Consumer Goods Logistics Blog

On any given month in the US, there are around 1,600 searches for the term “Shopify Fulfillment.” There’s also search volume for “Magento fulfillment,” “Big Commerce fulfillment” and other terms related to integration of fulfillment services with eCommerce platforms.

These people are looking for a solution. But, in reality, it doesn’t matter what platform you are on. The types of data required by any fulfillment provider are the same, and most providers can quickly and seamlessly exchange data with any eCommerce platform.

From October 21-22, Armstrong & Associates held its annual 3PL Value Creation Summit. One of the expert panels featured on the agenda was “Key Trends in Food and Beverage Logistics.” KANE Logistics’ Alex Stark was on this panel, along with representatives from CJ Logistics, Matson and RLS Logistics.

Here’s a quick rundown of what these experts are seeing in the food and beverage logistics space.

The other day, we received a message on KANE’s Facebook page. It was from someone who had been driving his car behind a KANE truck for several miles and was commenting on the words on the back of every KANE trailer: “Be kind. Be careful. Be yourself.”

His comment: “The last few months have been heavy for me. Somehow, reading those words over and over made me feel calmer.”

Freight rates fluctuate. Always have. Always will.

Large-volume shippers in search of the cheapest rate monitor spot market freight rates closely. When prices dip, freight procurement people rev up the RFP machine and shop out lanes to capitalize on the savings.

But, actually, these “savings” may end up costing shippers more in the long run. And what’s happening now is a perfect example.

The choice and effectiveness of your 3PL relationships have an enormous impact on your company’s profitability and its reputation with your customers. We find that the factors that lead shippers to seek out 3PLs in the first place – things like freight capacity, experience in an industry, expertise with a particular service – often are not the reasons that companies choose and stay with a 3PL provider. It’s more the intangible benefits, beyond service and cost, that make the biggest impression.

In our last article, we looked at what shippers could do to maximize logistics outsourcing benefits. In this article, we’ll focus on the intangible benefits that you should look for to ensure positive, long-term 3PL relationships. Consider asking yourself the following questions in your 3PL evaluation process.

A good third-party logistics partner (3PL) can add value far beyond the cost of the service. But the extent of that value is significantly influenced by the actions of the outsourcing company and how it manages the relationship.

This article offers 5 things shippers can do to maximize the benefits of logistics outsourcing.

If you manage distribution for a food manufacturer, distributor or retailer, you’re concerned not only with shipping accurate, on-time orders, but also with cold chain management, regulatory compliance, food safety, and other specialized logistics challenges. Those concerns are magnified if you outsource any portion of your operations to outside food logistics companies, since you need to closely monitor these operations.

Any company can claim food logistics expertise, but what should you look for in order to distinguish claims from reality? Here are 7 tips to consider.

What country drinks the most wine and spirits in the world, per capita?

Drumroll, please….

According to Alcohol.com, it’s Belarus, followed by Lithuania, Grenada and the Czech Republic.

What 3PL distributes the most wine and spirits in the U.S.?

We’re not sure, but this year Kane Logistics will ship about 26 million cases of wine & spirits for its customers, building on our 30-year strategic focus on wine and spirits logistics. We recently sat down with two of KANE’s top operators for wine and spirits logistics – Richard Reilly and Mike Kelly – to discuss the top challenges associated with this type of product. Following are 7 priority challenges that they identified.