west, respectively.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt;"&gt;Short line traffic trends are not collected by AAR. But RMI's RailConnect index of short line traffic for the week of April 10 was up 20.6 percent from a year ago. Meanwhile, the two biggest short line conglomerates both reported higher carloads for March, compared with a year earlier; Genesee &amp;amp; Wyoming's loadings rose 6.9 percent and RailAmerica's 8.7 percent. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt;"&gt;All of these improvements point to the possibility of a faster rebound for the economy in general and railroads in particular than had generally been expected. Instead of an L-shaped recovery, in other words, we may see one that more strongly resembles a V. Such was the tone of a front-page analysis April 15 in the &lt;i&gt;Wall Street Journal, &lt;/i&gt;which pulled together a number of favorable economic indicators, including a nice rise in retail sales and signs of a strong first-quarter performance by the financial sector. Granted, financial companies are not railroad customers. But the stunning setbacks of banking and securities businesses in 2008 fed the fires of the recession and cut off credit to borrowers everywhere. Better times for financial companies auger well for their customers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It’s important to note that while volumes are up sharply from a year  ago, they remain well below the same four weeks of 2008, before the  recession really began to take hold. This table compares the four weeks  through April 10, 2010, to the same weeks of 2008 and notes the  declines:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;EAST&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;CSX                                        -19.1%&lt;br /&gt;Norfolk Southern            -14.7%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;WEST&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;BNSF Railway                       -8.8%&lt;br /&gt;Kansas City Southern     -11.3%&lt;br /&gt;Union Pacific                      -13.1%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;CANADA&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Canadian National           -10.2%&lt;br /&gt;Canadian Pacific                 -6.9%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;MEXICO&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Ferrocarril Mexicano         7.2%&lt;br /&gt;KCS de Mexico                  -14.8%&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That’s correct, Ferrocarril Mexicano is already in positive territory  versus 2008. Among the Class 1s, Canadian Pacific and BNSF Railway have  the least ground to make up, and the two eastern railroad the most.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Looking at commodity groups, the biggest declines between 2008 and 2010  are forest products (down 30 percent) and motor vehicles (down 26  percent). With housing starts still anemic, the near-term outlook for  forest products doesn’t appear good. The smallest declines are  intermodal (down 8 percent) and, in a tie, food products, grains, and  chemicals/petroleum (each down 7 percent).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Going forward, the operating challenge for railroads will be bringing  the people and locomotive and freight car fleets back to service in tune  with rising demand. It’s not easy, either. At least one Class I  railroad, slow to delve into its lines of stored locomotives, was recently  reported chronically short of serviceable power for its trains." — &lt;b&gt;Fred  W. Frailey&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;              &lt;/div&gt;                    &lt;!-- Footer --&gt;              Published          &lt;a href="http://cs.trains.com/trccs/blogs/trains-talk/2010/04/15/rail-traffic-bounces-back-and-stays-back.aspx"&gt;Apr 15 2010, 03:46 PM&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="http://cs.trains.com/trccs/members/Fred-Frailey.aspx"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-4685750639491642446?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/4685750639491642446/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/article-from-trainscom-on-rail-traffic.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/4685750639491642446'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/4685750639491642446'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/article-from-trainscom-on-rail-traffic.html' title='Article from Trains.com on Rail Traffic'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-234551855873397458</id><published>2010-03-29T06:02:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2010-03-29T06:27:16.502-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='import logistics'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='export'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='import'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='quality warehouse'/><title type='text'>Import Logistics</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:georgia;"&gt;Quick Facts&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; on&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:georgia;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/importexport.html"&gt; Import Logistics&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:georgia;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:georgia;"&gt;- Operate daily on the New York and New Jersey Piers to the Philadelphia Port and beyond&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:georgia;"&gt;- Strip, stuff and transload pier containers&lt;br /&gt;- Member of the Uniform Intermodal Interchange Agreement (UIIA)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;- Direct Import and Exports&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For competitive rates or contact information, please visit our &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/importexport.html"&gt;Import Logistics&lt;/a&gt; page by clicking on the link.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-234551855873397458?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/234551855873397458/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/03/import-logistics.