• Confusing Safety Activities? No
• Completed Safety Actions? No
• Comprehensive Safety Analysis? Yes

CSA has had the biggest impact on transportation since the inception of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, whether carriers know it or not. Carriers are operating under more stringent Standards that include data – gathering and different levels of intervention.

How can you protect your company?

Know the regulations, lack of knowledge is not an acceptable excuse.
Check your SMS reports at least once weekly (DOT tracks every time you log into the system).

Take action on roadside inspections.
Companies that do not have policies and procedures to cover hiring, driver safety rules, training, discipline, and vehicle maintenance need to develop and implement them.

If you do have policies and procedures, follow them. Document, Document, Document A few points to make your company operational ready.

Thus, it is cheaper to buy products overseas and import them to the United States. As long as the freight costs due not exceed the savings in labor, it makes economic sense to buy abroad and import products.

Retailers or suppliers that import products that are sold individually sometimes have a higher freight costs due to extra space required if products are shipped in its final packaging form. Many importers have realized a cost savings by shipping low cost manufactured goods to the United States in bulk form and completing the final packaging here in the U.S.

Many 3PL Providers offer packaging as a value added service in the normal course of distribution and warehousing in the U.S. Typical value added services that a 3PL offers include packaging, kitting, pick and pack, and labeling. More sophisticated companies offer automated services such as automated labeling, computerized inventory management services, and automated sorting options.

Public warehousing typically offers traditional 3PL services similar to private warehousing. The core difference is how economies of scale are achieved by utilizing one management team, one set of material handling equipment, and one warehouse management system to manage multiple companies in the same warehouse.

A Professional 3PL provider will have a trained staff in the areas of Inventory Management, Material Handling, and efficient space utilization techniques. A public warehouse alternative offers its client flexibility, scalability, and maximum efficiency in space utilization. Clients should realize cost savings by paying only for services rendered and space utilized as it arrives and departs the building. Rates for storage and handling are determined by the piece, pallet, or by the square foot of the actual space used in the warehouse.

Thus, a client only pays for the services and space actually needed. Thus, there is

no speculation of the amount of staff or warehouse space needed for your inventory levels.

Another advantage to a Public warehousing environment is short term commitment. Typically, a client can negotiate terms by the month. Thus, maximum flexibility is achieved as your business changes or as your inventory levels change throughout the year.

Private Warehousing and/or Dedicated Warehousing

Offer that same services as with a Public environment. Basically, the core difference in this environment is usually a longer term commitment, dedicated staff, dedicated material handling equipment, and a fixed minimum amount of space provided. In addition, your inventory is not stored in the same area or building as other companies.

This is ideal for situations where inventory levels are more consistent throughout the year. Daily tasks such as packaging, kitting, pick and pack, are ideal for a dedicated warehouse. Your company may have a specialized need for material handling equipment, labeling, or shipping requirements. Automation is another reason to consider Private or Dedicated warehousing. Typically, automation is very specific to the product that uses it and the process requires dedicated space and specialized operator training. Cost savings are usually achieved with long term contracts on space and specialized equipment needs.

In most cases, the client and the 3PL provided work together as partners sharing ideas to increase efficiency and reduce costs by focusing together on innovation and process evaluations. Another advantage to the client is in the investment in the infrastructure. In most cases, the 3PL will invest in the equipment, training, and warehouse space needed thereby reducing exposure to the client.

ISO is the leading recognized authority on management systems. There are significant benefits to implementing and utilizing a management system. Among some of the more well known and possibly more important benefits are; operational consistency, documentation, customer recognition, increased efficiency, higher revenue, etc.

In addition, an ISO certified company develops a reputation for operating at and requiring adherence to a higher standard internally which is passed on to their customers as higher quality and lower costs.

ISO in essence encourages partnership between businesses because it ensures all parties are working from the same script in terms of process management. In addition ISO management systems are self correcting in that they incorporate built in process improvement requirements such as contract review and quality audits to check the status of the quality system itself.

Any management system, if properly thought out and implemented can be a valuable asset in a company’s repertoire of tools. ISO brings a proven and worldwide accepted method to achieve this goal.