Approved Freight Forwarders
Helpful Articles

Bargain hunting isn’t a new concept to the world of consumerism. Anyone who grew up with grandparents or parents born in the early half of the 20th century know the lengths a buyer will go to get a better deal. Heck, even millennials are carrying on the tradition with coupon apps and websites. That’s because a great deal is – well – great. There’s no better feeling than finding the perfect match at an excellent price. Discounting works well for purveyors of goods, but what of service companies? Supply chain management is a complex network of assets, partners, and bottom lines. Without the proper planning...

Updated 5/15/23   We love Hawaiʻi freight. Ingrained deep in our company culture is the long history, tradition, and practice of moving goods to the Hawaiian Islands. We’ve spent generations building strong ties to Hawaiʻi, and the concept of ʻohana informs everything we do. The Approved ʻohana encompasses all of our team members and clients on and off the islands, and we take our responsibility to our ʻohana seriously. We also love sharing the knowledge we’ve acquired working in the Hawaiʻi freight lanes. If you aren’t familiar with the Hawaiian Islands—or you’re new to the ocean freight industry—you might not know off the top of...

Most freight providers have entire teams dedicated to providing spot quotes to shippers. Clients both new and old often require quick pricing on hot moves from origin to destination. Other times, the shipper will ask for pricing as an estimate. Spot quotes are an excellent way to get a general idea of the cost involved in shipping a product, but they won’t give you the best rates possible. By meeting with a 3PL provider, and discussing your freight, you’ll be able to secure better rates. One of the keys to an exceptional supply chain is early, extensive planning. Set pricing is a great way to fuel...

The life of a history buff usually starts with a question like this: “I wonder what it was like back then?” Until Doc Brown and Marty McFly come to town, our ability to time travel is limited to books and documentaries – research – on the era that interests us most. As logistics experts, we are fascinated with supply chains of the past. How do they compare to the modern era? What did they get right? What did they get wrong? So, in celebration of Independence Day, we’ve put together a brief piece on the logistics of the American Revolution. Happy Fourth of July America,...

A lot has been written, argued, and speculated on the future of supply chain management. Technology has disrupted the industry by companies like Amazon and Uber Freight. Investors and thinkers are scrambling to predict the future. In a recent article, the Harvard Business Review even sounded the death knell of Supply Chain Management. One of the driving forces behind these changes is the cultivation of an on-demand mindset in consumers. Netflix and Hulu have irrevocably changed the entertainment industry. HelloFresh and Blue Apron have replaced nights of grocery shopping and eating out. Amazon has created a model where consumers not only want but expect, next-day delivery of their...

During the full lifecycle of a product, it is likely to spend some time in a warehouse. After production, before it begins its journey to the consumer, or at a staging location for restocking and order fulfillment, warehouses play a pivotal role in supply chain management. Each day, consumer goods companies all over the world perform warehousing and storage. Many employ the service of a 3PL partner, while others maintain their stock in-house. Storage spaces can take a lot of different shapes and sizes. Warehousing might look very different from company to company. But the main functions of warehousing and storage are standard across all...