There are three basic reasons why supply chain managers should pay attention to sustainability initiatives, says Kevin Smith, president and CEO of Sustainable Supply Chain Consulting.

Activity-based costing (ABC) enables motor carriers to analyze different segments of their business for profitability, says Ken Manning, president of Transportation Costing Group. But pinning profitability down precisely can be very difficult in an industry where daily changes in the weather or road conditions or traffic congestion can push a shipment into the red.

Motor carriers increasingly have turned to costing systems to help navigate the difficult pricing environment brought on by the recession, says Bill McGinley, vice president of pricing and revenue management at Wilson Trucking Co.