The world of LTL is slow to embrace change. Business anachronisms permeate current supply chain processes. These vestiges of the way things used to work define the LTL freight transportation procurement process of many modern shippers.David Knuth, logistics specialist at IEWC, a global supplier of cable and wire based in Wisconsin, is happy to have modernized the RFP process, automating the entire LTL bidding procedure with Bid$ense, SMC³’s automated truckload and LTL freight transportation sourcing solution. But when prompted, he can still recall what once was.In his previous job, a large part of his duties were consumed by creating an intermodal bid package for carriers. In a spreadsheet, Knuth detailed the company’s volumes lane by lane, taking care to delete any errant keystrokes or misleading data. He would then email out the information to each carrier, taking time to respond to detailed technical questions about the spreadsheet data. Finally, he had to compile all the results, create an algorithm that would compare the carriers on each lane, and award the business.“It was a huge undertaking. It took about four months to do,” Knuth said of the old process. “It was almost a full-time job for that part of the year, every year.”In his new job at IEWC, he sat down with Bid$ense on day one and was amazed at the capabilities. Knuth had never before used a bid tool. SMC³’s latest versions of Bid$ense automate the process even further, taking truckload and LTL RFPs entirely online. The tool draws on RFP best-practices protocols to streamline the bidding communication process, enabling bidding carriers to respond accurately and promptly to shipper requests. The solution also does all the distribution work automatically, electronically submitting shipper bid data to carriers based on their actual service capabilities and performance records. Carriers are alerted with timely prompts for RFP deliverables, so shippers aren’t waiting by the phone for responses.Another benefit of automating the process is the data-cleansing assistance. When Knuth sent spreadsheets to carriers, data errors might cloud the bidding process; he might have to resend data or simply accept a price that did not truly reflect the costs of doing business. Data cleansing is incredibly beneficial, he said.The spreadsheet technique also made bidding analysis an onerous task. Since Bid$ense automates and streamlines the entire RFP process, intensive examination is now simple. SMC³ knows that each bid has more than one best outcome. With uniform responses from each carrier, shippers can quickly rank results and create an unlimited quantity of what-if scenarios to make the optimal procurement decision.Jesse Burnett of Central Garden &amp; Pet experiences many of the same benefits. Founded in 1980, Central Garden &amp; Pet has spent the last three decades growing from a small garden supply company to a provider of a range of products from dog chews and bird seed to soil supplements and natural insecticides. For much of its life, the company shipped these disparate goods via LTL and truckload carriers to retailers throughout the country, relying on each business unit to negotiate directly with their freight transportation providers. This arrangement worked fairly well for a small company, but as Central Garden &amp; Pet expanded, leadership decided to consolidate decision making.Burnett helped centralize the transportation decision making in 2015 with SMC³’s Bid$ense. Before Bid$ense, every business unit operated independently as far as negotiating with carriers.“There were a lot of different things just floating around,” he said. “We didn’t have master agreements in place; no national pricing at all. The pricing from carriers was just all over the place, depending on where you were.”The transformations he saw with Bid$ense were immediate. Burnett has been using the tool about every other year since its implementation at the company. Central Garden and Pet’s $19.6 million 2019 LTL bid saved the company just more than 9 percent when compared to its historical average. For Burnett, though, bid automation extends far beyond savings.“We knew that we weren’t getting the best pricing offer from our carriers just because nothing was centralized,” he continued. “We knew that if we combined everything from all these business units and paired it with one corporate offering, then it would drive some cost benefit with it.”When the company initially decided to centralize bid procurement, executives researched a number of different methodologies and technologies. In the end, though, Burnett found that Bid$ense was both widespread and well known, and that his carrier partners already knew how to use the application. Burnett also highlighted the data-cleansing process as a major benefit, saying the rigorous process ensures that carriers always return the best price.“It definitely has helped drive savings,” he said. “Any time you go out there and you drive that competitiveness with the carriers and they know they’re in a bid environment, it seems to sharpen their pencils.”Transportation procurement is an integral part of the modern supply chain. With Bid$ense, shippers can develop a strategic implementation plan that saves them time and money, but also helps them create strong relationships with their carrier partners. These carriers appreciate the solution’s data-cleansing process; when carriers receive a complete shipment history and future volume forecast, they don’t have to guess on pricing. Carriers that receive more data from shippers get a complete picture of that shipper’s freight, allowing them to accurately plan instead of simply preparing for the worst-case scenario. Clean data presented through an automated system can lead to both bigger shipment savings and a lasting partnership between carrier and customer.Whether customers are looking to streamline over-the-road transportation bidding by automating the RFP process or create an entirely new, centralized sourcing process, Bid$ense has the analytical horsepower to get the job done.SMC³ 2020 Customer Case Study

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Shippers save money, time with automated transportation bidding tools

