It takes a lot of bandwidth to operate a retail business. Whether you are an online retailer or run a brick-and-mortar business, you depend on the efficient movement of freight to maintain your operations. Logistics is the main component of any retail operation, from receiving inventory to shipping orders directly to customers. The amount of resources a retailer spends on operating its supply chain is unknown to most casual shoppers. This is an area where working with an experienced 3PL can be incredibly beneficial for any retailer.
What’s the Role of a 3PL?
There are multiple roles that today’s third-party logistics providers take on for their clients. For retailers specifically, they are essentially outsourced agent that takes care of numerous supply chain functions. Partnering with a 3PL allows a retailer to focus on driving sales, improving customer service, and other daily operations that help them increase sales and, thus, make more profits. Specifically, a 3PL can handle several specific logistics functions, including:
Scalable Services
A 3PL allows you to analyze your labor, transportation, and spacing needs depending on your business parameters. Businesses that focus more heavily on seasonal sales can benefit from this practice. You can always ramp up deliveries, warehouse space, and any other logistics a 3PL can provide when consumer demand dictates.
Cost-efficiency
Many companies assume that outsourcing to a third party by default means spending more on service fees. However, all the efforts of a 3PL will eventually save you money. Ultimately, the overall cost will be less than an in-house supply chain management. A 3PL is a one-stop shop for most of your supply chain needs. You do not have to invest in warehousing, technology, or a logistics team.
Bulk Shipping Rates
Shipping rates, especially spot rates, can fluctuate weekly depending on several outside sources, even daily in some cases. As a result, retail companies need stability in the market to ship their products. Bulk shipping rates help that happen. This is where 3PLs can help, especially since many retail companies need the negotiating power of a 3PL.
Distribution Network
3PLs have contacts throughout the country. If your business grows, a 3PL can offer additional resources from those within its network to assist that growth. At Taylor, we have a carrier network of 60,000+. With a carrier size that large, we can find you lanes and capacity to move your freight.
The 2023 Inbound Logistics Planner is here, and you can read all about Taylor! From our outstanding team to what sets us apart and how Taylor technology improves customers’ supply chains. Here’s our entry:
As the longest-standing 3PL, we know that offering one supply chain service decreases overall efficiency and sustainability; that’s why we’ve altered our business to be a full-service omnichannel 3PL for our customers.
What Does Taylor Do Differently?
We provide SQF food-grade public warehousing, contract dedicated warehousing, B2B & B2C fulfillment services, freight brokerage, asset local Cincinnati fleet, dedicated fleet services, D2C e-commerce, packaging, drayage/ port management services, kitting, and subscription services.
We support large and mid-sized companies in the food, beverage, flavoring, ingredient, pet food, CPG, retail, PPE, packaging, and automotive spaces.
Creating Long-Lasting Relationships with Our Customers
As a privately held family business with over 170 years of experience, we are an agile company that scales and grows with our customers. We are small enough to care and have excellent customer service with dedicated teams to some of our clients, yet large enough to have the technology and infrastructure needed to scale. Our goal is always to exceed customers’ expectations and build long-term relationships.
Technology-Driven Operations
A part of our competitive advantage is that we continuously invest in technology to offer our customers the latest and greatest for complete customization, visibility, tracking, and reporting. Technology creates a stronger bond between our team and our customers, mainly due to improved communication, information sharing, and meaningful collaboration that produces better results. From finding the best shipping rates to inventory optimization and forecasting, our systems are paramount in customers’ cost-saving strategies.
Emphasis on Food Safety
While we partner with several industries, we pride ourselves on an extensive food-safety program that is rooted in principles verified by the Safe Quality Foods Institute (SQF). All of our public warehouses are food-grade, and we offer SQF to be established at our contractual locations as well.
It’s Because of Our Team
We make supply chains stronger. This industry requires hard work and dedication; our team always makes the impossible possible for our customers. Through a collaborative and safe culture, we are always one team, one mission.
