It's not good enough that you had a contract last year. You need one now, and if you haven't locked in a carrier for another 12 months or so, you're taking a big risk with the capacity crunch expected to get worse, Chiodo says. There will be increased rates, to be sure, but you can get a commitment if you act now.

Other areas of concern in the supply chain include retention of needed talent. Transplace uses lean and Six Sigma processes to "grow" its talent, he says. Companies are advised to look at the stronger college supply chain management programs and, of course, at successful organizations whose employees may be amenable to an offer from you.

Chiodo says any company's self-assessment should include a look at its IT infrastructure to determine if what it has will meet its needs. Clearly, aligning with a transportation services partner requires that you choose one that has the necessary investment in the right solutions. That's particularly important as we may be emerging from a recession and cutting costs is still paramount. Partnering with a financially solid provider or broker can save your company quite a bit.

To view this video interview in its entirety, click here.