Around the holidays, we like to reflect on how grateful we are for the amazing community we live and work in. Each year we seek out local charitable organizations that support causes near and dear to our hearts to make donations to. We’ve made our selections for this year and want to share a little bit about them with you.

Debra (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America)
This organization is dedicated to finding a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), which affects 1 out of every 20,000 live births in the United States. EB is a genetically based disease characterized by chronic, painful blistering. The skin and mucous membranes are so fragile that the slightest touch can cause severe blistering inside and outside the body. The mission of Debra of America is to improve the quality of life for all people living with EB, their families, and caregivers through programs and services while funding research to find a cure and treatments for EB.

Wigs for Kids
For over 30 years, Wigs for Kids has been providing Hair Replacement Systems and support for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, Alopecia, Trichotillomania, burns, and other medical issues. The children they help are treated for different periods of time, depending on each child’s particular circumstances – sometimes even for several years. Wigs for Kids helps children suffering from hair loss look like themselves and live their lives.

Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K)
SC4K provides a unique service for income-eligible families in Greater Cleveland by distributing new shoes, clothing and items for infants and youths. SC4K has positively impacted the lives of area children by giving them the pride and confidence that comes with having new shoes and clothes, for the past 46 years. This pride and confidence is essential to a child’s success in school and in life.

Child Life Wish List
The goal of Child Life Wish List is to help Child Life programs attain their wish list goals. These wish lists are made by children who have severe illnesses and require hospitalization. Child Life Wish List raises funds through donations and special events, and by acquiring and distributing much needed supplies and materials to Child Life programs at surrounding hospitals.

W.A.G.S. 4 Kids
W.A.G.S. 4 Kids is dedicated to providing mobility service and autism service animals, meeting the specific needs of children with disabilities in Northeast Ohio. Utilizing its award-winning ODRC Accredited Cell Dog Training Program, each dog provides therapeutic, task, emotional and physical support for children with disabilities and their families. The organization is driven by the belief in early intervention and will work with a family as early in a child's life as there is a need and an interest.

These donations would not be possible without the support of our customers. Thank you for your business and have a wonderful holiday season!

Dimensional (DIM) weight can be a tricky subject to master. All of the changes that small package carriers UPS and FedEx have made in recent years don’t help. In 2017, FedEx is lowering the DIM factor for domestic packages to 139 from 166. UPS is making the same change for domestic packages less than or equal to 1,728 cubic inches. So how will this change affect you?

First, it’s important to understand what dimensional weight is and how it’s calculated. Dimensional weight pricing is a common industry practice that sets the transportation price based on package volume, in relation to its actual weight. Carriers use dimensional weight in order to account for the space packages take up on their trucks and planes. This allows for a more precise way to charge for their services.

The basic formula for calculating DIM weight is (length x width x height)/DIM factor. For most small packages, the DIM factor will now be 139. The one exception is UPS domestic packages 1,728 cubic inches and under. UPS originally didn’t announce any changes to its DIM weight pricing for 2017, but it followed suit after FedEx announced it would be using 139 as the DIM factor for both domestic and international packages. Let that serve as a reminder to stay informed, as UPS and FedEx are continually making updates to their rates, surcharges, and DIM weight rules.

Once you calculate your DIM weight, compare it to your actual weight. The greater of the two will become the billable rate. When deciding if you need to make any adjustments to how you ship your packages in the upcoming year, start by doing an analysis of your common shipments. Look at those package measurements, calculate the cubic inches (length x width x height), and find the DIM weight to determine your billable weight. For an easy way to determine your billable weight, click here to use our DIM weight calculator.

UPS and FedEx base rates differ quite a bit more in 2017 than they have in the past. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure you’re not just using DIM weight pricing to determine which carrier to use. Download our free white paper, Understanding the 2017 Small Package Rate Increases, for a detailed analysis on the new rates.

Since density is the name of the game, make sure you review your shipment packaging to reduce the size of your package if you can. Don’t use oversized boxes that contain unused space and, where possible, consolidate orders. By being more efficient with your packaging, you’ll ensure you’re not paying to ship empty space.

