💥 The readers have spoken! The votes are in and we are excited to announce our Reader's Choice Top 10 3PLs of 2026.... Congrats to:

1. @EchoLogistics
2. @HubGroup
3. #KencoGroup
4. @ShipStation Global (formerly WWEX Group)
5. @DHLsupplychain
6. @LyndenInc
7. @R2_Logistics
8. gistics
10. @RyderSystemInc

Thanks to everyone who voted!

#Top103PLs #Top10 #3PLs #InboundLogistics

Got questions about peak? We’ve got answers.

We’re hosting a live “Ask Me Anything” on November 18 at 1 pm ET where four @BarrettDC leaders will answer your most pressing questions.

Topics we’ll dig into:

• How to separate normal peak turbulence from a structural issue, and like over the short term.

• Switching 3PLs mid-peak: When it’s a smart move, when it’s a costly mistake, and what to do instead.

• How to protect your momentum through the final stretch and use a strong season as leverage in 2027 capacity and network decisions.

• Straight talk oninventory issues, labor gaps, overflow space, carrier cutoffs, and more.

Bring your questions for our panel: Bryan Corbett (VP, Sales & Marketing), Harrison Smith (Director, Pricing & Contract Logistics), Bill Johnson (Regional VP, Operations), and Scott Hothem (SVP, Customer Solutions)

Register now! streamyard.com/watch/gS4sCcqK…

A modern truck runs on ELDs, telematics, GPS, and networked control units. While all that connectivity promotes efficiencies, it also creates cyber risk.

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (@NMFTA) wants to cultivate more secure environments by helping the people who work on those high-tech systems to see them the way an attacker would. Its new Fleet Cyber Challenge is a free online capture-the-flag lab with 32 challenges across seven tracks. The challenges use realistic scenarios involving ELDs, GPS spoofing, telematics, vehicle communications, and firmware.

The challenge is designed to gamify cybersecurity, and it isn’t only for security professionals. Fleet IT teams, maintenance technicians, diesel mechanics, and diagnostic specialists are all invited. The exercises are built around the protocols and diagnostic tools they already use. Participants work remotely at their own pace, and anyone who completes all seven tracks earns a Champion completion reward.

“Today’s truck is essentially an office on wheels,” says Joe Ohr, NMFTA’s chief operations and technology officer. “With that connectivity comes cybersecurity risk.”

@NMFTA Learn more here: fleetcyberchallenge.nmfta.org

We asked our audience this Good Question. Responses varied from getting data ready for AI to providing high-touch customer service — and everything in between. Swipe through for some of our favorite responses. 👉

Do you agree? Tell us in the comments what one thing you believe w to remain in business in five years.

Transportation leaders face growing pressure to control costs while maintaining reliable service across increasingly complex supply chains. But how do leading organizations realistically pull this off without sacrificing performance?

Join us on December 3 at 2 pm ET as we host hNA for an exclusive webinar exploring actionable strategies to navigate volatile fuel and freight markets.

Featured Speakers:
• Jenny Vander Zanden – Chief Operations Officer, Breakthrough
• Benita Washington – Senior Manager, Transportation Procurement, Sysco

What You’ll Learn:
• How Sysco leverages transportation data to improve overall cost management
• Strategies to strengthen carrier management and partnership practices
• Best practices for navigating volatile fuel and freight market conditions with confidence

Can't make the live session? Register anyway, and we’ll email you the full recording.

Register Now! 👉 streamyard.com/watch/KbiPRE9w…

Freight fraud and identity theft in logistics are getting more sophisticated by the day. Sometimes the deception is as small as a domain name that’s off by a single letter.

In our latest webinar, Inbound Logistics’ Amy Roach hosted Mike Beckwith (VP of Operations at plore what a modern, end-to-end freight protection strategy really requires.

A few key takeaways from Mike on defending against load fraud:

Watch the domains closely: One of the most common schemes is slight email manipulation—swapping a single character or adding an "s" to an established carrier's name (e.g., abctruckings.com instead of abctrucking.com). If you're skimming, you'll miss it.

Implement multi-factor identity verification: Rigorous carrier onboarding now leans into biometric/facial recognition, registered phone profiles, and automated identity confirmation before load details are ever dispatched.

Cross-reference digital footprints: Matching IP addresses and cell profiles across dispatchers and company records ensures the person booking the load is genuinely authorized by that FMCSA-registered carrier.

Watch the clip below to hear Mike explain the layered verification workflows Odyssey uses to stop bad actors in their tracks.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for more on why a “booked” load isn’t necessarily a “covered” load: inboundlogistics.com/webinar/booked…

#FreightFraud #FreightBrokerage #OdysseyLogistics #InboundLogistics

💰 Cargo theft incidents are down, but the monetary losses tied to them are on the rise.

