As with a marriage, the success of 3PL partnership is largely determined before the union is sealed, says Harry Drajpuch, CEO of Weber Logistics. Clarity about mutual expectations and the nature of the relationship, whether tactical or strategic, are issues that need to be thrashed out well in advance of any commitments.

Anyone in the business of manufacturing automobiles, trucks and automotive components back in the tumultuous years of 2008 and 2009 might be tempted to put their metaphorical transmission into neutral, reveling just a little bit in the success that surrounds an industry that is experiencing something akin to a rebirth. But as sweet as that might seem in the short term, there are significant challenges facing automotive suppliers despite the improving production outlook.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises has joined with Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Ltd. to launch a North American cross-border shipping service.

The Supply Chain Group of third-party logistics provider LeanCor is expanding operations to the Chinese market. The unit will launch logistics services, training and education efforts to support the logistics, infrastructure and academic needs of Chinese and American companies.

Frito-Lay plans to put 45 more electric delivery trucks on California roads in the coming months, bringing its fleet of such vehicles in the state to 105 by the end of the year.

An effective procurement process begins with having all spend under control, including money spent on logistics and transportation, says Nick Seiersen, president and CEO of Seiersen Enterprise. Overall, such a process should ensure that the right suppliers provide the right products or services on the right terms, he says.

Panjiva, provider of a platform for global sourcing, has developed Maritime Monitor, a product designed to meet the trade-analysis and lead-generation needs of the maritime industry.

By leveraging truck drivers' cell phone connectivity and location-based applications, Open Mile claims to have become the first freight brokerage to provide accurate and precise information on a truck's location at every point from pickup to delivery. CEO Evan Schumacher says this capability gives shippers a level of confidence in service reliability that previously has been absent from the brokerage industry.

The CMA CGM Group is upgrading its weekly, fixed-day Brazil Express (Brazex) container service, with the introduction of two new Brazilian ports, Manaus and Salvador de Bahia, to the rotation.

The logistics group of Crowley Maritime Corp. has expanded its service to include less-than-containerload (LCL) ocean and air-cargo lifts, as well as customs brokerage services, to Cartagena, Colombia from key points within the U.S. and Latin America.