by logisticsplus | Sep 9, 2015 | News
Logistics Plus (LP) was contacted recently by the Great American Stations Project to prepare a case study on how Erie Union Station was converted for commercial use. Amtrak® established the Great American Stations Project in 2006 to educate communities on the benefits of redeveloping train stations, offer tools to community leaders to preserve their stations, and provide the appropriate Amtrak resources. The case study documents Logistics Plus founder and CEO Jim Berlin’s quest to restore the old station, create a cool vibe for his company, and support economic development of downtown Erie. The author of the case study summarizes the keys to the successful commercialization of Erie Union Station as follows:
- LP renovated the station to suit modern office and commercial tenants
- Experimented with a tenant mix that responds to local market demands
- Station was one of the first large-scale building rehabilitation projects in Midtown
- LP continues to participate in wider efforts to support neighborhood redevelopment
- Renovation maintained the station’s historical integrity.
Thank you to Patrick Kidd, Senior Communications Specialist for Great American Stations Projects and Amtrak Archives for producing this case study in support of train station development. You can read the complete case study by clicking the image below. You can also download a PDF copy of the case study by clicking the thumbnail image shown above.
by logisticsplus | Sep 1, 2015 | News
As announced last week, Logistics Plus begins its 20th year of operations this month. To celebrate the company’s rich history, we’ll periodically share an artifact, picture, story or news clipping from the past. Hopefully some (or many) of you will find this interesting – or at least a little nostalgic.
To kick things off, here’s a fun little artifact – one of the company’s first company brochures! While the graphics and design have much to be desired, there’s no denying the early signs of our passion for excellence with statements like “Logistics IS details” and “Sweating the details to save you time and money.” Although we might have been able to “fly below the radar” in the past, we understand that there are still “a lot of high flying logistics companies you can choose from” today. That’s why we continue to work hard to earn our customers’ trust by going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their complete satisfaction and total success in all aspects of logistics.
If you’re a current Logistics Plus customer, we thank you for your support and your business. If you’re new to Logistics Plus, we invite you to give us a try on your next LTL freight, truckload or international shipment. We’d also be happy reviewing your entire freight spend by digging through the details to see if we can help save you time and money.
by logisticsplus | Aug 24, 2015 | News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Logistics Plus Begins 20th Year of Operations
Company has been providing transportation and logistics solutions since August 1996
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, August 24, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, will be celebrating the company’s 20th year of operations over the next twelve months. The company is planning a variety of customer promotions and employee events in the coming year in recognition of its forthcoming 20th anniversary in August 2016.
It all started in August 1996 when GE Transportation, a division of General Electric and a locomotive pioneer, gave Logistics Plus founder and CEO, Jim Berlin, a one-year, three-person purchase order to help manage the domestic transportation of parts from more than 1,000 U.S. suppliers. That relationship would grow into a worldwide global supply chain partnership taking the company to Mexico, India, China, Indonesia, and beyond. In 1999, Logistics Plus began growing and diversifying its customer base, adding additional clients within the U.S. and around the world.
As his business grew, Berlin needed to find a global headquarters that would be the right fit for the company’s expanding staff and international culture. The result was the $2 million purchase of the 100,000 square foot historic Union Station in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania in 2003. Following significant renovations, Berlin would hoist flags at the top of the building to signify the many countries and nationalities represented by his employees – a tradition that continues today.
In 2011, Logistics Plus made an important strategic acquisition when it purchased Horizon Logistics with offices located in Dallas, Texas; Lexington, North Carolina; and San Francisco, California. The acquisition would add additional talent, service capabilities, and warehousing space to its growing network. Additional warehousing capacity was recently acquired when the company purchased the old Skinner Engine building in downtown Erie in early 2014. Berlin has also created or invested in a number of other related companies, including NTL, a national truckload services company; LP Linguistic Solutions, a language translation company; and Lynx Fulfillment, a dedicated warehousing and fulfillment company.
Today, as the company enters its 20th year, Logistics Plus has $120 million in annual sales, more than 1,000 active customers, over 380 employees, and nearly 50 offices in 20 countries worldwide. The company was named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2014 for being one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. This past year the company has received recognition as a top workplace by the DevelopErie economic development agency, a top 50 freight broker by Transport Topics magazine, and a great supply chain partner by SupplyChainBrain magazine.
To learn more about the company and its history, please visit www.logisticsplus.com/about-us
About Logistics Plus
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin nearly 20 years ago, Logistics Plus has been repeatedly recognized as one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. With a strong passion for excellence, its 350+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Fresno, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Evansville, IN; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Charlotte, NC; Lexington, NC; Buffalo, NY; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Greenville, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Laredo, TX; Houston, TX; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Egypt; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Libya; Mexico; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Turkey; United Kingdom; and additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Scott G. Frederick
Vice President, Marketing
Logistics Plus Inc.