Each year, Robert Handfield, Ph.D. of North Carolina State University, predicts what’s in store for global commerce and supply chains for the next 365 days. While these predictions are perhaps not completely original, his takeaways and supporting evidence are worth considering. Please see the full article from NCSU here.
Inflation will persist.Jason Miller from Michigan State is an expert at navigating the many different publicly available government database, and interpreting the tea leaves. He writes a weekly blog on Linked In which I follow religiously. He is the most accurate forecaster I know, because unlike many speculators and economists, his observations are based on actual data! He believes that inflation isn’t going to go down going into 2023 – but will persist. He writes that“While it is good news that we are starting to see the inflation of goods slow down, I would caution anyone who expects goods to go through a deflationary cycle that the data (to me) isn’t pointing in this direction to a meaningful degree. Data below from three series from the BLS PPI program obtained from FRED (with call codes after the labels), all set such that 100 = January 2019. Implication: the best-case scenario I see for the price of finished goods is that their prices stay relatively unchanged from the 3rd quarter of 2022….we are going to see meaningful deflation in finished goods prices as we move into 2023, which will in turn impact PCE price index that the Fed monitors for consumer inflation.” Unfortunately, this also means that the Fed will likely keep interest rates high through much of 2023 – and will likely increase rates again in February and June. Inflation is indeed going down slowly– but not as fast as the markets would like.
Inventory will remain bloated for the first half of 2023, – and supplier relationships will be tested. Here again, my prior blog notes how much inventory we have in supply chains today – and how certain parties are pushing back their excessive demand forecasts, and punishing their suppliers. For instance, a large apparel brand requested about 20 of their largest textile mills (many in Pakistan, Singapore, China, and other regions) to travel all the way to San Francisco for a “Vendor Summit”. They then sequestered each individual in a room, and two individuals came in and told them that they needed to reduce their prices by 20%. Walmart is moving their vendors from FOB (Free on Board) to domestic buying, and the shift is happening fast. Walmart will pay more for domestic sources, but will not be burdened with the inventory and purchasing FOB. They are also canceling orders, decreasing quantities, and deducting off invoices, which they claim as “chargebacks” for “late deliveries”, from shipments which were received as late as last year. These kinds of behaviors by buyers will come back to bite them in the future…
Despite having more inventory – we won’t stop having shortages. Unfortunately, a lot of the bloated inventory is stuff that consumers don’t want – or can’t afford. But that doesn’t mean we will stop having shortages of critical materials. One reason for this is that the COVID crisis in China is escalating to incredible levels, and that is shutting down a lot of manufacturing hubs. In particular, a lot of maintenance parts for equipment, replacement parts for appliances, automobiles, and larger (>48 nm) chips are still produced in Asia – and we will continue to see shortages of these component parts. That means that repair may take longer than you think. Labor and material shortages for factories are going down – but still are at a much higher rate than they were in 2019.
Mexico will become a destination hub for many companies in the US – but within reason. As I noted in a prior blog, and as discussed in the New York Times today – Mexico is a great option – but the capacity isn’t there yet. More importantly, the supply chain isn’t there yet! I spoke to a CPO who mentioned that his CEO was a big proponent of bringing all supply to Mexico – but despite this fact, we are still largely dependent on China for raw materials! As pointed out in the NY Times – even apparel manufacturing in Mexico is largely dependent on fabric produced entirely in China! As such, it is unlikely we are going to lose our dependence on Chinese products. Price is still the determining factor here. Chinese manufacturing is of such scale, that moving it to the US or Mexico is unlikely.
The US Government will play more of a role in promoting domestic supply chains. Not only did the US government, pass the CHIPS Act – but they are actively promoting the domestic production of semiconductors.As noted in one of my blogs, however, producing a fab plant is a good step – but the supply chain for chips is still largely in Taiwan. There is massive flux in the chip industry – which seems to be on a different cycle than most demand cycles. What was once a one year backlog has shrunk and chips are now readily available – to the point where semiconductor companies are cutting back on capital investment! This will continue to be a real problem – and I believe we will see “capacity as a service” models begin to emerge in the chip sector – where buyers will reserve capacity based on actual forecasts, not guesses or bets on what they think they will need next year. This will stabilize production – and lead to improved availability and assurance of supply.