SSA Marine Mexico has made significant strides in modernizing its infrastructure at the Port of Manzanillo, investing $15 million to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability at its facilities. This move is part of the company's broader strategy to remain at the forefront of the shipping and logistics industry. •	Strengthening Sustainability with Advanced Technology <figure class="joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left"><img src="/content-assets/1730488295264_Cranes%20arrival%20to%20TEC%20I.png" alt="Cranes arrival to TEC I" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"></figure> In July, SSA Marine Mexico added seven state-of-the-art E-RTG (Electric Rubber-Tired Gantry) cranes to its fleet, valued at $14 million. These advanced cranes were distributed across its two terminals: four cranes were assigned to the Multipurpose Terminal, and three to the Specialized Container Terminal I. What sets these cranes apart is their dual-operation capability, allowing them to function either on electric power or diesel fuel. This innovation plays a critical role in reducing the environmental impact of operations, contributing to a 7% increase in energy efficiency. This efficiency improvement is equivalent to eliminating nearly 4,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, underscoring SSA Marine Mexico's commitment to sustainability. Through this acquisition, SSA Marine Mexico not only enhances its cargo-handling capabilities but also reinforces its leadership in integrating cutting-edge, eco-friendly technology in the maritime industry. The company continues to push the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability, ensuring long-term value for both its customers and the environment. •	Upgraded Facilities to Meet Growing Demand <figure class="joc_admin__inline-image-position-left joc_admin__inline-image-size-medium" data-figure-size="medium" data-figure-position="left"><img src="/content-assets/1730488350634_Multipurpose%20terminal.png" alt="Multipurpose Terminal" class="joc_admin__inline-image-inherit"></figure> In addition to the new cranes, SSA Marine Mexico has completed crucial modernization and repair work across its Multipurpose Terminal and Specialized Facility at the Port of Manzanillo. This $1 million investment targeted critical infrastructure enhancements, focusing on both structural integrity and operational functionality. Key improvements included leveling approximately 12,000 square meters in the dock area, along with the removal of outdated concrete curbs and asphalt layers. The upgraded space now features high-resistance pavers designed to optimize water drainage and prevent pooling, ensuring safer and more efficient operations. Moreover, the Specialized Facility saw significant upgrades, including the leveling of key warehouse areas to facilitate smoother cargo handling processes. These infrastructure improvements directly enhance the handling of TEUS (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit containers), further demonstrating SSA Marine Mexico's unwavering commitment to continuous modernization, operational safety, and efficiency. With these initiatives, SSA Marine Mexico is well-positioned to meet the growing demands of the global shipping industry while setting new standards in sustainable port operations. LINK:<a href="https://www.ssamarine.mx/ssa-ing/index" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link"> https://www.ssamarine.mx/ssa-ing/index</a>

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Maritime

SSA Marine Mexico Modernizes Facilities with $15 Million Investment 

If there’s one immutable truth in the world of logistics, it’s this: LTL is an inherently complex form of transportation. Tariffs, rates, DIM weights, transit times — it’s enough to confuse even seasoned logistics professionals. The solution to this knowledge gap has historically been on-the-job training or university supply chain education, but for a variety of reasons there is now a pressing need for third-party, remote LTL training that prepares logistics workers for transportation success. Global Scope Can Overlook Local Intricacies In the past, professionals looking to move into a supply chain career learned about the basics of supply chain from universities. However, many of these college supply chain programs are now global in scope, focusing on worldwide supply chain management instead of the intricacies of specialized domestic transportation. And even these programs, which used to be widespread, are becoming less common. LTL is not an industry of broad-brush strokes; supply chain professionals really need a pointillistic understanding of the logistics of LTL in order to excel in the industry. Accelerating Need for Dedicated LTL Education This lack of specified training put the onus on employers to prepare new hires with the LTL knowledge needed to do their jobs. Dedicated LTL study is a necessity, not a luxury. At the same time, changes in LTL and the broader supply chain world are accelerating. The reliance on e-commerce has ballooned since the start of the pandemic, and last-mile LTL shipments and related e-commerce strains on the supply chain won’t diminish once social distancing abates. That genie isn’t going back into the bottle. So supply chain employers need logistics workers that are fully versed in all aspects of the industry, ready to solve unique shipping and delivery problems based on their extensive supply chain knowledge But why care about LTL? It’s been reported that some shippers in today’s world are no longer concerned with what mode is used to ship their goods. A Multimodal Approach Ensures On-Time Delivery This mode agnosticism means supply chain stakeholders have to be well versed in all modes of transportation. As unforeseen weather events and other disruptions, such as protests, become more common, savvy logistics employees will need to be armed with familiarity of all modes, not just the most popular, to ensure that freight is delivered on time, without damage, and in the most financially expedient way possible. Offerings like SMC³’s LTL online education courses cover a wide range of topics from LTL basics and operations to more advanced concepts like pricing analytics and transportation law. The company also has plans to continually refresh content, adding new expert presenters and taking the feedback of students to make the courses even better as time goes on. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://logisticstrainingcenter.com/smc3-courses/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">SMC³’s LTL Online Education program</a>&nbsp;and view the 2021 hybrid schedule, featuring live industry experts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smc3.com/onlinelearning2021/" rel="noreferrer" class="joc_admin__link">here.</a>

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Filling the Supply Chain Education Gap with LTL Education Courses

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<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Greater China (July 11, 2011) -- Kerry Logistics has been appointed by Marks &amp; Spencer (M&amp;S) as its logistics partner in Greater China.</div>

Greater China (July 11, 2011) -- Kerry Logistics has been appointed by Marks & Spencer (M&S) as its logistics partner in Greater China.

