These competitive modes have at least two things in common: Each took a drubbing in the past year or so, and each is cautiously optimistic that things are looking up.

The Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics is unique in that it is a state-led and state-funded organization, created to foster logistics as a strategic resource for fueling competitiveness and economic development in the state. The Center is hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

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.

Shippers are looking to turn over responsibility for logistics, and third parties are happy to oblige. But are they ready for what 2010 will bring?

Managing costs and taking advantage of low freight rates, to be sure - but their real concern is maintaining a high level of customer service in a time of reduced demand.

Logistics and transportation companies were hit early and hard by the economic downturn. Those that survived had to adapt operations and adopt new ideas and strategies. Many of those will remain and provide competitive benefits as the recovery takes hold.