Healthcare supply chains will remain strained. Despite having a lot more PPE in warehouses, hospitals are still struggling with a lot of shortages. Jim Wilson, an expert in medical intelligence, advocates that hospital monitoring programs is a critical area of government investment. One area is generic drugs – such as amoxycillin. We wll have shortages of baby formula as well. For this reason, I believe the government should be creating incentives to increasingly healthcare supply chain. To address this issue, one recommendation I am advocating would be to create government industrial policies that are targeted at supporting a domestic “stop gap” manufacturing capability. Secondly, partnerships should be developed with distributors to enable visibility into their inventory systems, and ensure they enter contracts which set aside inventory for government allocation under different conditions of duress. This will require a set of common data standards and a common architecture to create a dashboard and control tower. In addition, a multi-agency materials inventory portfolio based on in-depth supply market analysis is needed. At a minimum, this should include specialists in the following categories: semiconductors, precious metals, electric vehicle batteries, medical supplies (PPE, gowns, gloves), medical devices, pharmaceuticals, plastics and resins, medical equipment, biologics, healthcare personnel, and respiratory products. This will require team of supply market analysts with special knowledge of these categories, that track the condition of critical supply markets for medical supplies, the supply risks within those markets, and acquisition strategies to manage the risks. Multi-tier supply chain mapping can provide clues as to critical points of risk that can “shut down” the US healthcare sector, based on multiple forms of risk assessment.
Growth in 2023 will be positive – but lean. As noted in a lecture by the Economist which I attended, the greatest risks looming ahead are concentrated in 2023. Next year will see some positive growth but only 1.7%, reflecting slowing growth in the US in China and recession in Europe. Global monetary tightening will take some time to kick in – likely in the second half of 2023. The US will likely see only 0.5% growth in 2023, the EU 0.4%, which in turn will impact other regions of the world. China will likely see a modest rebound after the 2022 slump, moving to only 5% growth. However, there are always risks that will move the needle, including the escalation of the Ukraine war, more COVID-19 variants, spikes in energy prices, and sovereign debt pile-ups.
Government regulation of Artificial Intelligence will increase. As I noted in a blog of a recent SAS INNOVATE conference, Henry Kissinger described AI as the new frontier of arms control during a forum at Washington National Cathedral on Nov. 16. If leading powers don’t find ways to limit AI’s reach, he said, “it is simply a mad race for some catastrophe.” The former secretary of state cautioned that AI systems could transform warfare just as they have chess or other games of strategy — because they are capable of making moves that no human would consider but that have devastatingly effective consequences. This is true not just in warfare, but also in supply chains. As we move towards a digital future where we increasingly will be ceding control to machines who call the shots, not humans, what are the risks of doing so? Increasingly, more and more data is being stuffed into the cloud, which certainly allows us access to more readily access reams of data which can be processed by algorithms for decision-making. We have to be able to trust these algorithms to make the right decisions. But driving towards AI standards to increase trustworthiness is easier said than done. The UK has also begun pursuing this goal, as has the EU, who are likely to explicitly define AI and how to use it. The government will begin to mandate a more comprehensive approach, which spans the entire organization. Three primary elements determine the fiduciary responsibility for trustworthy AI: Duty of Care, the Business Judgement rule, and Duty of Compliance Oversight. These pillars are required to understand the historical biases that so often find their way into AI algorithms, which have created historical injustices and inequities, meaning that the government is surely going to step in.