(814) 240-6881
scott.frederick@logisticsplus.com
by logisticsplus | Aug 21, 2015 | News
Logistics Plus (LP) provides logistics services within and across all national borders and using all modes of transportation. Air freight forwarding and ocean freight forwarding services come into play more often than not on international shipments. On the LP International team, Emily Grein is our lead air freight specialist and Kristen Smith is our lead ocean freight specialist. We asked these two to square-off in order to better understanding the pros and cons of shipping air freight versus ocean freight. Although Emily, Kristen, and their teams are intimately immersed in either air or ocean transportation, their top priority is always to ensure the right mode is selected for the needs of each customer (which, in some cases, can include both ocean and air).
When considering the choice between air and ocean freight forwarding, the top three factors to consider are generally reliability, speed, and cost. Whether you ship via air or via ocean, each requires some level of expertise to understand how these three factors will be impacted; and each has a different set of rules, regulations, and best-practices practices.
RELIABILITY
Airfreight is more convenient and faster even though flights can get delayed by weather and other circumstances. There are usually daily air flights back and forth and between major cities around the world. Ocean carrier sailings, on the other hand, are generally weekly or every other week depending upon the trade lane. This means that if a cut-off time is missed at a seaport, there will be a longer delay. There is also the possibility of exposure to weather conditions and goods being damaged due to the wait at the ports of transfer. Lastly, the longer, more stringent schedule of ocean service may not always line up with business expectations.
SPEED
It should be no surprise that shipping by air is usually much faster than by ocean. Air shipments can take up to a few days while shipping by ocean can take anywhere from a few weeks to months to arrive; however, more efficient routes are being created and ships are getting faster, meaning shipments crossing the ocean are taking less time.
COST
For many businesses, cost can be a very crucial factor which can influence the decision to ship by air or ocean freight. Shipping your items by air is more expensive than ocean freight. Expect to pay between 5-6 times more to ship by air versus ocean transportation. With both air and ocean, costs are directly related to the cargo weight, dimensions, value, and distance being shipped. Generally, larger and heavier shipments are often cheaper to ship by ocean, while smaller more valuable shipments are better to ship by air.
The table below shows a few items to consider when deciding whether to ship via air or ocean:
No matter which mode you ship, customs regulations, duties, and fees will come into play on all international imports or exports. Working with a reliable freight forwarder that has in-house customs broker solutions will go a long way towards ensuring your shipment receives expedited customs clearance and that your import/export fees are minimized.
If you need help with air freight forwarding, ocean freight forwarding, imports/exports, or global trade compliance, work with Logistics Plus and enjoy the benefits of having an award-winning supply chain partner on your side.
by logisticsplus | Aug 18, 2015 | News
Businesses that ship less-than-truckload (LTL) freight shipments would benefit from using a transportation management system (TMS). Most large companies with big freight expenditures are already using a TMS, either with or as a part of their enterprise systems. However, those same benefits are also available to smaller companies with lower freight spending. This is often done by working with a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) partner (such as Logistics Plus). Contrary to what many may believe, most transportation management systems today are web-based and can be inexpensively integrated with a company’s back office or order management system.
There are many benefits to using a TMS. The use of a TMS will help ensure your LTL freight loads are matched to the ideal carrier so that you can get the best rates without sacrificing the service you need. More specifically, here are five key benefits to using a TMS for LTL freight management:
- Streamlined visibility to carrier rates and services: With a robust TMS, you can enjoy instant, real-time access to freight rates and transit times for multiple carriers. Not having to call multiple carriers or access multiple websites is a real time-saver. A TMS can also be customized to your specific shipping patterns and lanes, which leads to greater efficiencies for LTL carriers and better rates and service for you.
- Simplified data entry and the elimination of manual steps: TMS automation features allow you to save your customer, vendor, and product data in an easy-to-retrieve database. This creates bills of lading and other shipping documents fast and easy with little need for manual entry. It also improves document accuracy, which alleviates many downstream issues.
- Improved visibility to your shipments and documentation: Knowing your freight location allows you to be more responsive to your customers or monitor routing compliance with your vendors. Being able to pull bill of lading copies, standardized invoices, and proof of delivery documents not only creates back-office efficiencies but fosters better communication and builds better relationships with your customers and vendors.
- Freight invoice consolidation and auditing: LTL freight pricing and auditing can be complex with fuel surcharges, freight classifications, minimum density rules, and more. A good TMS should house all carrier pricing, rules, and shipment information for easy access and to provide reporting and auditing on variances between quotes and actual freight invoices.
- Availability of analytics and data: With reports generated from your TMS, you can gain better insight into your LTL freight shipping activity, costs, and service trends. Better information allows you to make future business decisions based on facts and not gut or opinion.
As mentioned earlier, smaller companies that don’t have access to a TMS today should consider partnering with a reputable 3PL with a robust TMS. If you choose to partner with Logistics Plus, you’ll receive free access to our online eShipPlus™ TMS platform. Our eShipPlus platform is a proven TMS which customers have been using for nearly a decade. In addition to all of the LTL benefits described above, eShipPlus also provides shippers with access to truckload shipment quoting, booking, and reporting functionality.
If you’re new to Logistics Plus, become our customer, and we’ll provide you complimentary access to eShipPlus. If you’re interested in integrating eShipPlus with your ERP or order management system, please email nadops@logisticsplus.com for more information. If you have general questions about our LTL freight services or tools, please click the button below.
