Are Retailers and Carriers Finding a Balance?

If you're a retailer, it may be a better time than ever to improve your relationships with your transportation providers. Retailers are having to rely on their carriers to work with them to overcome the challenges associated with things like still iffy fuel prices, capacity issues, and an increasing number of government and safety regulations, and are, in many cases, having to pay to get what they want, not having as much leverage as they had even a couple of years ago due the upward shift in the economy. The good news for shippers, and perhaps for carriers, too, is that because their needs are so specific and technology has made supply chains more visible and manageable than ever before, retailers are able to hold their transportation providers accountable, and require them to deliver on their promises. BridgeNet's own proprietary visibility solution, Xonar, does this. It no longer matters where supply chain managers are in the world; they can be notified when issues arise and require concessions or compensation when they're not resolved in a designated amount of time.

What do you think? Are carriers and shippers finally finding a true balance when it comes to expectations, service delivery, and pricing? The waters may still not be completely clear, but with improved visibility technology, more and more logistics professionals are able to take control of their supply chains with greater ease, which, in turns out, is a good thing for everyone.