Electric vehicle parts will remain in short supply.In a recent blog, I noted how there is still a massive shortage of the so-called “green metals” required to meet the burgeoning demand for EV’s. Environmentalists and automotive companies have committed to converting all of their vehicles to electric power. GM has committed to 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. Ford is committing to an all-electric vehicle platform with zero emissions by 2035. But nobody is talking about the supply chain for these vehicles, and the capacity required to build them. Converting an entire supply base of automotive suppliers, who are all focused on building of combustion engine-powered vehicles, and moving them all to electric vehicles, will be a superhuman feat. What will happen to those manufacturers that can’t or won’t convert? They go out of business? And is there enough capacity to produce the new types of vehicles? And what raw materials are required to convert to EV in the future? I don’t think executives have really given any meaningful thought to the answers to these questions yet… I predict a rough road ahead for EV’s. Perhaps I’m a voice in the wilderness – except maybe for Toyota – they have the same doubts as I do.
Demand for supply chain graduates will go through the roof in the next two years. To summarize – global supply chains remain fragile – and we are in a period where things are starting to change. Supply chains will look very different in two or three years from what they are today.
Seasonal inventory refers to products that sell at a higher velocity during particular times of the year. For example, most companies experience an influx in seasonal demand during the holiday season, and many may stock holiday-specific SKUs that they don’t sell year-round. Other brands may experience seasonal spikes according to changes in weather, sports seasons, or secondary holidays such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
Take advantage of peaks in demand
Forecasting for seasonal variances will ensure you have sufficient levels of stock available to take advantage of increases in product demand at peak times of the year. If you rely on your busy seasons to make the most of your money, you must be on top of your game and ensure optimum product availability.
Prevent excess stock levels
Equally, it’s important that you don’t want to over-forecast for seasonal demand fluctuations. Investing too much money in inventory can lead to cash flow problems and an unhealthy balance sheet. If you have excess stock at the end of a season, you face the dilemma of selling it off at a discounted rate or taking on the burden of inflated carrying costs until demand picks up again.
Seasonal methods for managing inventory
There are five primary methods for managing inventory, and any of them could be appropriate for managing seasonal inventory, depending on SKU profile, sales velocity, and current business operations.
First in First Out (FIFO): The FIFO inventory method works by using the oldest inventory (first in) to fulfill orders first (first out). The FIFO method is appropriate for perishable and highly seasonal products and can increase margins on items that experience price hikes during times of high seasonal demand.
Last in First Out (LIFO): The LIFO inventory method uses the newest inventory (last in) to fulfill orders first (first out). The LIFO method can be used to quickly recoup expenses on products acquired at a premium seasonal price, either at the raw materials level or as finished goods.
Just in Time (JIT): The JIT inventory method is the method most commonly used by SMB’s because it requires the least intensive demand forecasting. JIT supply chains are replenished on an as needed basis. They are a high-risk supply chain management strategy and can reward merchants with increased capital on hand. Still, as we’ve seen with recent supply chain disruptions, they can also leave merchants with empty shelves when seasonal demand hits.
Economic Order Quantity (EOQ): The EOQ method determines ideal inventory levels using three metrics: customer demand, acquisition cost, and holding cost. The EOQ method can drastically cut inventory carry costs but requires advanced demand forecasting models supported by a lengthy sales history.
ABC Analysis: An ABC analysis prioritizes SKUs by lumping them into three categories: A — high-value products with a low contribution margin, B — mid-value products selling at a mid-range velocity, C — high-velocity products with a low margin. An ABC analysis helps merchants prioritize the SKUs that ultimately drive their business’s profitability and may prompt them to reconsider their product profile entirely.
How are You Managing Seasonal Demand Forecasting?
Are you looking for a strategy that can help you improve your seasonal demand forecasting? #TeamTaylor can help. Contact us today to learn more about our data-driven warehousing and fulfillment services.
Shopify, the leading provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size, has featured Taylor in its blog on warehouse management. This blog showcases how to make warehouse operations run smoothly for scaling brands. Since Taylor has tremendous experience helping brands from various industries scale, we spoke about the integral part a 3PL can play in helping your business.
