How can a $1.3tr industry, getting bigger every year, be hidden in plain sight? Easy. The vast U.S. logistics business, which delivers 48 million tons of freight (worth about $48bn) daily and already employs roughly 6 million people, operates mostly behind the scenes.

Moving perishable commodities like fruits, flowers and fresh seafood to the far corners of the world once was feasible only by air, making the price of these products prohibitive for most consumers. Thanks to a new generation of refrigerated ocean containers, however, perishable goods increasingly are being shipped by more efficient water transport. This shift is opening up new markets to producers and providing a growing, global middle class with affordable access to the fresh foods they want to buy.

Supply chain fleet managers are the uncelebrated heroes of today's economy. By orchestrating the vital link between supplier and consumer, they are responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted flow of commerce despite numerous challenges affecting productivity, safety and customer satisfaction. Here is a look at the top supply chain fleet management challenges in 2014, along with key tips to help fleet managers overcome those challenges.

Today's consumer is more informed than ever about the products they are buying. This includes product attributes and information, advantages, limitations, and competitive pricing, among others. The notion of the informed consumer has also taken on a new meaning lately. Namely, consumers care where the products come from, and how it is made.

Can both levers be coordinated to create the right level of resilience despite unforeseen changes in the environment, such as lead time delays, demand fluctuations or network failures?

Europe continues to fluctuate in and out of recession with ongoing economic austerity which is negatively impacting its output. Based upon its 2012 regional revenue, Armstrong & Associates estimates that 3PLs operating in Europe have penetrated 23 percent of the total potential market, so the trend to outsource logistics functions to 3PLs continues to provide for growth over and above the overall economy. The best European-based 3PLs have made acquisitions to globalize their operations and participate in developing markets with higher rates of growth.

A designer and developer of colorful cases and covers for cell phones and other wireless devices found that its warehousing and distribution model was old hat. A new logistics services partner brought a new look to things.