One of the best ways to offset the rate increases and DIM weight pricing changes is to ensure you’re maximizing any discounts available to you. PartnerShip offers association members discounts on select FedEx services. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our small package shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

Every year small package carriers FedEx and UPS evaluate their shipping rates and make adjustments that can have a substantial effect on you and your business. The UPS rate increases take effect on December 26, 2016, while the new FedEx rates take effect on January 2, 2017. As always, how much more expensive your particular small package shipments will be in the new year depends on many factors, including shipment volumes, sizes, weights, and modes.

Here are some quick facts: 

• FedEx Express and International rates are increasing an average of 3.9%
• UPS Air and International rates are increasing an average of 4.9%
• FedEx Ground and Home Delivery^® rates are increasing an average of 4.9%
• UPS Ground rates are increasing an average of 4.9%
• The dimensional divisor for FedEx domestic packages is changing from 166 to 139
• UPDATE: the dimensional divisor for UPS domestic packages greater than 1,728 cubic inches is changing from 166 to 139
• FedEx SmartPost^®, FedEx One Rate^®, and UPS SurePost^® rates will be changing

The important takeaway when thinking about your shipping expenses in 2017 is that the announced average increases paint an inaccurate picture of the true impact these new rates could have on your business. The shipping experts at PartnerShip^® have dug into the details and analyzed the new rate tables to assess the true impact to shippers and help you make sense of these changes. Learn more about how the 2017 rate increases will affect your shipping costs by downloading our free white paper!

Download Now! Understanding the 2017 Small Package Rate Increases

The LTL shipping industry has been reducing its shipment liability to the point where recovery for lost or damaged freight is pennies on the dollar. As recently as 15 years ago, carriers agreed to be liable for the full cost of any freight lost or damaged. But as their insurance costs increased, carriers began decreasing their liability to keep costs low. Today, it’s common to see liability restricted to $0.25 per lb. or even less.

In our relentless effort to help customers ship smarter and stay competitive, PartnerShip is now offering freight insurance. We’ve teamed up with Roanoke Trade (a division of Roanoke Insurance Group, Inc.) to offer coverage to shippers against physical loss or damage, providing them a better option than relying solely on a carrier’s liability coverage.

This high quality, competitively-priced and easily-managed freight insurance will pay to repair or replace the cargo regardless of if the carrier is found liable.

We’re logistics experts and our customers rely on us to help them safely and efficiently move their freight. LTL carriers want shippers to bear the risks of in-transit loss or damage, but freight insurance helps mitigate the risks inherent with the shipping process.

Benefits of freight insurance include:

·         Affordability. Minimum premiums as low as $20 per shipment

·         $0 deductible. Approved claims are paid from $1 (maximum liability of $100,000)

·         Claims typically paid within 30 days

·         Pays to repair or replace the cargo whether or not the carrier is found liable

Of course, some restrictions apply. Your PartnerShip account representative can give you a complete explanation of freight insurance from Roanoke Trade.

The shipping experts at PartnerShip are here to help you ship smarter and stay competitive. Contact us at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com for more information about freight insurance. 

Get ready for a chance to win! FedEx is giving PartnerShip customers a chance to win up to $10,000, or over 100 other prizes, in the $25,000 Get Ready Sweepstakes. By enrolling in a PartnerShip-managed shipping program, association members will be automatically entered in the sweepstakes. If you are already enrolled in one of our programs, you simply have to join My FedEx Rewards. Then you’ll have a chance to earn up to 51 additional entries.*

Imagine how you could invest in the success of your business with these prizes:

• $10,000 Grand Prize (1) 
• $1,000 First Prizes (10) 
• $50 Second Prizes (100)

Get started. Keep saving.
PartnerShip customers enjoy significant savings on select FedEx® services. The program is free to join and there are no minimum shipping requirements. What’s more, you may be eligible for other special offers and promotions.

PartnerShip works with over 120 major trade associations, across many industries, to provide their members with time- and money-saving tools to help them be successful in all facets of shipping and logistics. If you belong to an association we work with, take advantage of our free shipping benefits today and get in on the $25,000 Get Ready Sweepstakes. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our association shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

*Limit 52 total entries. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. The $25,000 Get Ready Sweepstakes is sponsored by FedEx Corporate Services, Inc. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C., age 18 or older who are members of an eligible FedEx Advantage affiliate as of 9/11/16. Begins 9/12/16; ends 11/4/16. For rules, go to smallbusiness.fedex.com/get-ready-rules.