Research shows that 32% of brands will fulfill orders in a new country in 2022. Lean on a 3PL’s existing horde of international warehouses to reach global shoppers in less time, rather than opening up your own in popular warehousing locations with expensive leases.
Take it from Noelle Taylor, senior marketing manager at Taylor Logistics, who says, “Partnering with a 3PL to handle warehouse management allows brands to focus more on what’s important—growing their business and delivering the best possible customer experience.
“Committed 3PLs see their relationship with brands as a long-term partnership. As a result, they may be willing to invest in space, technology, and equipment to take your business to the next level.”
The home of the greatest quarterback ever, Joe Burrow, is also the ideal place to store and distribute your products – that’s right, Cincinnati, Ohio. Why? Great question here’s a few key selling points:
Cincinnati is 24 hours from 70% of the United States population, so getting your products quickly and efficiently to the consumer will never be an issue. If you are doing a lot of eCommerce, look no further, as transit times for parcels are the best in the country in Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati region boasts the largest inland port in the country and the 14th largest in the country by cargo volume. Products coming into the Cincinnati rails? If so, we have a dedicated Cincinnati drayage team ready to assist.
So now, with the ideal location for warehousing, distribution, eCommerce, and transportation, you need a team. That’s where we come in; not only are we positioned in the most marvelous city ever, but we have the solutions for your business. Talk with our team today. Fill out the form below and a member of #TeamTaylor will reach out in no time.
It’s always a good time to #ThankATrucker, especially during National Trucking Week. This week we celebrate and recognize the important contributions made by drivers who keep the country’s freight moving.
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an important time for America to pay respect and thank all the professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment in undertaking one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. These 3.6 million professional men and women not only deliver our goods safely, securely, and on time, but they also keep our highways safe.
This year’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is September 11-17, 2022.
With pumpkin spice season creeping upon us, many shippers and retailers are already deep into holiday logistical planning. Unfortunately, supply chain disruptions have felt like the movie “Groundhog Day” with the main character’s alarm clock representing the latest unexpected challenge. Since early 2020, many companies have struggled to keep products in stock and fulfill orders promptly. As forward-thinking brands look toward the fast-approaching 2022 holiday shopping season, it appears disruptions will again take a starring role.
Preparing for the Holiday Rush
Stock up on Holiday Inventory
According to Adobe Analytics, out-of-stock messages have increased by 172% since January 2020. Lack of stock is a surefire way to turn off customers and make them look elsewhere. Throughout the holidays, ensure that you have adequate supplies of your best-sellers and coordinate often with your partners. Additionally, logistics operations may experience delays during this period, due to the influx of many moving orders. When the shopping surge starts, it’s better to replenish your inventory early, so you can get those orders moving as soon as possible. Avoid long wait times and prevent customers from getting frustrated when they learn their preferred gift is out-of-stock.
Create a Redundancy Plan
There’s nothing worse than a package not reaching its final destination on time, especially during the holidays. So create a backup shipping plan to ensure your products are delivered on time. Like last year, some carriers will have trouble getting your packages out quickly and to your customers on time during this holiday season. To ensure packages get to customers during a surge, it’s advisable to have a relationship with a backup carrier. You never know where or when issues will arise. If you can quickly shift from one carrier to another in the event of any problems, you and your customers will be happy.
Increase Real-Time Network Visibility and Predictability
In today’s dynamic retail supply chain, visibility and predictability are crucial. The most advanced customer portals for shippers can process thousands of data points within seconds, allowing them to offer business intelligence and predictive analytics to help avoid delays. As a result, shippers can gain a rapid understanding of changing transit times that are imperative in calculating dynamic lead times to be used in near-term order cycle management. Taylor provides their customers with a custom portal for real-time visibility for proactive decision-making.
The Time to Plan is Now – Partner with a 3PL Today
The best way to prepare is to start early and proactively address any shortcomings that could impact consumers. Some brands have already started placing orders to build up inventory in anticipation of the holiday rush. By prioritizing a holiday logistics strategy and dedicating time and energy to optimize related processes, brands can break out of the “Groundhog Day” loop to achieve sales goals and exceed customer expectations this holiday season. Leave the logistics to us and focus on your core business – partner with #TeamTaylor today.