@Verisk CargoNet recorded 26% fewer thefts in Q2 2026, but estimated losses more than doubled to $304.6 million. Organized crews are choosing their targets more carefully, and expensive data h on the list.

David Mitsui of Total Quality Logistics (TQL) walked us through “the redirect,” an emerging fraud scheme where every party on the load is legitimate except the phone call telling the driver where to deliver.

He also shared steps to help companies bolster their prevention efforts in today's high-risk environment.

@Verisk Read more here: inboundlogistics.com/articles/cargo…

📣 What we're talking about this week: How great #logistics sites contribute to both the global #supplychain and the local #economy; the newest crop of #ergonomic #materialshandling solutions; how to plan for complex #freight moves; tips for #peakseason prep. lnkd.in/p/g6f_u4-6

🚚 When the Department of Transportation launched Motus, its new carrier registration system, the press release told legitimate fleets, brokers, and forwarders that it would eliminate administrative friction by streamlining the entire registration lifecycle, from initial filing to biennial updates.

The release said Motus “effectively suffocates fraud at the point of registration.” It also promised a “cohesive user experience.”

The reality? Within weeks of the launch, FMCSA stopped inactivating USDOT numbers for carriers that missed the federally required biennial update. It told carriers they “should not worry about inactivation resulting from Motus-related access or system issues.”

The suspension is still in effect. FMCSA has not announced an end date and promises more guidance “as Motus recovery and stabilization efforts continue.” The agency has extended contact center hours to 11 p.m. on weekdays, added Saturdays, and asked carriers not to file duplicate tickets.

The bigger picture: Five days before the launch, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II that negligent-hiring claims against brokers can proceed. Brokers can now be sued over whom they hire, and the federal registration system they rely on is still in “recovery and stabilization.”

𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀?

"Our customers trust us with shipments critical to patient care. We take that responsibility seriously," says Matt Green, Director of MD Express at @MDLogistics He joined us on the Inbound Logistics podcast to talk about risk management in high-value pharmaceutical logistics.
tandards to deploying multi-layered defense systems (redundant GPS, high-grade locks, sirens, and strict routing protocols), tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how MD Express protects sensitive freight against modern cargo theft.

👇 Listen now to the snippet below. Full podcast available here: inboundlogistics.com/podcast/#221

#Pharmaceuticals #LogisticsManagement #FreightSecurity #Transportation #LifeSciences #RiskMitigation

Our publisher Keith Biondo sharing some thoughts on Middle East logistics advances:

Not long ago, operating in the Levant felt like navigating a legal minefield wrapped in a geopolitical maze. Transshipments choked in Turkey or Lebanon, insurance premiums soared, and carriers and shippers viewed Middle Eastern ports with deep skepticism.

Now, Washington is redrawing the regional logistics map in real time. By pairing sanctions relief in Syria with aggressive financial policing (and optimism) in Iraq, the U.S. is applying asymmetric leverage. For supply chain leaders, the contrast is stark: a wide-open Mediterranean gateway on one side, a tightly monitored but opening inland corridor on the other.

𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗮: 𝗦𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁
For years, Syria's Port of Latakia was a sanctions-choked liability. That changed with Executive Order 14312, which lifted the broad Syria sanctions program, followed by Congress's repeal of the Caesar Act and the formal removal of Syria's State Sponsor of Terrorism designation. How, given Syria's leader was once a member of al-Qaeda?

Diplomacy. President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2025, urging the U.S. to lift remaining sanctions: "Just lift the sanctions and you will see the results." Washington's ask: regional stability, security accountability, and political transition safeguards. Al-Sharaa pledged to hold wrongdoers accountable as Syria rejoins the world.

The result? Legal hurdles for terminal operators and carriers like @cmacgm have largely evaporated. Feeder loops can call Latakia directly without sweating Treasury fines, bringing crane upgrades, lower war-risk surcharges, and direct Mediterranean calls.

𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗾'𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗪𝗶𝗿𝗲
Look east, and the playbook is changing too. Baghdad's $17-billion Development Road would link Grand Faw Port to Turkey and Europe. Washington likes Iraq diversifying away from Tehran, but it isn't writing a blank check. (See my post: Iraqi Maritime Line Returns to Gulf Shipping After 50 Years inboundlogistics.com/articles/iraqi…)

The administration enforces strict secondary sanctions on players like Iraq's International Development Bank. The message: if you want international capital for rail and port megaprojects, your banking rails better be clean. Every transaction needs an OFAC check for Iranian ties.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀?
It seems so. Two models are taking shape.
The Mediterranean Bypass: Syria is becoming a viable, direct Levantine feeder option.
The Guardrailed Inland Route: Iraq offers massive transit potential, but compliance friction will dictate the pace.

UN meetings and White House visits used to sit in the background of logistics. Today, they're the route planner. Smart operators aren't just checking berth depth or rail mileage; they're reading Treasury press releases before making long-term supply chain decisions.