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/234551855873397458'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/234551855873397458'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/03/import-logistics.html' title='Import Logistics'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-8206389383446594187</id><published>2010-02-23T10:38:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-23T10:39:34.304-08:00</updated><title type='text'>8 Ways to Boost Supply Chain Agility</title><content type='html'>The survivors of economic slumps have almost always been better able to change course more quickly than their peers. They benefit from more responsive and agile supply chains, allowing them to quickly cut back on manufacturing operations, close plants, sell assets, and reduce inventory in the pipeline. Here are eight proven practices to help you increase supply chain flexibility and reduce risk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;By Pierre Mercier, Harold Sirkin, and Jennifer Bratton -- Supply Chain Management Review, 1/1/2010&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As the recent global recession deepened, some industries saw sales decline by 40 percent or more. Cash-strapped companies struggled with order cancellations, inventory pile-ups and underused assets. The business headlines showed that many organizations were unable to survive those pressures.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yet many have survived, and are on course to do well as the global economy picks up. The survivors were almost always better able to change course more quickly than their more sluggish peers, minimize losses and generate much-needed cash. On the whole, they benefited from more responsive, more agile supply chains, allowing them to quickly cut back on manufacturing shifts, change batch sizes, stop and start entire production lines, close plants, sell assets, and sharply reduce inventory coming through the pipeline.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Although global recessions are rare, uncertainty and unpredictability are facts of life in today's business environment. Nobody can truly predict the future, no matter how complex or accurate a company's forecasting model is. And as supply chains become longer—reaching into low-cost countries for sourcing or manufacturing—it becomes increasingly clear that greater flexibility and the ability to react rapidly to changing market conditions are at least as important as forecasting skills when it comes to optimizing end-to-end operations.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These days, the prices of fuel and other commodities can shift overnight, customers demand increasing speed and customization, and port and road congestion add unwelcome variables to the supply chain. Other variability is self-inflicted—the result of needless complexity in products, portfolios and processes. This blend of complexity and unpredictability exacts a high cost. That's why it's critical for companies to create an agile, flexible supply chain that can react quickly to changes in conditions or demand and minimize the negative impact of uncertainty.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But flexibility often comes at an additional cost. Business leaders must wrestle with a range of strategic trade-offs: Should I build one massive manufacturing plant to optimize scale, or diversify my risk by staying closer to the customer and producing in multiple locations? Should I keep more warehouses in my network to make sure I can deliver products to my customers profitably even if diesel prices hit $10 per gallon? How much buffer inventory should I keep on hand?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Flexibility will be more critical in some areas than in others—when profit margins are high, for instance, or to gain access to strategic markets or customer accounts, or where unpredictability imposes particularly high costs. So it's important to know why you're making the decisions you're making, and to make them strategically and mindfully.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This article brings together eight proven practices for increasing flexibility and reducing risk. Although some of the themes are well understood by experienced supply chain professionals, it's likely that those leaders will not previously have been able to review or share all of the themes in an easily accessible form—a kind of “flexibility checklist,” if you will.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To view the article,  click &lt;a href="http://www.scmr.com/article/444129-8_Ways_to_Boost_Supply_Chain_Agility.php"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-8206389383446594187?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/8206389383446594187/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/8-ways-to-boost-supply-chain-agility.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/8206389383446594187'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/8206389383446594187'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/8-ways-to-boost-supply-chain-agility.html' title='8 Ways to Boost Supply Chain Agility'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-4556519948449295258</id><published>2010-01-25T12:26:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-03-29T05:58:15.908-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Vote for The Quality Warehouse!</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.inboundlogistics.com/3pl/top10_vote.shtml"&gt;Vote now! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From Inbound Logistics' 3PL Excellence Survey page:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Each year, in its July issue, Inbound Logistics publishes the most definitive resource on third-party logistics and the outsourced logistics market. If you are already a subscriber, you know that we ask our readers which third-party logistics companies provide excellent service, and publish the results. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can get a list of this year's Excellence Survey winners, as well as the Top 100 third-party companies in the world, by checking the box below.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We're now conducting next year's 3PL Excellence Survey. The results will be presented in the July 2010 3PL issue. Give us your input and we'll express our appreciation by entering you in a drawing for a free 18-carat gold Parker pen, which includes a coupon for free engraving."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;------&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For more info regarding Quality Warehouse and our &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/directions.html"&gt;New Jersey warehouse space&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/transportation.html"&gt;NJ local transportation&lt;/a&gt;, visit our site!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-4556519948449295258?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/4556519948449295258/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/01/vote-for-southshore-companies.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/4556519948449295258'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/4556519948449295258'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2010/01/vote-for-southshore-companies.html' title='Vote for The Quality Warehouse!'