CINCINNATI, OH—Aug. 15, 2022 — Food Logistics, the only publication exclusively dedicated to covering the movement of product through the global cold food supply chain, named Taylor Logistics Inc. as one of the winners of the 2022 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers award, which recognizes leading third-party logistics and cold storage providers in the cold food and beverage industry.
“These past 18 months have been so challenging for U.S. supply chains. It’s the continuous bottlenecks that require fleets to re-tool and pivot accordingly. But, it’s the drivers, the fleet, the warehouses and software/technologies that really keep today’s supply chains in line,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “These 3PLs and cold storage providers have collaborated on all facets of their operations to achieve full visibility, complete forecasting, end-to-end leverage and the ultimate in sustainability. Now is the time to honor and celebrate those companies making magic happen behind the frontlines.”
Recipients of this year’s award will be profiled in Food Logistics’ July/Aug 2022 print issue as well as online at www.FoodLogistics.com. Go to https://www.foodlogistics.com/awards to learn more about other Food Logistics’ awards.
About Food Logistics
Food Logistics reaches more than 26,000 supply chain executives in the global food and beverage industries, including executives in the food sector (growers, producers, manufacturers, wholesalers and grocers) and the logistics section (transportation, warehousing, distribution, software and technology) who share a mutual interest in the operations and business aspects of the global cold food supply chain. Food Logistics and sister publication Supply & Demand Chain Executive are also home to L.I.N.K. and L.I.N.K. Educate podcast channels, L.I.N.K. Live, SCN Summit, SupplyChainLearningCenter.com and more. Go to www.FoodLogistics.com to learn more.
Last week, our Bellevue team underwent a Safe Quality Foods (SQF) audit scoring an outstanding 98%. This is an exceptional accomplishment, as we continually strive for the highest standard in food safety for our business partners. A special kudos to the entire Bellevue team. We will be adding yet another championship banner!
What is SQF?
The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality program recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers worldwide. Recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the SQF family of food safety and quality codes are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements for all food supply chain sectors – from the farm to retail stores. This rigorous farm-to-fork food safety and quality certification also help food producers assure their buyers that their food products meet the highest possible global food safety standards.
Why is SQF important for your brand?
This farm-to-fork food safety and quality certification helps food producers assure their buyers that food products have been grown, processed, prepared, and handled according to the highest possible global food safety standards. It can immediately improve your standing in the eyes of new partners and deals. For everyone at Taylor, this achievement is an excellent validation of our hard work and our team’s commitment to safe food operations. For you, it means increased protection in the event of recalls, improved operational efficiencies in our work together, managed risks, and peace of mind with certified due diligence.
There are 1 Million forklifts in operation in the United States Nearly 1 in 10 will be in an accident 85 of the accidents will be fatal Over 34,000 serious injuries
This is why forklift safety is so important.
Forklift Safety Day is a day to emphasize the need for safe forklift operations and to uphold the highest safety standards in the workplace. At Taylor, we significantly reduce forklift accidents by prioritizing safety policies and placing importance on safety training and practices.
Questions? Talk With Taylor
Fill out the form below and a member of #TeamTaylor will reach out to you asap.
This awardrecognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage supply chain for competitive advantage.
CINCINNATI, OH —March 31, 2022 — Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only publication covering the entire global supply chain, named AJ Raaker, Director of Warehousing from Taylor Logistics, Inc as one of the winners of the 2022 Pros to Know award, which recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage supply chain for competitive advantage.
“When I look back at past Pros to Know winners, I see a lot of individuals who accomplished a lot of great achievements. But, this year’s winners are reinventing what it means to be a supply chain professional. This year’s winners are intuitive, adaptive and so super smart, and continue to push the envelope when it comes to everything supply chain-related,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. “We received over 360 nominations this year, the highest number of nominations ever for this award. It’s proof that today’s supply chain professionals are not only doing great things for the supply chain, but are also being supported by their teams, peers and partners.”
