29th Annual Quest for Quality Awards: Freight Forwarders keeping pace

Global manufacturing and retail shippers now have their eyes firmly fixed on the tentative economic condition of Europe, attempting to calculate the eventual impact the situation will have on supply chain operations in the region and the rest of the world.

Global manufacturing and retail shippers now have their eyes firmly fixed on the tentative economic condition of Europe, attempting to calculate the eventual impact the situation will have on supply chain operations in the region and the rest of the world.

By Michael Levans

· August 1, 2012

In a recent report from Panjiva, an online data source covering global supplier and manufacturer operations, U.S.-bound waterborne shipments, which fell 2 percent from April to May, posted a 2 percent gain from May to June. According to analysts at the firm, shipments for the first six months of the year are up 5 percent. “Relatively speaking, the numbers are holding up reasonably well,” Panjiva CEO. Josh Green recently told LM. “And considering the economic headwinds we’re facing, we’ll take it.”

And while Europe’s various economic challenges are not having a direct impact on the U.S. just yet, Green cautions that if the uncertainly continues it will most likely begin to impact trade flows across multiple geographies—adding yet another layer of complexity to global logistics management.

For global shippers, these ongoing economic issues, along with new trade agreements and increasingly complicated export policies, have forced them to become increasingly reliant on freight forwarding market leaders for most of their expanding global distribution needs—and that reliance on proven providers is not likely to end any time soon.

One thing is for sure, the nine freight forwarders listed below have certainly proven themselves in the eyes of LM readers in terms of service reliability over the past 12 tumultuous months. In fact, the overall weighted average score of 44.57 is up more then 2 points over 2011 results, signaling that global shipper satisfaction has improved.

Posting the highest score in the category this year is Pilot Freight Services with an impressive 49.99. Pilot put up top marks in Value (10.62), Customer Service (10.55), and Equipment & Operations (8.43). AIT Worldwide Logistics posted the top score in On-time Performance (12.38), while Expeditors International of Washington was called out as tops in Information Technology (8.17).

2012 Quest for Quality Winners Categories

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2012 Quest for Quality Freight Forwarders Sponsor

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About the Author

Michael Levans

Michael Levans is Group Editorial Director of Peerless Media’s Supply Chain Group of publications and websites including Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management Review, Modern Materials Handling, and Material Handling Product News. He’s a 23-year publishing veteran who started out at the Pittsburgh Press as a business reporter and has spent the last 17 years in the business-to-business press. He's been covering the logistics and supply chain markets for the past seven years.

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