What’s working — and what’s not — in peak right now? Join us and @BarrettDC on November 18 at 1 pm Eastern to find out.

We’re hosting a live “Ask Me Anything” webinar with four Barrett experts (Bryan Corbett, Harrison Smith, Bill Johnson, and Scott Hothem) who are in the thick nts right now.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• If peak is going great:We’ll discuss how to use a strong season as leverage when you’re making 2027 capacity and network decisions.

• If peak has gone sideways: We’ll talk about what triage should look likeand whether switching 3PLs mid-peak is a smart strategy.

PLUS: Straight talk on inventory you can’t find, labor gaps, overflow space, carrier cutoffs, and what happens when DTC orders and retail orders crash into each other.

Got a question you'd like us to answer during the webinar? Drop it in the comments below or send it to us: editorial@inboundlogistics.com.

REGISTER NOW! streamyard.com/watch/gS4sCcqK…

𝗚𝗲𝗯𝗿ü𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

This week's Logistics Planner partner spotlight is @GWWorld. This global 3PL delivers integrated logistics services across road transport, air and sea freight , and supply chain management. The company aligns transportation with procurement and distribution strategies to ensure reliable execution.

👉 Learn more about Gebrüder Weiss here: inboundlogistics.com/planner/gebrud…

Looking for more trusted supply chain partners? Find a leading logistics provider here: inboundlogistics.com/find-a-logisti…

𝗜𝗖𝗬𝗠𝗜: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿! | Faced with shifting trade policies, geopolitical hot spots, port congestion, and rising regulations, shippers seek carrier alliances and technology innovations to help them stay on course. The nd Logistics explores the most effective maritime strategies and reveals how companies can thrive in a volatile market.
This edition includes:

→Charting the Course: Navigating Maritime Shipping
→Stand-Out Sites Build for Speed
→Supply Chain Selling Points that Have Lost Meaning
→10 Tips for Ecommerce Fulfillment
→Supply Chain P.O.V.: Global Ops VP Tackles Transformation

…and much more content focused on supply chain, logistics, and transportation best practices.

magazine.inboundlogistics.com/view/336316149/

CONTENT PARTNER POST] The wait is over! Your first look at the @ManifestFOL Vegas 2027 agenda is here.

Explore 175+ sessions with 400+ speakers, including 50 Chief Supply Chain Officers and 80 startup CEOs. Topics include AI and automation, global trade, supplier risk, and cost ow to get $200 off the current price, or $900 off the on-site rate: ManifestVegas.com/InboundLogisti…

#ManifestVegas #ManifestVegas2027

📣 What we're talking about this week: The newest #robots your #warehouse needs to know; how to make your #yard a strategic place; the top challenges and opportunities in the #global #freight market; why #retail consolidation is worth another look; intelligent execution as the next big #supplychain advantage. lnkd.in/p/eQmGP9b7

⚠️ Your kitchen cleaner, aerosol sprays, paints, and Li-ion batteries can all be classified as hazmat or dangerous goods. For 3PLs shipping B2C and B2B, that means safety has to be built into every step, from receiving to shipping.

Guy Toksoy, Managing Director, Canada at @NFIindustries, explains why safety goes beyond compliance, as well as how a culture built on engaged employees who look out for one another makes the difference.

Key takeaways:

✅ Awareness comes first. Teams need to know what’s in their facility and how to handle it.
✅ Turn observation into action. NFI’s Behavior-Based Safety approach is positive, proactive, preventative, and predictive, built on recognizing safe work and learning from “good catches.”
✅ One size doesn’t fit all. Job Hazard Analyses, hands-on training, and pre-shift meetings keep safety tied to the work happening that day.

When safety is part of the culture rather than a line on a checklist, it follows every shipment and characterizes every facility.

How does your team turn safety training into everyday habits? Share in the comments 👇

Read the full article: inboundlogistics.com/articles/how-t…

⚡ 𝗚𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 '𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹?

Nearly $1 million in graded @Pokemon and sports cards disappeared from a parked delivery vehicle in Santa Ana, California last week.

The driver left the vehicle unattended and later discovered the lock on the cargo door was missing. Two pallets of cards were gone, and a third had been disturbed. The cards’ grading company, PSA, deactivated the certificates tied to the stolen items and alerted marketplace partners to watch for rare and serialized pieces.

The straightforward theft comes as companies across the supply chain are increasingly turning their fraud prevention efforts toward emerging digital threats.

Conversations around digital fraud are certainly warranted. The FBI warned in April that criminals are using impersonation, spoofed domains ,and compromised accounts to hijack freight. But @CargoNet’s holiday advisories say companies should be aware of the potential for both traditional theft of unattended freight and identity-based fraud.

→ Don’t neglect the basics. Loaded vehicles should not be unattended, solid locks should be confirmed, and extra care should be taken with high-value cargo.