Although the e-commerce giant doesn't describe itself as a third-party logistics provider (3PL), Amazon has surpassed major global players such as DHL and Kuehne + Nagel in 3PL revenue.
Monday April 6, 2020
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Top 50 3PLs
Top 50 3PLs
Buoyed by the growth of the US domestic transportation management, the revenue of the 50 largest logistics companies increased 10.3 percent to $253 billion in 2017, according to Pittsburgh-based reseach and consulting firm SJ Consultng — good for a 10.2 percent growth rate. Further given the streghening global economy in late 2017/early 2018, analysts expect 2018 to be another year of substantial growth.
Buzz word / key phrase for 2018: "Adapt or else."
Beyond that, the buzz words / key phrase for the sector is, “Adapt or else.” Consulting firm and anayst Armstrong & Associates noted that the rapid expansion of e-commerce will continue in 2018, as will the focus on supply chain visibility. Also, complete, integrated services are becoming paramount fo 3PLs, which are working to establish visibility in into all locations. “Simultaneously, from the customer side there’s is a need to be timely. They are placing much more emphasis on proper timing,” Armstrong said, as is integrating all services so that customers have one contact person. That’s the future, Armstrong noted.
Top 50 3PLs 2018 Ranking
Top 50 3PLs 2017 Ranking
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News & Analysis
03 Apr 2020
With freight volumes expected to plunge over the next six months as the US falls into recession, shippers should remember their strategic trucking carriers and work together to weather the storm.
03 Apr 2020
Surging e-commerce volumes continued to drive growth among the 50 largest global logistics providers in 2019, but excluding Amazon, revenue not only decelerated, it actually fell from the previous year.
27 Mar 2020
Digital truck brokers have found it hard to confidently provide an accurate guaranteed rate to shippers 14 or 21 days in advance because of the unpredictable developments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), causing one-off quotes to be higher than normal.
24 Mar 2020
The truck plant shutdowns follow a wave of broader automotive factory shutdowns the previous week, led by the big three automakers, Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, who were followed by Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
19 Mar 2020
The 10-year US economic expansion is over, killed by the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), and the recovery will be slow, IHS Markit chief economist Nariman Behravesh warns.
19 Mar 2020
FedEx expands use of its US ground unit to deliver more air express packages, as e-commerce volumes swell and Amazon ups the competitive ante.
17 Mar 2020
The coronavirus is creating new opportunities for cargo thieves, and demands better “continuity planning” from businesses that ship freight, BSI says.
09 Mar 2020
Shippers with an eye on instability in US markets are considering innovative contract terms, including the use of volume guarantees and flexible rates.
05 Mar 2020
J.B. Hunt Transportation Services, one of the largest US intermodal providers, is making a strong push into the temperature-controlled business by doubling its container fleet in 2020.
26 Feb 2020
Domestic intermodal volumes rose in January year on year, but there is little else for intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) to feel good about right now.
19 Feb 2020
Coyote Logistics predicts truckload contract rates will remain flat to down in 2020 versus a year ago, while spot rates will be higher than 2019 levels very soon.
13 Feb 2020
Non-asset intermodal providers want railroads to be more lenient on container charges and late fees when bidding for shipper business in order to become more competitive with the likes of J.B. Hunt Transport Services.
11 Feb 2020
Railroads are more conciliatory in negotiating contract rates than a year ago, hungry to recapture freight lost to trucking. One logistics executive called the railroads’ stance “a complete 180 from last year.”
06 Feb 2020
There are no positives to be found in the Intermodal Association of North America’s latest market report, which shows year-over-year volume fell 7.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 4.1 percent for the full year, with declines in all types of containers.
06 Feb 2020
Despite trucking companies and brokers saying capacity is “rightsizing,” spot rates have not increased in tandem with volume and shippers could secure contract rate reductions for 2020.
05 Feb 2020
Amid weak intermodal volumes in 2019, the JOC Domestic Intermodal Savings Index shows spot and contract savings are lower than historical averages, although the year closed stronger for shipper savings on the spot market.
30 Jan 2020
Shippers, as much as carriers, are driving toward electronic or digital bills of lading, as the need for speed and more responsive, detailed customer service increases.
29 Jan 2020
Railroads and intermodal providers say there will be more volume in 2020 than last year, although shipper demand will not fully recover until the second half of this year.
28 Jan 2020
Union Pacific Railroad will resume service on nearly 60 previously eliminated lanes beginning Feb. 1, a move it linked to its precision scheduled railroading operation, but others said was designed to win back lost market share.
28 Jan 2020
The bottom of the current slump in US freight demand is approaching, but new threats, including the China coronavirus, are emerging, speakers at the SMC3 Jumpstart 2020 conference warned.
22 Jan 2020
The freight market has returned closer to equilibrium between shippers and truckers than last year, but a murky middle persists over whether business conditions will flip toward carriers later this year.
16 Jan 2020
Expect the sale or spin-off of some business to make XPO more a “pure-play” LTL trucking company — smaller, but more focused on US shippers and better positioned to increase shareholder value.
19 Dec 2019
The Cass Freight Index suggests the bottom of the trucking market has passed, although the data doesn’t provide a clear picture of when pricing power will flip toward carriers again.
26 Nov 2019
Barring a major turnaround in December, BNSF Railway and CSX Transportation will record their lowest annual intermodal volumes this year since 2016, and two other Class I railroads could possibly join that list.
19 Nov 2019
The acquisition of Emergent Cold gives US-based Lineage Logistics greater access to Asian markets and facilities at three US ports.
11 Nov 2019
In the heart of what is supposed to be peak season, rail container traffic is not only much slower than a year ago, but also behind 2017 levels as well — and truck seems sluggish, too.
05 Nov 2019
As spot intermodal rates begin to save shippers more money than earlier in 2019, shippers are seeing reduced savings on contract business.
31 Oct 2019
Top intermodal providers had few positives in describing the current state of the market with little to no seasonal uptick in container volumes on rail.
30 Oct 2019
Freight brokers believe spot market rates will remain lower than historical norms through the first half of 2020 despite a recent seasonal bump in rates.
16 Oct 2019
J.B. Hunt Transport Services said its intermodal volume was flat in the third quarter, a positive given the 4.5 percent decline in total intermodal volume across the industry.
10 Oct 2019
A bigger footprint in El Paso, Texas, will help the freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL reach more shippers in the US and Mexico.
08 Oct 2019
A logistics veteran behind the growth of startups eventually bought out by C.H. Robinson and UPS Inc. has been named CEO of a new 3PL formed through a merger between Atomic Transport of Chicago and Cousins Logistics of Boca Raton, Florida.
08 Oct 2019
Despite weak intermodal volume in the third quarter, there is a glimmer of hope for rail shippers as a sequential bump in truckload spot rates have provided additional cost savings.
08 Oct 2019
Canadian forwarder Manitoulin adds to its US holdings, expanding its global logistics network.
01 Oct 2019
Convoy is releasing a new transportation management system for shippers relying on spreadsheets and emails -- a free software option that provides access to Convoy quotes and booking.
26 Sep 2019
As more technology is integrated into the supply chain, a Coyote Logistics survey examines what tasks are given to computers and what humans should continue to handle.
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