LTLs Urged to Embrace Data Links

February 10, 2000 9:45 AM, EST

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — New technologies and services are making it easier — and cheaper — for regional and local less-then-truckload freight carriers to improve their productivity. The real issue, however, is not whether the technology may aid the carriers, but whether the carriers are ready to embrace it, according to people who sell the technology.

The future success of the traditional LTL carrier will depend on its ability and willingness to manage data and new ways of sharing information with customers, said Ken Weinberg, vice president of Carrier Logistics, an operational systems supplier in Tarrytown, N.Y.

Touching on a theme they’ve heard before, Weinberg told members of the Distribution and LTL Carriers Association at their annual conference Jan. 25 that they’re going to see more and more competition from nontraditional LTL carriers. These will be smaller, flexible freight-hauling companies that see themselves as more than just a for-hire trucking operation.

“These nontraditional carriers are heavily involved in logistics,” said Weinberg. “They’re involved in air freight, in warehousing, in trucking. They’re tied in to e-commerce, and they’re moving goods from Malaysia to the mall."

For the full story, see the Feb. 7 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.