Go to www.SDCExec.com to view the full list of 2022 Pros to Know winners. The overall winner will be announced live at MODEX 2022 in Atlanta. Go to www.SDCExec.com/awards to learn more about upcoming Supply & Demand Chain Executive awards.
About Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development and more. Supply & Demand Chain Executive and sister publication Food Logistics are also home to L.I.N.K. and L.I.N.K. Educate podcast channels, L.I.N.K. Live, SCN Summit, SupplyChainLearningCenter.com and more. Go to www.SDCExec.com to learn more.
Well, Q1 2022 had no shortage of curveballs, from record-high gas and oil prices to the war in Ukraine and supply chain blockades lasting days on end, on top of record-high inflation. With the unpredictability of Q1, our team is taking a look at the trends and events as we dive into the start of Q2.
Key items to note:
Omnicron 2.0: Surprise, a new Covid variant, is making its course throughout the globe. This new BA.2 subvariant of Omicron could account for a surge in cases impacting consumer behavior. According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week (04/04) BA.2 spreads 80% faster than the earlier Omicron, has more than doubled in the U.S. over two weeks and will become the dominant variant.
Inflation, Inflation, Inflation: Consumer demand remained strong throughout the quarter. But March has been unusually soft in the truckload freight market. Consumers just aren’t spending like they were in 2021. New research reveals that supply chain issues are exacerbating inflation. A recent study found that during 2022 trade is expected to expand further, due to a 16% increase in exports during 2021 and imports by 12%. Production levels have been unable to keep pace with demand leading to supply shortages and will limit import growth in 2022.
Ocean Freight: Container shipping costs are higher than ever and will stay high for the foreseeable future as importers continue to battle for space in the face of record demand for consumer goods from Asia. Covid resurgence in China disrupted productivity and the supply chain in March. Next potential disruption on-deck: West Coast Longshore Union contract expiration and negotiation.
Drivers: making headlines and making late-night television. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver had an entire 24-minute segment on, you guessed it, drivers (aired just last week). Now a 24-minute spot in any programming late night or news is pretty significant, and the transportation and trucking crisis in America is of the utmost importance. 70% of the US cargo is transported by truck; nearly everything you purchase comes to you by truck. That box of Mac & Cheese that’s been sitting in the pantry for a hot second – truck. Headphones – truck. Your dogs squeaky toy that has seen better days – truck. You get the point. 3.5 million truckers supply our goods in this country. But the entire industry is facing a crisis; there’s a lack of drivers, a pretty massive lack of drivers, and it’s only increasing year over year. Not just long-haul drivers but final-mile delivery drivers. Leading to an overall shortage on shelves, congestion, the domino effect.
Domestic Shipping: Consumer goods demand remains high, filling truck capacities on tight routes due to driver and equipment scarcities. Diesel fuel spiked when Russia invaded Ukraine. As a result, unprecedented ground freight cost is the norm across North America.
As a third-party logistics (3PL) company, we are here to help your business. We consider ourselves an extension of your team, a partner. As you grow and evolve, we grow and evolve right alongside you. From expanding your brand from retail to offering direct-to-consumer fulfillment to drayage and port services, we’ve got you covered. Discover more about #TeamTaylor by clicking the below links.
Cross docking is the transfer of inbound goods to an outbound carrier through the use of a cross docking facility – that is, a temporary storage terminal that cuts out or reduces the need for inventory storage. All incoming goods are sorted and loaded onto outbound trucks as quickly as possible – often immediately.
It’s trending!
The cross docking market is growing yet again! Globally it’s expected to reach US$342 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of around 6%. This growth is fueled by increasing consumer expectations for delivery times, putting pressure on the supply chain through the ‘need for speed’.
