3PL Basics: The 11 Transportation Services with Jeremy Thone
The Logistics of Logistics Podcast
Release Date: 09/30/2020
The Logistics of Logistics Podcast
and discuss avoiding logistics FUD. Steve is the Founder and Managing Director of Partners, a boutique leadership, business strategy and turnaround consulting firm. Summary: Avoiding Logistics FUD In this episode, Joe Lynch and guest Steve Elwell tackle the pervasive issue of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) and its impact on various aspects of business, particularly in logistics. Joe and Steve provide valuable insights into overcoming FUD by establishing trust and eliminating disruptive elements within business relationships, and leadership. The...
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In “Supply Chain Reset: Overcoming Pharma & Healthcare Supply Chain Challenges”, and , a Principal at Efficio, discuss how to build resilient supply chains using data-driven strategies and a hands-on consulting approach to achieve both cost savings and operational resilience in the complex pharma and healthcare sectors. About Michael Needham is a Principal Consultant at Efficio, the leading global consultancy, dedicated to helping clients achieve their supply chain and procurement goals. Michaël has 20+ years of experience working across the pharmaceutical manufacturing,...
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and discuss the revenue engine. Kara is the Founder and CRO of , the premier B2B marketing and PR firm dedicated to helping logistics companies increase lead generation through targeted marketing strategies and media coverage. About Kara Brown A prominent thought leader in B2B go-to-market strategy, is CEO of LeadCoverage, the pioneering consultancy transforming approaches to PR, demand generation and marketing across the supply chain, heavy industrial, and tech sectors. Her successful corporate career started at Echo Global Logistics where she played a key...
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In “Beyond LTL & Truckload: The Expedite All Approach to Smaller Truck Solutions”, and , the President of Expedite All, discuss how specialized small truck solutions, spearheaded by networks like Expedite All, deliver efficient, on-demand transportation for time-critical shipments, leveraging cargo vans, box trucks, and straight trucks to bypass the limitations of traditional LTL and Truckload. About Mike Ernst , President of Expedite All, brings over 25 years of experience in the logistics industry to the company. He has held leadership roles such as Vice President of...
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In “U.S. Maritime Modernization: Policy Driven Changes in Ocean Shipping”, and , the Founder of Squall Strategies and The Maritime Professor, discuss how recent U.S. policies, like OSRA 2022 and strategic efforts to move supply chains from China, are significantly reshaping the ocean shipping industry. About Lauren Beagen is a seasoned maritime attorney and the founder of and . Ms. Beagen is often called on for her industry expertise by notable trade networks, including features on CNBC and FreightWaves. has extensive experience in oceanborne commerce...
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In “2025's Top 100 3PLs: How Logistics Giants are Confronting Uncertainty”, and , Managing Editor of Features and Multimedia at Transport Topics, discuss the Top 100 logistics companies, 2024 performance, changes to the list, and the trends impacting the industry. About Seth Clevenger Seth Clevenger is managing editor of features and multimedia at Transport Topics. He plans, writes and edits news features for Transport Topics’ weekly newspaper, supplemental publications and . He also creates video and audio content for Transport Topics’ webcasts, podcasts and radio...
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and discuss a decade of Loadsmart: a look back to move forward. Felipe is Co-founder and CEO of , where they provide logistics solutions powered by industry experts and next-gen technology that lower costs, increase efficiency, and digitize transportation. About Felipe Capella Co-founder and CEO of , a leading digital freight technology company. Previously advised companies on corporate strategy and M&A in Brazil and New York for 8 years. Joined the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington to advise on sovereign guaranteed development...
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and discuss beyond the yard - how Velostics streamlines scheduling. Gaurav is the Founder and CEO of , a company on a mission to revolutionize the logistics landscape. Summary: Beyond the Yard: How Velostics Streamlines Scheduling In this podcast, Gaurav Khandelwal, CEO of Velostics, discusses how their cloud-based logistics software automates scheduling and streamlines processes for shippers, carriers, and logistics providers. Velostics aims to eliminate manual scheduling, reduce friction in the handoff process, and provide user-friendly tools for better...