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-2799974185314245425</id><published>2009-12-21T07:05:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-12-21T07:10:04.280-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Happy Holidays</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/Sy-O7SeRisI/AAAAAAAABxk/6OlicruZW2U/s1600-h/happy-holidays-webcopy.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417706025972239042" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/Sy-O7SeRisI/AAAAAAAABxk/6OlicruZW2U/s320/happy-holidays-webcopy.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Happy Holidays to all of our customers and friends at Quality Warehouse &amp;amp; Distribution! We look forward to providing services for you in 2010! Take take great pride in providing economical and easy &lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.qualitywarehouse.com"&gt;New Jersey third party logistics&lt;/a&gt; solutions for your supply chain needs!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Stay warm and enjoy the season!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-2799974185314245425?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/2799974185314245425/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-holidays-to-all-of-our-customers.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/2799974185314245425'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/2799974185314245425'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-holidays-to-all-of-our-customers.html' title='Happy Holidays'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/Sy-O7SeRisI/AAAAAAAABxk/6OlicruZW2U/s72-c/happy-holidays-webcopy.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-3709315693643430942</id><published>2009-11-19T06:27:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-11-19T06:28:41.973-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Logistics and business news: Indicators present "mixed bag" for economic outlook and recovery</title><content type='html'>As has been the case in recent months, many leading economic indicators continue to present a "mixed bag," when it comes to determining how strongly the economy is recovering. This is particularly acute when looking at retail figures released by the National Retail Federation and the Department of Commerce earlier today.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The NRF reported that October retail sales-excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants-were flat compared to September and down 1.3 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce had a rosier outlook, reporting that total retail sales-including both retail and food services-were up a seasonally-adjusted 1.4 percent compared to October and down 1.7 percent unadjusted year-over-year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the flat and 1.4 percent respective gains may portend some optimism for economic recovery as holiday shopping season begins to kick in, NRF Chief Economist Rosalind Wells noted that belief may be somewhat premature.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Consumer spending remains the main driver of the domestic economy-accounting for roughly two-thirds of all economic activity. And based on sluggish retail numbers, coupled with the lack of a meaningful uptick in freight volumes, analysts have told LM it may take nine months until a true recovery takes hold.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Though the October numbers show some signs of optimism for retailers, the industry is still not out of the woods," said Wells in a statement. "While categories like apparel, sporting goods, books, music and personal care fared well, housing-related categories such as furniture and home improvement continued to struggle."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This cloudy scenario is also evident in other economic data and freight trends, too, including last week's Commerce Department report that the U.S. trade deficit expanded 18.2 percent in September to $36.5 billion for its biggest deficit since January, as well as a 0.5 percent dip in consumer spending in September, and The Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index decreased to a three-month low of 66 from 70.6 in October.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Other recent data include:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;    * the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index topping 50.0 percent (which indicates positive growth) for the last three months;&lt;br /&gt;    * the October Cass Freight Index declining 12.3 percent year-over-year and flat growth from September to October;&lt;br /&gt;    * durable goods orders in September were up 1.4 percent and September inventories were down 0.4 percent from August and 13.4 percent year-over-year, according to the Department of Commerce; and&lt;br /&gt;    * the Association of American Railroads reporting that as of Thursday, November 12 volumes are down 17.8 percent year-to-date, and the Intermodal Association of North America's recent report that third quarter volume is down 16.4 percent. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"The economic recovery is going to continue to be choppy with plenty of stops and starts," said Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates. "Part of this has to do with international volumes not coming back to life yet...although some global economies-like parts of Western Europe-are showing some growth but not enough to generate freight."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article &lt;a href="http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/389184-Logistics_and_business_news_Indicators_present_mixed_bag_for_economic_outlook_and_recovery.php"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-3709315693643430942?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/3709315693643430942/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/11/logistics-and-business-news-indicators.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3709315693643430942'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3709315693643430942'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/11/logistics-and-business-news-indicators.html' title='Logistics and business news: Indicators present &quot;mixed bag&quot; for economic outlook and recovery'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-3727438119409986463</id><published>2009-10-26T12:26:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-26T12:47:51.032-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Green logistics: Industry expert cites ways of going green and cutting costs at the same time</title><content type='html'>WALTHAM, Mass.