Productivity losses from the new hours-of-service rules have been less than anticipated, thanks to efforts by shippers and carriers, but both sides worry about additional changes that may be on the way.

Even the best companies forget that their supply chains are only as strong as the transportation system that supports them. Unfortunately, capacity constraints, high costs and other problems portend serious transportation problems. The answer is having the right transportation executive on staff who understands the legal and operational challenges ahead.

As corporations turn a strategic eye on sourcing operations, they increasingly realize the need to better manage and enforce their numerous contracts. In may ways, this is old news for transportation and logistics, where contract management tools and processes already are well established, though still underused.

It's a mistake to see the financial information reporting and documentation requirements of the act as the responsibility solely of either the CFO or the IT department. Sarbanes has many implications for supply-chain management.