Transportation Simplified Blog

State of LTL

In the past eight weeks we have been experiencing a slight decrease in domestic truckload rates as capacity loosened somewhat. However, rates and capacity in the LTL industry remain firm and show no signs of weakening. The LTL industry is not as sensitive to short-term capacity changes as the truckload market can be.

As evidence, here are several trends and behaviors that are keeping… Read more

Most Companies Overlook the Savings Opportunities Hidden in Their Inbound Freight

It’s a requirement today that companies constantly improve their supply chain efficiency to remain competitive and protect margins. Unfortunately, it’s common for many shippers to overlook some of the low-hanging fruit within their logistics network that makes accomplishing those goals easier.

Inbound freight represents one such… Read more

Top 3 Signs Your Logistics Technology Is Not Meeting Your Needs

Many companies have already figured out that modern logistics technology offers various solutions that can help their shipping operations run more smoothly. Basic software and web portals have been commonplace for years now and can be used to automate a lot of the manual work that’s a part of the transportation process. … Read more

Reflections on an Eventful 2021 — And a Look Ahead to 2022

The supply chain typically operates behind the scenes, unnoticed and often taken for granted by people who aren’t directly involved in keeping the flow of materials and goods moving. That all changed in 2020 when the pandemic disrupted supply chains across the globe. The supply chain remained front and center in 2021 as disruptions continued and transportation and logistics… Read more

LTL or Truckload -- Which Mode to Use?

A lot of companies can lower their logistics costs by improving how they select a shipping mode. Often, shipments are easy to recognize as either Truckload (TL) or Less-Than-Truckload (LTL), so there is no real decision to be made. But that is not always the case.  Sometimes just a few poor choices on shipments can have a significant negative impact on a company’s… Read more

What’s the Deal with NMFC Codes Today?

Common questions we often hear at Echo Global Logistics when assisting clients with less than truckload (LTL) shipments revolve around evaluating freight class and avoiding reclassification charges and fees. If you’re new to shipping LTL, the class system can be difficult to navigate.

Why Does LTL Use Freight Classes?

The National Motor Freight Traffic… Read more

Echo Recognizes Truck Drivers During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2021 and All Year Round

It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, and we at Echo Global Logistics would like to thank all the truck drivers across the country for their hard work and dedication. As the pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the transportation and logistics industry, we sincerely appreciate you for your unwavering commitment to keeping America moving during these… Read more

What to Expect and How to Prepare for Peak Season 2021

While the impact of the pandemic has caused disruption and unpredictability at times within the logistics industry, one thing shippers can always count on is peak season, the busiest time of the year for shippers as they start planning for the upcoming holiday season. As distant as the holidays seem, now is the time for companies to get their logistics operations prepared for… Read more

How Beverage Shippers Can Optimize Their Freight Transportation Operations

Not all freight shipping is the same, and those in the beverage sector know this especially well. When shipping beverage freight, it’s essential to understand what makes moving this product unique in order to ensure that logistics costs are managed correctly and deliveries arrive on time.

How Different Beverage Types Can Impact Shipping… Read more