-It's possible to save money and the environment at the same time, and if you need proof, just look at the Green Machine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That was the message Jack Ampuja, president of the consulting firm Supply Chain Optimizers, and executive director of the Center for Supply Chain Excellence at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., was trying to get across at a Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) New England Round Table event in Waltham, Mass. Tuesday night.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The event featured, among other things, a description of a new type of tractor for hauling freight, which Ampuja dubbed the "Green Machine" because of its environmentally-friendly design.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The tractor, he said, was conceived and built by a number of former trucking industry workers and veterans in Michigan. The tractor, Ampuja said, contains a long list of "green" enhancements, including nitrogen-filled tires (ordinary air escapes through the rubber over time), carbon-fiber springs, and a special hydrogen injector system for the engine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Right now, companies like office furniture maker Hayworth, along with Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch and other companies, are expecting to save thousands of gallons of fuel per truck per year, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by amounts measured in metric tons.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But Ampuja was selling a point, not a truck: for all the cutting-edge improvements and patented design, Ampuja said the tractor is built out of off-the-shelf parts, and therefore costs the same as any other tractor on the market, so using them will not cost extra. If anything, Ampuja said, using them will save money long-term.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And that, Ampuja told the packed room, is the reality of the green movement in the corporate world.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"They (cutting costs and helping the environment) are not at odds," he said. "They complement each other."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ampuja cited a recent study by the Aberdeen Group which found that leading companies are "greening up" by, among other things, redesigning logistics systems and redesigning packaging.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition to technological advances, Ampuja challenged the audience of supply chain managers, consultants and vendors to look to their own operations for other ways to go green and save money. Network optimization applications, he said, will be another major component of a green plan in the future, especially with oil prices expected to rise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This week, prices passed the $80/barrel mark, and the room was silent when Ampuja asked if anyone thought prices would fall anytime soon. That will become a big problem, he said, for unprepared companies with poorly-organized supply chains.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Most networks are built around lower energy costs," he said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Right now, Ampuja said, the smart companies are working on "what if" plans for oil prices at $100, $120, or even $150/barrel, ready to implement when and if prices go that high. With each plan, companies have to think about how many distribution centers they have, how efficient the routes are between them, how they manage inventory to feed those routes, and other issues.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article &lt;a href="http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/365919-Green_logistics_Industry_expert_cites_ways_of_going_green_and_cutting_costs_at_the_same_time.php"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-3727438119409986463?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/3727438119409986463/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/10/green-logistics-industry-expert-cites.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3727438119409986463'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3727438119409986463'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/10/green-logistics-industry-expert-cites.html' title='Green logistics: Industry expert cites ways of going green and cutting costs at the same time'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-4110961774767069181</id><published>2009-09-23T12:23:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2009-09-23T12:23:40.952-07:00</updated><title type='text'>New Study Highlights Role of Third-Party Logistics Providers in Helping Shippers Adapt to Economic Challenges</title><content type='html'>The fourteenth Annual Third Party Logistics (3PL) Study examining the current global market for logistics outsourcing was recently released. The study surveyed shippers and logistics service providers in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Key findings included:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;    * The economic downturn has created significant challenges for both shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) – 82% of shippers are employing cost-cutting tactics and 60% are rethinking their supply chains and relationships with 3PLs&lt;br /&gt;    * 88% of shippers feel that IT-based logistics services are important, but only 42% are satisfied with the capabilities of their provider – as a result of this IT capability gap, shipper respondents reported a lack of the key performance indicators, alerts and visibility required for an adaptive supply chain and 3PLs reported similar difficulties in getting the data and commitment they need from shippers&lt;br /&gt;    * There are significant differences between how 3PLs evaluate their role in the supply chain and how they are viewed by shippers – 59% of shippers feel their use of 3PLs has a positive effect on customer service compared to 88% of 3PL respondents&lt;br /&gt;    * Shipper respondents devote an average of between 47% (in North America) and 66% (in Europe) of their total logistics expenditures to outsourcing and this is expected to increase in the next five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Shipper-3PL relationships are being impacted significantly by the prevailing uncertainty and economic volatility in global markets,” said Dr. C. John Langley Jr., Professor of Supply Chain Management, Georgia Institute of Technology. “It is very important for 3PLs to mitigate or reduce any financial risk or service level impact that this may cause.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Economic uncertainty and the use of 3PLs&lt;br /&gt;Economic volatility has challenged shippers and 3PLs alike to contend with factors such as unpredictable demand, instability in fuel costs and currency valuation, and excess inventory. In response, not only are shippers attempting to cut costs, 77% are also seeking to improve forecasting and inventory management.