Enterprise Trucking Analyst at FreightWaves
Greater Chattanooga
Contact Info
4K followers
500+ connections
About
Enterprise Trucking Expert at FreightWaves. Writer and host of the Loaded and Rolling podcast. Opinions expressed are my own.
Articles by Thomas
Contributions
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You're debating with colleagues on vehicle performance and emissions. How do you find common ground?
More performance, less emissions, but both must help save cost and improve operational efficiency. If that doesn't work, use a persuasion trick called "the high ground maneuver" where you remind them we're all trying to make the company better and must come together to pick the thing I really want. Real talk: See if a large OEM can give you a better rate but get driver and maintenance feedback, since a cheap truck or trailer may cost more in the long run from repairs or driver turnover.
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You're managing transportation costs. How do you ensure quality service isn't sacrificed?
Consider updating your TMS systems to allow you the ability to use API's to connect to broker or carrier systems. It's no longer cool to just have an EDI connection, we aren't in the 1980's anymore. For route planning, make sure you are committing to the volumes you are awarding and not posting ghost lanes in an RFP with volumes of like 5 loads per year and never send any. Be more open to use technology to partner with carriers or brokers that can handle lower volume, less frequent lanes. Might make more sense in the long run if you focus on high volume lanes with incumbents, and outsource low volume, hard to predict, and irregular routes.
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You're managing transportation costs. How do you ensure quality service isn't sacrificed?
Always try to pit carriers or brokerages against one another if your have high volume lanes. But also be very vocal and clear with expectations during the RFP process. With large fleets you might be part of a basket of customers for a specific region or lane pairing. Try to find out where you sit on the list, If you are poor at your internal transportation management skills, you can offset this with ensuring your distribution centers and facilities are fast at loading and unloading to offset other issues like rate or service expectations. If you are diabolical and evil, use your partner carriers trailers as storage while complaining that they aren't accepting contracted tenders.
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You're managing transportation costs. How do you ensure quality service isn't sacrificed?
First step, look at carrier and broker scorecards, look at both contracted load tender compliance rates and service levels for pickup and delivery. If all your carriers seem to be delivering better than expected, check and see if they're scrubbing the data or if it's valid. Rank your carriers on each lane, see if the incumbent continues to perform. If not, look at your load tender processes and see if adding other carriers to a high volume lanes works. When the market shifts and carriers are expensive, focus on relationships and ensuring your sending them loads further in advance before working down your routing guide.
Activity
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One of the most important concepts to understand as part of the current tariff discourse is the distinction between what economists call "gross trade…
One of the most important concepts to understand as part of the current tariff discourse is the distinction between what economists call "gross trade…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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I’m #hiring! Firecrown Media is seeking a contract writer to cover all things small-midsized fleet news. This person will have great journalism…
I’m #hiring! Firecrown Media is seeking a contract writer to cover all things small-midsized fleet news. This person will have great journalism…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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2024 closes with 3,104 fewer freight brokerages. Combining this with 2,395 closures in 2023 means that there are now 5,409 fewer freight brokerages…
2024 closes with 3,104 fewer freight brokerages. Combining this with 2,395 closures in 2023 means that there are now 5,409 fewer freight brokerages…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
Experience
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Logistics Consultant
Self-employed
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Arrive Logistics
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U.S. Xpress, Inc.
Education
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The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Master's degree Business Administration and Management, General
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Concentration in Business Analytics
Volunteer Experience
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Eagle Scout
Boy Scouts of America
- 7 years 5 months
Create and manage a Eagle Scout project to coordinate with Habitat for Humanity and design, implement, and landscape the front acreage for the entrance to on their developments
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Member
RURITAN NATIONAL, INC
- 6 years 1 month
Social Services
member of Flint Springs Ruritan National Club a civic organization dedicated to community outreach and service thorough volunteer projects from 2001-2009
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Cadet
Army ROTC (Official Page)
- 3 years 9 months
Social Services
volunteer for annual UTK ARMY ROTC Mountain Man Memorial March marathon in Gatlinburg TN from 2010-2013 benefiting wounded warriors project as well as gold star mothers to honor fallen service members.
Honors & Awards
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Eagle Scout
Boy Scouts of America
Languages
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English
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German
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Organizations
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Boy Scouts of America
Various leadership roles
-member of Boy Scouts of America served as multiple positions such as quartermaster as well as youth troop leader, planning development and implementation of outdoor activities.
More activity by Thomas
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The first full week saw declines in flatbed outbound tender rejection rates while the reefer and dry van segments posted slight gains. Reefer…
The first full week saw declines in flatbed outbound tender rejection rates while the reefer and dry van segments posted slight gains. Reefer…
Shared by Thomas Wasson
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I've put another data mashup together, this time explaining how construction employment data may help us better understand flatbed demand. It leans…
I've put another data mashup together, this time explaining how construction employment data may help us better understand flatbed demand. It leans…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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In this week's newsletter I dive into a recent Morgan Stanley Q4 preview, December Class 8 orders beat seasonal expectations, and the December LMI…
In this week's newsletter I dive into a recent Morgan Stanley Q4 preview, December Class 8 orders beat seasonal expectations, and the December LMI…
Shared by Thomas Wasson
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As there has been reporting regarding some manufacturing firms stockpiling intermediate inputs for fear of shortages due to tariffs (and their…
As there has been reporting regarding some manufacturing firms stockpiling intermediate inputs for fear of shortages due to tariffs (and their…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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I've been promoted! After a great year for the firm and for myself, I am happy to share that I've earned a promotion to Director at AlixPartners!…
I've been promoted! After a great year for the firm and for myself, I am happy to share that I've earned a promotion to Director at AlixPartners!…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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The past week saw dry van outbound tender rejection rates follow seasonal trends but remain elevated compared to the past two years. VOTRI fell 81…
The past week saw dry van outbound tender rejection rates follow seasonal trends but remain elevated compared to the past two years. VOTRI fell 81…
Shared by Thomas Wasson
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Chicago thrives as a global destination for logistics and supply chains, starting from Jean-Baptiste Point Du Sable's early trading days to today's…
Chicago thrives as a global destination for logistics and supply chains, starting from Jean-Baptiste Point Du Sable's early trading days to today's…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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For those interested in well-executed reporting on why food prices for consumers haven't come down, here is a link to a story by CNBC that ran today…
For those interested in well-executed reporting on why food prices for consumers haven't come down, here is a link to a story by CNBC that ran today…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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I wanted to share the most recent academic article (open access, so free to download) that I've coauthored with Jonathan Phares, PhD and Stephen…
I wanted to share the most recent academic article (open access, so free to download) that I've coauthored with Jonathan Phares, PhD and Stephen…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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I wanted to build on Paul Berger’s recent reporting at The Wall Street Journal regarding some factories in the USA continuing to experience struggles…
I wanted to build on Paul Berger’s recent reporting at The Wall Street Journal regarding some factories in the USA continuing to experience struggles…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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Hey! You who dream of great things to come, great journeys to be had and great rewards to be enjoyed! Yeah, 2024 might not have been the best year.…
Hey! You who dream of great things to come, great journeys to be had and great rewards to be enjoyed! Yeah, 2024 might not have been the best year.…
Liked by Thomas Wasson
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