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In “The 5 Failures of Final Mile,” and , Host of Last2First Podcast and Insurance Producer at CUI Agency, discuss the common mistakes that final mile companies make. About Jason Burns is a native of New Orleans and a passionate business leader in the final mile transportation industry. He is a 2006 graduate of Vanderbilt University where he was a SEC Academic Honor Roll student-athlete in football and selected as the recipient of the Head Coach’s Dedication Award. After beginning his professional career in the parking industry, Jason returned to his hometown to assume a...
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In "TIA Unpacks Freight: Tariffs, Trust, and the Fight Against Fraud," and , President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), dive into key industry topics. About Chris Burroughs is the President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), a position he assumed in November 2024. With over 14 years at TIA, he previously served as Vice President of Government Affairs, overseeing legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and federal agencies. Before joining TIA, Burroughs gained valuable experience on Capitol Hill, working for the House...
info_outline3PL Basics: The 11 Transportation Services with Jeremy Thone
Joe Lynch and Jeremy Thone discuss the 3PL basics: the 11 transportation services provided by 3rd party logistics providers.
About Jeremy Thone
Jeremy Thone is the Marketing Director at 3PL Systems, which is a transportation management system software company based in Signal Hill, California. Jeremy grew up in the 3PL business because his father is the co-founder of Diversified Transportation based in Torrance, CA. Jeremy worked in 3PL sales with Diversified and then left joined a number of high-tech start-ups prior to joining 3PL Systems. Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science, Marketing from the University of Southern California.
About 3PL Systems
3PL Systems, Inc. provides transportation management system software to help make freight brokers more profitable - both by helping them bring in more revenue and helping them to operate more efficiently. 3PL Systems' BrokerWare is used to manage all shipping and transportation activities from one place, including dispatch, operations, routing, carrier selection, tracing, accounting, billing, collections, and much more. BrokerWare is a transportation management system (TMS) for Non-Asset Based Freight Brokers. Our freight broker software package has built-in support for many types of shipments including less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload (TL), expedited, rail, and any type of specialized equipment.
Key Takeaways – 3PL Basics: The 11 Transportation Services
Transportation Service #1 – Small Package
Package delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages (parcels) or high-value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.
Package delivery or parcel delivery is the shipping of packages (parcels) or high-value mail as single shipments. While the service is provided by most postal systems, private package delivery services have also existed in competition with and in place of public postal services.
Transportation Service #2 – Air Cargo
Air transportation is used to transport air cargo by plane. Air cargo or air transport is a vital component of many international logistics networks. Air transport is a vital part of international commerce. Air transport involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging. Transporting goods to and from the airport is also an essential part of the process.
Transportation Service #3 – Ocean
Ocean transport is used to move goods across the ocean or larger lakes. There are many different types of cargo that are moved in various types of ships. The ship types include bulk carriers, container ships, tankers, refrigerated ships, and roll-on / roll-off ships.
Bulk carriers are cargo ships used to move bulk cargo like coal, ore, grains, and liquids. Bulk cargo is commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities. It refers to material in either liquid or granular, particulate form, as a mass of relatively small solids, such as petroleum, grain, coal, or gravel. This cargo is usually dropped or poured, with a spout or shovel bucket, into a bulk carrier ship's hold, railroad car, or tanker truck/trailer/semi-trailer body.
Container ships are cargo ships that carry their entire load in truck-size containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport. Informally known as "box boats," they carry the majority of the world's dry cargo.
Tankers are cargo ships for the transport of fluids, such as crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas and chemicals, also vegetable oils, wine, and other food.
Refrigerated ships (reefers) are cargo ships used to transport temperature-controlled transportation, mostly fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products, and other foodstuffs.
Roll-on/roll-off ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trailers, or railway carriages. RORO (or ro/ro) vessels have built-in ramps which allow the cargo to be efficiently "rolled on" and "rolled off" the vessel when in port.
A Multi-purpose ship (sometimes called a general cargo ship) is used to transport a variety of goods from bulk commodities to breakbulk and heavy cargoes. To provide maximum trading flexibility they are usually geared and modern examples are fitted for the carriage of containers and grains.
Breakbulk cargo or general cargo is a term that covers a great variety of goods that must be loaded individually, and not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with oil or grain. Breakbulk cargo is transported in bags, boxes, crates, drums, or barrels. Unit loads of items secured to a pallet or skid are also used.