PartnerShip is proud to recognize manufacturing and celebrate MFG DAY 2016. MFG DAY was started five years ago to celebrate manufacturing and to help inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Its main purpose is to educate and inform students, teachers, and community leaders about how important manufacturing is to the economy and to local communities. We’re proud to partner with NTMA, NATM, MAPP, PMPA, Wire-Net, and many other organizations that support manufacturers!

There is a growing skilled labor shortage in the manufacturing sector, and MFG DAY gives manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show what manufacturing is, and show that manufacturing offers high-quality jobs and career choices.

Consider these statistics:

·         US manufacturing is the 9th largest economy in the world. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis)

·         There are 12.3 million manufacturing workers in the United States, accounting for 9 percent of the workforce. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

·         In 2014, the average manufacturing worker earned $79,553 annually, including pay and benefits. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

·         Over the next decade, nearly 3½ million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed. (Source: Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute)

Last year, over 2,600 MFG DAY events were held, with a total of 400,000 participants.

PartnerShip works with hundreds of manufacturers and we’re proud to spread the word about the importance of manufacturing. To learn more, visit the official site of MFG DAY. You can find resources to help you get involved, host an event, view sponsors, and get up-to-date news.

FedEx recently announced changes to its shipping rates for 2017. In a surprising move, these new rates do not match the increases that UPS announced earlier this month. FedEx and UPS typically announce similar rate increases annually, making this year rather unique.

The new rates for FedEx will take effect on January 2, 2017. FedEx Ground services will increase an average of 4.9%, matching the announced average increase for UPS Ground that will take effect on December 26, 2016. However, while UPS Air services will be increasing an average of 4.9%, FedEx Express rates will only be increasing an average of 3.9%. This is the first of many differences between the announced changes from the two major carriers.

FedEx will also be lowering the dimensional (DIM) divisor to 139 for domestic shipments, matching the divisor currently used for international shipments. Many shipments that were not previously charged at the DIM weight will now be affected, which will have a significant impact on overall shipping costs. In 2011, the dimensional divisor decreased from 194 to 166, and in 2015 both FedEx and UPS began applying DIM weight pricing to all ground shipments. At this time, UPS hasn’t announced any changes to its DIM weight pricing.

In addition, FedEx announced a change to its fuel surcharges. Effective February 6, 2017, the fuel surcharge percentage will be subject to weekly adjustment, rather than monthly. There’s currently a two month lag time between the US government fuel indexes and the fuel surcharges. This change will better align them by reducing the lag time to two weeks.

As a shipper, it’s important to understand how these changes will affect you and your business. As we’ve done in past years, Partnership will conduct a full analysis to help you make sense of these changes. Be on the lookout for our white paper on the topic before the New Year!

In the meantime, it's important to start evaluating how you can combat these rises in shipping costs. Through a PartnerShip-managed shipping program, you receive significant discounts on select FedEx services - resulting in savings that can offset these rate increases. If you're not sure if you qualify for one of our small package shipping programs contact us and we'll find the solution that's right for you.

It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week!

“This week is about raising public awareness and support for the important work professional truck drivers do in our communities year round,” said American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear. “These men and women are safety-minded professionals who deserve our respect and praise. We’re fortunate that truck drivers have dedicated their careers to delivering critical goods like medicine, food and school books.”

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week happens September 11-17 to honor all 3.5 million professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment to deliver our goods safely, securely and on time, and keep our highways safe.

PartnerShip is saying “thank you” to these hard-working men and women that keep our economy moving with a Dunkin' Donuts gift card for drivers that move a load for us during the week. Yep! Free coffee delivered via email or text! It’s one way we can express our appreciation for drivers that allow our customers to stay competitive by shipping smarter.

If you would like to learn more about National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, visit trucking.org for more information. To become a partner carrier please contact one of our Carrier Procurement Representatives for a setup packet at carriers@PartnerShip.com or visit our Becoming a PartnerShip Carrier web page.