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Cost reduction and improved reliability in services are the main factors likely to increase shipper respondents’ use of 3PLs. This includes converting fixed to variable costs (59%), expanding to new markets or offering new products (56%), and restructuring the supply chain network to improve financial performance (48%).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Read the rest of the mhia.org article &lt;a href="http://www.mhia.org/news/industry/9113/new-study-highlights-role-of-third-party-logistics-providers-in-helping-shippers-adapt-to-economic-challenges"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-4110961774767069181?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/4110961774767069181/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-study-highlights-role-of-third.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/4110961774767069181'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/4110961774767069181'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-study-highlights-role-of-third.html' title='New Study Highlights Role of Third-Party Logistics Providers in Helping Shippers Adapt to Economic Challenges'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-3711609193658822386</id><published>2009-07-28T12:27:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-28T12:32:30.667-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Transportation/logistics: National Retail Federation leads opposition to seaport drayage regulation</title><content type='html'>In a remarkable demonstration of solidarity, scores of shippers’ associations have come together to champion a single cause: rejection of a change to federal trucking laws.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“We understand that a campaign is underway to persuade Congress to grant to local governments the ability to regulate the harbor drayage industry to address environmental and port security matters,” stated a letter from the National Retail Federation (NRF) to Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn. “While we strongly support efforts to improve air quality and port security in and around America's ports, the effort to undermine federal preemption of interstate commerce is an attempt to overturn losses in the federal courts restricting local regulation of truck drayage services.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oberstar, who chairs the Committee on Transportation, was warned that legislation eliminating the federal preemption of state and local regulation of foreign and interstate commerce would not improve air quality or port security in and around the nation's ports, “but will re-impose a fragmented, local, patchwork regulatory structure on foreign and interstate commerce, contrary to the U.S. Constitution and acts of Congress.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Joining the NRF in this appeal are National Association of Manufacturers, The National Industrial Transportation League, The Waterfront Coalition and more than 30 other lobbying groups.  Together, they oppose new laws proposed by the Port of Los Angeles and others that would exempt harbor drayage from preemption under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;House Committee spokesman, Jim Berard, said in an interview that the letter has not been widely circulated among committee members yet, and that a position or statement has yet to be issued.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As reported in LM, the issue of exempting port trucking services from federal preemption emanated with the Port of Los Angeles' claim that ocean cargo gateways should be&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;allowed to regulate interstate trucking services in order to improve air quality and port security in the aftermath of 9/11. Shippers argue that the supporters of this special exemption are only seeking to change federal law in response to a series of unfavorable legal decisions restricting their authority over port drayage operations and to undermine ongoing litigation in this area. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Read the rest of the logisticsmgmt.com article &lt;a href="http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/CA6673470.html"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-3711609193658822386?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/3711609193658822386/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/07/transportationlogistics-national-retail.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3711609193658822386'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3711609193658822386'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/07/transportationlogistics-national-retail.html' title='Transportation/logistics: National Retail Federation leads opposition to seaport drayage regulation'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-7756305544265117839</id><published>2009-06-24T06:42:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-24T06:43:02.346-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Logistics and Business Manufacturing: Economic Data Presents Mixed Views for Recovery</title><content type='html'>&lt;p&gt;At a time when freight volumes remain depressed amidst the recession, coupled with reports indicating that the economy has “bottomed out,” it is very clear that those optimistic for a near-term recovery need to take a long-term view.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Some recent economic indicators for this sentiment include:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt;&lt;li&gt;A recent report from the Federal Reserve indicating industrial capacity usage in May, at 68.3 percent, hit a record low in May.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Retail sales in May fell 4.7 percent year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The U.S. trade deficit rose to $29.2 billion in April from $28.5 billion in March, with (adjusted for inflation) exports and imports down 4.3 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;The news is not all bad, though. Recently-released data from &lt;a href="http://panjiva.com/"&gt;Panjiva&lt;/a&gt;, an online search engine with detailed information on global suppliers and manufacturers, notes that May represents the third consecutive month that there was an uptick in the number of global manufacturers shipping to the U.S. May saw a two percent bump, following gains of two percent in February and eight percent in March. Panjiva said this is the first time it has seen three consecutive monthly increases since it began tracking this metric in July 2007.