<div class="phx-topic">Greater China (July 11, 2011) -- Kerry Logistics has been appointed by Marks &amp; Spencer (M&amp;S) as its logistics partner in Greater China. The contract incorporates logistics services across the supply chain for M&amp;S, from suppliers' pick-up through to direct delivery to retail stores across the region.Under the new contract, Kerry Logistics manages and operates both M&amp;S's National Distribution Center (NDC) in Mainland China as well as its Regional Distribution Center in Hong Kong (HKRDC). Under the direction of the M&amp;S regional sourcing hub, Kerry Logistics manages M&amp;S's inbound and outbound supply chains and a wide range of value-added services including packing and unpacking, re-labeling and steaming.In order for Kerry Logistics to align with M&amp;S's environmentaland ethical policy, called Plan A, the HKRDC is located within Kerry Logistics' Product Customization and Consolidation Center (PC3) in Tai Po, Hong Kong. With the aim to be LEED (Gold) and HK-BEAM (Gold) compliant, this purpose-built facility has incorporated green technology into the design and construction of the building.With a total area of 277,000 sq.ft (25,700 sq.m), PC3 is equipped with a Garment-On-Hanger (GOH) Center -- the largest facility of its kind in Hong Kong in terms of scale and capacity. The PC3 center supports the daily replenishment of all M&amp;S retail stores in Hong Kong, covering hanging and boxed garments as well as accessories, footwear and home products, whilst food merchandise is serviced from Kerry Logistics' cold store facility located in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.One of the factors in awarding this contract was that Kerry Logistics specializes in both fashion retail and cold chain logistics, meeting our different needs on clothing and food merchandise under one roof, said Simeon Piasecki, Regional Managing Director - Asia, of M&amp;S (Asia Pacific).M&amp;S is one of the UK's leading retailers, with over 21 million people visiting their stores each week. It offers stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality foods, responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally.About Kerry LogisticsKerry Logistics is Asia's premier logistics service provider. Its core business encompasses Integrated Logistics, International Freight Forwarding and Supply Chain Solutions. With its head office in Hong Kong, Kerry Logistics is managing a portfolio of logistics facilities with a total area of more than 2.4 million sq.m., served by a truck fleet of about 8,000 vehicles, with a range of operations reaching 24 countries and supported by a staff strength of over 14,800. Kerry Logistics Network Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong-listed Kerry Properties Limited. </div>

Greater China (July 11, 2011) -- Kerry Logistics has been appointed by Marks & Spencer (M&S) as its logistics partner in Greater China. The contract incorporates logistics services across the supply chain for M&S, from suppliers' pick-up through to direct delivery to retail stores across the region. Under the new contract, Kerry Logistics manages and operates both M&S's National Distribution Center (NDC) in Mainland China as well as its Regional Distribution Center in Hong Kong (HKRDC). Under the direction of the M&S regional sourcing hub, Kerry Logistics manages M&S's inbound and outbound supply chains and a wide range of value-added services including packing and unpacking, re-labeling and steaming. In order for Kerry Logistics to align with M&S's environmentaland ethical policy, called Plan A, the HKRDC is located within Kerry Logistics' Product Customization and Consolidation Center (PC3) in Tai Po, Hong Kong. With the aim to be LEED (Gold) and HK-BEAM (Gold) compliant, this purpose-built facility has incorporated green technology into the design and construction of the building. With a total area of 277,000 sq.ft (25,700 sq.m), PC3 is equipped with a Garment-On-Hanger (GOH) Center -- the largest facility of its kind in Hong Kong in terms of scale and capacity. The PC3 center supports the daily replenishment of all M&S retail stores in Hong Kong, covering hanging and boxed garments as well as accessories, footwear and home products, whilst food merchandise is serviced from Kerry Logistics' cold store facility located in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. One of the factors in awarding this contract was that Kerry Logistics specializes in both fashion retail and cold chain logistics, meeting our different needs on clothing and food merchandise under one roof, said Simeon Piasecki, Regional Managing Director - Asia, of M&S (Asia Pacific). M&S is one of the UK's leading retailers, with over 21 million people visiting their stores each week. It offers stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality foods, responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally. About Kerry Logistics Kerry Logistics is Asia's premier logistics service provider. Its core business encompasses Integrated Logistics, International Freight Forwarding and Supply Chain Solutions. With its head office in Hong Kong, Kerry Logistics is managing a portfolio of logistics facilities with a total area of more than 2.4 million sq.m., served by a truck fleet of about 8,000 vehicles, with a range of operations reaching 24 countries and supported by a staff strength of over 14,800. Kerry Logistics Network Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong-listed Kerry Properties Limited.

Kerry Logistics Wins Contract with Marks & Spencer in Greater China

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