The Midwestern United States (typically known as the “Midwest”) is one of the most important logistics corridors in the country and just about any logistics company that matters has some presence in this vital region. With a population of more than 66 million residing in these 12 states, it is one of the most important of the 4 geographic regions in the US.

From Chicago, the third largest freight handler in the world and the single largest rail transfer in the United States to key distribution points in St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis/St. Paul among others, the Midwest is home to professional 3PL service providers strategically located to best service the midwest region and to create strong anchors in nationwide warehousing and distribution networks.

Midwest Logistics Companies by State

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Ohio
• Wisconsin

The Midwest has long been a logistics stronghold and you will find quality third party logistics companies providing warehousing, freight management, and integrated logistics providers in all states in the Midwest. As you can see, we have officially launched the entire Midwest region at Logistics List with listings from 3pl companies in each market.

The Pacific Northwest has always been a key region for the logistics industry but it is likely to emerge as a growth area in the 3PL industry as the population in the surrounding areas continues to grow and as our trade with China picks up.

While Southern California had the most notable spike in traffic during the recession, the Pacific Northwest with its key ports in the Portland, OR and Seattle, WA markets, will become increasingly important in the coming years.

Currently around 70% of international cargo coming into the region is intermodal and transferred via rail to bigger inland markets such as Chicago. But with West Coast trade volumes set to double by 2020, the Pacific Northwest is set to become key to supporting this growth.

For companies looking for reliable logistics and warehousing services in the pacific northwest there are many excellent logistics companies in Seattle and  3pl providers in Portland.

JDA recently released a new complimentary white paper covering “Best Practices in Global Logistics.”

As a result of global sourcing, transportation management and third party logistics is becoming more strategic at companies where it has not traditionally been a core competency.

Some key best practices for logistics management covered  include:

• Evaluate and determine the right logistics operating model
• Establish strategic relations with 3PL providers and get alignment on performance metrics
• Deploy global visibility and exception-management processes and systems
• Optimize the global flow of goods through intelligent routing and consolidation
• Institute a continuous process for ongoing logistics/supply chain network design and scenario analysis

Get Free “Best Practices in Global Logistics” Whitepaper

Over the last year, logistics and supply chain management executives worldwide have been working tirelessly to respond to the recession and develop next generation supply chain strategies to get their respective organizations back on track. [Read more…]

In this increasingly volatile business environment, logistics providers continue to look for ways to define themselves and deliver best-in-class services. But a lot of times these attempts at differentiation lead to confusing jargon and acronyms that continue to be built upon year after year.

A few years ago I wrote a post to help distinguish the difference between 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th party logistics. The other day I read a great article in DC Velocity that claimed there was a consultant out there that was trying to define “5th party logistics”.

The latest jargon that is now gaining adoption is that of the Logistics Service Provider and Lead Logistics Provider

Logistics Service Provider – An LSP is really what most people would see as a traditional 3PL provider offering a combination of warehousing and transportation services or one or the other. As global and multi national providers enter the game, things have certainly changed, but the Logistics Service Provider at its core is fundamentally the same. [Read more…]

There is no question that making an informed decision when selecting a WMS or TMS system for your organization whether you are a 3PL provider, manage your supply chain in-house or are talking with a 3PL about the capabilities of their TMS is critical to your succcess.

I remember someone once told me the old adage regarding the purchasing of enterprise systems, “No one ever got fired for choosing IBM.” and it really struck me. Now yes IBM does have extensive solutions for the supply chain, but I’m not here to plug IBM. [Read more…]

Supply Chain Management Review recently published a great piece featuring articles from some of the most influencial thought leaders in the logistics and supply chain industry. Here are a few links to some of the articles. Definitely worth a read.

Its All About Trust by Jim Carrol
Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain Operations at IBM

The China Syndrome by George Stalk Jr.
Senior Vice President and Director in the Toronto office of The Boston Consulting Group

Real-Time Reality by Sanjay Sarma
Associate Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chief Scientist for OATSystems.

The Power of Patience by Rick Blasgen
President and CEO, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)

Subscribe to Supply Chain Management Review

Check out our list of other Logistics Trade Publications

Looking for a logistics provider? See our Logistics Company Directory

We’ve just launched a dedicated logistics jobs page today featuring listings from our distribution partner Indeed. If you are in the market for a new position in the logistics, warehousing and supply chain management industry or are just passively searching feel free to check us out.

Logistics List: Logistics Jobs section.

A recent article at Outsourcing Pharma with AstraZeneca finds the pharmaceutical giant mulling a future move to utilizing third party logistics providers as part of its three year study looking for ways to drive new efficiencies. AstraZeneca spokesperson Chris Dalton had this to say in a recent interview.

“Outsourcing will be part of a mixture of steps taken, including acquisitions and research collaborations, in order to enhance productivity. All options are currently being considered. We will look to fill the gaps where we no longer have the in-house capability, including using various locations across the globe. [Read more…]

I just came across a great comparison chart of all of the major third party logistics providers and their different capabilities located at Logistics Today, one of my favorite logistics trade publications.

Find the 3PL Comparison Chart Here: 3PL Chart