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Even though these numbers are heading in the right direction, the company cautioned that last spring it also saw some uptick in the number of global manufacturers shipping to the U.S., leading to the possibility that there may be a seasonal component to these findings. Also, the company noted the two percent May gain is “modest,” with the recovery to pre-trade levels likely to be a while.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“We are seeing some encouraging signs, but there is still a low level of overall activity in an absolute sense,” said Panjiva CEO Josh Green in an interview. “It feels like the ‘deer in the headlights’ moment is over.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Another positive, he noted, is that the sense of economic panic from earlier in the year seems to be gone, but there is still a long way to go. Companies continue to be cautious in their approach to placing orders, according to Green, and they are much more cognizant of the risks that are in their supply chains.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Examples of this risk are directly related to the fallout from last October’s financial crisis, Green noted, with companies not being as diligent as they need to be when it comes to volatile conditions in the market.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Read the rest of the Supply Chain Management Review article &lt;a href="http://www.scmr.com/"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-7756305544265117839?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/7756305544265117839/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/06/logistics-and-business-manufacturing.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/7756305544265117839'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/7756305544265117839'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/06/logistics-and-business-manufacturing.html' title='Logistics and Business Manufacturing: Economic Data Presents Mixed Views for Recovery'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-7236290541909307264</id><published>2009-05-26T10:54:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2009-05-26T10:56:08.955-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Ocean cargo/global logistics: Florida shippers poised to take advantage of regional marketing alliance</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/ShwtMbYxX7I/AAAAAAAAA4Q/2fvfLRKX4QE/s1600-h/quality+panama+canal.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/ShwtMbYxX7I/AAAAAAAAA4Q/2fvfLRKX4QE/s200/quality+panama+canal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340192949687902130" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;PANAMA CITY—Port Manatee’s stature as an emerging container port took a major step forward late last week.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Executive director David L. McDonald and Panama Canal Authority CEO Alberto Alemán agreed to a two-year strategic marketing alliance. The accord, known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), allies the two organizations to achieve increased trade by soliciting shippers worldwide through collaborative marketing and information sharing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Port Manatee becomes the 10th U.S. member of an exclusive Panama Canal MOU fraternity, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Georgia Ports Authority, South Carolina State Ports Authority, Virginia Port Authority, Massport, Port of Miami, Port of Tampa, Port of Houston and the Port of New Orleans. Port Manatee, the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the Panama Canal, is the only non-established container port in the group.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“After Miami, we are the closest deepwater port to Panama Canal,” said Steve Tyndal, senior director of trade development and special projects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In an interview with LM, Tyndal also noted that public-private financing was providing revenue for significant enhancements for the port’s infrastructure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“The MOU with the Panama Canal Authority formalizes a relationship we have enjoyed for nearly 40 years and demonstrates the canal’s confidence in Port Manatee’s future as a container port. In time, that confidence will result in thousands of regional jobs,” McDonald predicted after the signing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Two years ago the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) broke ground on the $5.25 billion Panama Canal expansion. The project essentially doubles the canal’s capacity with the creation of two new sets of locks, enhanced navigational features and the addition of new access channels – all to accommodate larger post-Panamax-sized ships. Construction is expected to be complete in five years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“This collaboration is beneficial as we seek innovative ways to provide our customers with the most safe, reliable and efficient service,” added Alemán. “Looking ahead to 2014 and the completion of the waterway, we anticipate growth in trade and the emergence of new economic opportunities.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;source www.logisticsmgmt.com&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-7236290541909307264?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/7236290541909307264/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/05/ocean-cargoglobal-logistics-florida.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/7236290541909307264'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/7236290541909307264'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/05/ocean-cargoglobal-logistics-florida.html' title='Ocean cargo/global logistics: Florida shippers poised to take advantage of regional marketing alliance'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/ShwtMbYxX7I/AAAAAAAAA4Q/2fvfLRKX4QE/s72-c/quality+panama+canal.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-2240774451287014856</id><published>2009-04-27T08:48:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-27T08:49:07.076-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Logistics and transportation business: U.S. Census Bureau says new manufactured goods orders are down</title><content type='html'>- Interesting article from logisticsmngmt.com&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; "&gt;&lt;h3 style="margin-bottom: 5px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font: normal normal bold 12px/12px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; "&gt;eff Berman, Group News Editor -- Logistics Management, 4/24/2009&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;WASHINGTON—The United States Census Bureau reported that new orders for manufactured goods in March decreased $1.3 billion—or 0.8 percent—to $161.2 billion, marking the seventh decrease in the last eight months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;This data follows a 2.1 percent increase for new orders of manufactured goods in February, which was revised following a previous estimate of a 3.4 percent monthly increase.