Cross docking benefits
Reduced costs, particularly any costs associated with long-term inventory storage and associated facilities, labor and utilities
Improved stock turnover, as the goal of cross docking is to get goods in and out as efficiently as possible
Minimized risk, given there’s reduced handling of goods and no long-term storage that could increase the chance of spoilage
Taylor is excited to be a member of the National Confectioners’ Logistics Council.
The National Confectioners’ Logistics Council, Inc., was first organized in 1945. Its early focus was in the tariff field as the rate-bureaus attempted to make significant changes in the rate structures. Cooperative action was instrumental in achieving benefits for the members.
As the field of logistics has matured, the focus of the organization has evolved. The NCLC now works to make its members more knowledgeable and skilled in their professions and promotes collaborative action among the supply chain members.
The NCLC holds an annual meeting at which leaders in the field speak, and members share accomplishments. Attendees at the meeting return to their jobs with a better understanding of the latest technology, theories, regulations, and terminology.
Congrats to our September 2021 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. One Team – One Mission!
Congrats to our August 2021 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. One Team – One Mission!
Congrats to our July 2021 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. One Team – One Mission!
Congrats to our June 2021 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. One Team – One Mission!
Congrats to our January 2021 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. One Team – One Mission!
As always, we are continuing to put all employees’ health and safety at the forefront of operations.
Congratulations to our December 2020 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. One Team – One Mission!
As always, we are continuing to put all employees’ health and safety at the forefront of operations.
Taylor would like to congratulate the June 2020 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. Congrats to all!
As always, we are continuing to put all employees’ health and safety at the forefront of operations.
Taylor would like to congratulate the April 2020 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. Congrats to all!
Taylor would like to congratulate the March 2020 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. Congrats to all!
As always, we are continuing to put the health and safety of all employees at the forefront of operations.
Taylor would like to congratulate the February 2020 monthly warehouse award winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are given based on productivity and QA points. Congrats to all!
We would like to Congratulate the September 2019 monthly winners from our team in Bellevue, NE. These awards are based off of productivity and QA points. To learn more about our warehousing awards click here.
CINCINNATI August 19, 2019 — Taylor Warehouse has been selected for the 2019 Best of Cincinnati Award in the Warehouse category by the Cincinnati Award Program.
Working in a warehouse at times can be repetitive, demanding,
and labor-intensive. How do you keep warehouse staff engaged
and motivated in such an environment? One of the most important resources is a
motivated team. How staff are treated and how they value the company has direct
impact on our overall success and competitive advantage. With our warehouse
team being such a critical part of the company Operations Manager Randy Newman
in Bellevue, Nebraska came up with a creative and innovative way to keep our
staff motivated.
Who doesn’t
love a little friendly competition? Internal rivalry is an effective way to
ignite motivation as well as boost performance and productivity. To avoid
stress and hostility, great managers must know effective ways to help
competition benefit the workplace. Randy has successfully implemented a friendly
competition that has our warehouse staff excited and motivated for work each
day. He came up with a monthly awards system that are given out to warehouse
staff. Awards such as monthly picking winner, receiving winner, putaway winner,
loading winner, and most improved. These awards are based off
of three different criteria accuracy, efficiency, and teamwork. It’s not all
about who gets the job done fist but who does it with these three things in
mind. It’s human nature to thrive on success. We simply love it when we meet a
target because it’s proof of our hard work and achievements. All awards are
complete with bragging rights along with a WWE style belt that can be worn for the
shift or simply held for a picture to be added to our warehouse board.
Since the implementation of Randy’s award system, we have had a great response from both warehouse staff and management. Healthy contest has made the team stronger than ever. Even though the awards are given out individually it’s teamwork that makes them possible. All in all, the awards have encouraged team members to use the competition as an opportunity for personal growth, to learn from each month’s winners, and to be more motivated. It’s creative ideas like Randy’s that are what makes Taylor’s workplace an environment for all to succeed.
First shift winners. Mike Berry,Amelia Alger, and Freddy Marquez,
Mohamed Mohamed- Monthly March loading and most improved winner.