Transportation Service #4 – Less Than Truckload
Less Than Truckload (LTL) is a shipment that does not require a full 48 or 53-foot trailer. There are many carriers that specialize or offer this service and like full truckload carriers, the LTL carriers themselves specialize in different services such as lift gate and residential pick-ups and deliveries, guaranteed services, temperature control, transit, and bottom-line cost to name a few.
Within a local area, the LTL freight operator has a number of vehicles that collect shipments from their customers. After finishing the daily collection, the shipments are taken to a terminal where the vehicles are unloaded. Each shipment is weighed and rated which allows customer bills to be processed. The individual shipment is loaded onto an outbound vehicle which contains shipments from other customers bound for the same geographic area. The outbound shipments are trucked to appropriate regional terminals, where they are unloaded. The shipments are sorted and placed on local vehicles for delivery. Each individual shipment is handled a number of times from the time it is picked up from the customer until it reaches its final delivery location.
Transportation Service #5 – Truckload
Truckload shipping is the movement of large amounts of similar freight, usually the amount necessary to fill an entire semi-trailer or intermodal container. A truckload carrier is a trucking company that generally contracts an entire trailer-load to a single customer.
Full truckload carriers normally pick up and deliver dedicated shipments. Typically, shipments are picked up at the shipper and delivered directly to the consignee. Truckload shipments are generally handled less, cost less per unit shipped, and have less freight damage.
Transportation Service #6 – Dedicated Contract Carriage
Dedicated contract carriage is a third-party service that provides dedicated equipment (vehicles) and drivers to a single customer for its exclusive use on a contractual basis.
DCC is a flexible service that offers all the service advantages of a private fleet and the convenience of a for-hire carrier. DCC in a sense outsources many of the challenging functions associated with managing a fleet. Functions including, but not limited to ongoing operations management, technology, drivers, vehicles, vehicle maintenance, safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, and pickup and delivery instructions.
Transportation Service #7 – Intermodal
Intermodal refers to transportation by more than one means of transport such as a ship, truck, and rail. The intermodal containerization of cargo has revolutionized the supply chain logistics industry. The reduced handling results in increased efficiency, which has lowered shipping costs substantially.
Transportation Service #8 – Final Mile
Final mile (last mile) describes the movement of goods from a transport hub to a final destination. Transporting goods via freight rail networks and container ships is often the most efficient and cost-effective manner of shipping. However, when goods arrive at a high-capacity freight station or port, they must then be transported to their final destination. The last mile problem can also include the challenge of making deliveries in urban areas where retail stores, restaurants, and other merchants in a central business district often contribute to congestion and safety problems.
Transportation Service #9 – Rail
Rail transport utilizes freight trains to haul cargo. Oftentimes, the freight cars are customized for a specific type of freight. Freight trains are very efficient, with economies of scale and good energy efficiency. However, pick-up and delivery to the railhead are costly and inconvenient.
Container trains have become the dominant type in the US for non-bulk haulage. Containers can easily be moved to other modes of transportation like ships and trucks.
Rail is the most efficient mode for transporting bulk shipments like coal, ore, grains, and liquids. Bulk is transported in open-topped cars, hopper cars, and tank cars.
Transportation Service #10 – Fleet Acquisition
Fleet acquisition services help companies acquire trucks. Fleet acquisition companies conduct an analysis of the client’s needs so they can acquire the right truck(s) for their clients.
To specify the truck fleet, the following information is considered: customization, driver requirements, market information, maintenance costs, financing options, taxes, etc. Other functions include project management, inspection, and delivery.
Generally, fleet acquisition services will help their clients save money through market intelligence, volume pricing, and close relationships with the OEMs.
Transportation Service #11 – Equipment / Drivers
There are logistics companies that sell or lease transportation equipment to their clients. Transportation equipment is used to move material from one location to another, like between a loading dock and a storage area, etc...) within a facility or at a site. Typical equipment includes conveyors, cranes, industrial trucks.
There are also logistics companies that provide temporary and/or fully-outsourced driver leasing services. These companies manage the driver workforce, enabling their clients to focus on their business. Driver leasing companies specialize in hiring, training, driver management, employee retention, and benefits management.