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;The Census Bureau added that shipments of manufactured durable goods in March decreased $3.0 billion—or 1.7 percent—to 175.0 billion. February shipments were down 0.8 percent, with shipments down for eight consecutive months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;Inventories of manufactured durable goods in March decreased $3.7 billion—or 1.1 percent—to $331.6 billion, following a 1.3 percent decrease in February, said the Census Bureau.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;An Associated Press report said that February’s increase in new orders followed by a small drop in March “show some faint signs of life in manufacturing.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;But that has yet to translate into growing freight transportation tonnage and volumes, which have been severely impacted by the recession.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;“Things will likely continue to dip freight-wise as consumer product companies are still working through their inventories,” said David K. Schneider, Logistics Management Contributor and President of supply chain and transportation consultancy &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal; "&gt;David&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal; "&gt;K&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal; "&gt;Schneider&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;amp; Company LLC. “But it is encouraging to see things pointing up after being down for such a long period of being pointed downwards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;(source:www.logisticsmngmnt.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-2240774451287014856?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/2240774451287014856/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/04/logistics-and-transportation-business.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/2240774451287014856'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/2240774451287014856'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/04/logistics-and-transportation-business.html' title='Logistics and transportation business: U.S. Census Bureau says new manufactured goods orders are down'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-3257962095189258768</id><published>2009-03-24T07:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-24T07:18:46.251-07:00</updated><title type='text'>New Service: Rail Siding Available For Stripping Or Stuffing Rail Box Cars.</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/Scjrvn4xmVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/LC7BeQM47lU/s1600-h/quality+warehosue+rail+siding.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 95px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/Scjrvn4xmVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/LC7BeQM47lU/s200/quality+warehosue+rail+siding.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316758563504363858" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Quality Warehouse and Distribution has acquired an additional warehouse facility  at Raritan Center, 100 Sweetwater Lane, Edison, NJ. This new warehouse has  &lt;strong&gt;Rail Siding&lt;/strong&gt; available for stripping or stuffing rail box cars.  We will provide warehouse storage or transloading onto trucks for distribution  in the middle Atlantic or New England areas. Our equipment is able to unload  almost all types of cargo utilizing our fork lifts, clamp trucks, drum clamps  for both fiber or steel drums and squeeze clamps for slip sheet unloading.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-3257962095189258768?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/3257962095189258768/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-service-rail-siding-available-for.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3257962095189258768'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/3257962095189258768'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-service-rail-siding-available-for.html' title='New Service: Rail Siding Available For Stripping Or Stuffing Rail Box Cars.'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sB3Y2QTrDgg/Scjrvn4xmVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/LC7BeQM47lU/s72-c/quality+warehosue+rail+siding.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3610747468985255993.post-8597371912086530100</id><published>2009-02-23T06:25:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2010-03-29T05:59:22.969-07:00</updated><title type='text'>About Quality Warehouse</title><content type='html'>&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:medium;"&gt;Quality Warehouse and Distribution has over 40 years of  expertise in Public Warehousing, Transportation, Rail Service and Export /  Import Logistics. As a world class &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/"&gt;third party logistics&lt;/a&gt; provider, let us be an  extension of your operation without the expenses and headaches associated with  it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:medium;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Conveniently&lt;/span&gt; located in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:medium;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/warehousing.html"&gt;Port Elizabeth, New Jersey&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/warehousing.html"&gt;Edison, New Jersey&lt;/a&gt; with over 250,000 square feet  of warehouse space.  &lt;span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-family:Georgia;"&gt;In addition to standard pier containers, our Port Elizabeth, New Jersey  facility specializes in OVERWEIGHT &lt;a href="http://www.qualitywarehouse.com/"&gt;pier containers&lt;/a&gt; that meet your import/export  logistics needs. Our Edison, NJ Facilities specialize in Rail Services.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3610747468985255993-8597371912086530100?l=qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/feeds/8597371912086530100/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/02/about-quality-warehouse.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/8597371912086530100'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/3610747468985255993/posts/default/8597371912086530100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://qualitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2009/02/about-quality-warehouse.html' title='About Quality Warehouse'/><author><name>Admin</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