A little more than a year ago on this blog, we asked the question, “Are Self-Driving Trucks the Future of Shipping?” Recent technology advances and business partnerships have made it clear that yes, self-driving trucks are the future. The question is now, “When is the future?”

Google’s self-driving car project has logged more than 1.5 million miles in autonomous mode with no accidents resulting in major injury or death. The US Army has tested self-driving technology with truck convoys. Uber is road testing a fleet of cars equipped to drive themselves in Pittsburgh. Its competitor, Lyft, is partnering with General Motors to develop self-driving taxis. 

How is self-driving technology going to impact shipping? Google already has a patent for a “package delivery platform” which suggests its technology will be in trucks soon. The US Army wants to deploy self-driving convoys carrying troops and supplies in the next 10 to 15 years. Uber recently purchased a startup company called “Otto,” with the mission to make every truck a self-driving truck. Its goal is self-driving trucks on our highways in as little as two years.  

Self-driving cars have gotten more attention, but self-driving trucks will have a much more substantial impact on the economy. Trucks move nearly 70% of all the freight tonnage in the US and involve 3 million heavy-duty trucks and drivers, using 37 billion gallons of diesel fuel to move 9.2 billion tons of freight over 279 million miles of roadway (American Trucking Associations). The savings potential means trucks may become automated sooner than cars.

The self-driving engineers at Otto believe the commercial trucking world can be automated first and their goal is to have trucks drive themselves on highways, leaving city driving, docking and parking to human drivers. The concept is just like automated pilots that fly jets at high altitudes while leaving the trickier takeoffs and landings to trained human pilots.

The challenges

Self-driving vehicles have several challenges to overcome before they can appear on the roads. First, the technology to make a vehicle autonomous is expensive. Second, consumer trust in fully self-driving vehicle technology is still very low, and third, government regulations are relatively nonexistent, although California recently proposed regulations that stipulate that a fully autonomous vehicle must have a driver in it at all times. 

The benefits

The use of autonomous trucks would overcome many of the stringent “hours of service” regulations in place. Use of self-driving trucks would allow the driver to get rest while the truck drives itself, speeding up deliveries and overall productivity.

Autonomous trucks are more fuel efficient due to computer-controlled acceleration and braking systems that optimize their speed. Conservative estimates predict self-driving trucks consume 10 - 15% less fuel.

Self-driving technology can increase the safety of the driver and the load. A report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) assigns blame to operator error in 94% of truck accidents. Between 10 and 20% percent of the roughly 4,000 fatal truck accidents are linked to driver fatigue, based on estimates gathered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and self-driving trucks never get tired.

The impact to employment

While it might seem like self-driving trucks would result in increased unemployment, that may not be the case. There were more than 48,000 unfilled driver openings last year. If the trend continues, the driver shortage may increase to 150,000 by 2024. The shortage is a result of older drivers retiring, fewer people entering the profession, and increased demand to move freight. Self-driving trucks can fill the gap and could attract more tech-savvy and younger people to become drivers.

Otto is looking for 1,000 volunteers to have self-driving kits installed on their cabs (at no cost, of course) to test and fine-tune the technology. Volunteers are expected to take control of the truck if the technology fails or if driving conditions make it unsafe to remain in autonomous mode. Otto plans to test its equipment on volunteers’ trucks for the next 12 to 18 months.

Whenever self-driving trucks become viable, PartnerShip will be here to help you focus on your business by managing the complicated parts of shipping. To stay competitive, ship smarter with PartnerShip! Contact us at 800-599-2902 or get a quote now!

Imagine an event where you get to see your best friends and make new ones. And it happens in a beautiful place with terrific food, exciting activities, and lots to see and do. And did we mention the great friends? That sums up the 2016 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition recently held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Called the "Big Daddy of Conventions," the event attracts thousands of association executives, from executive management to finance to technology. With 120+ education sessions, countless networking opportunities, and an Expo Hall filled with exciting business and networking opportunities, an estimated 5,500 nonprofit and association professionals gathered to exchange ideas, resources, strategies, and solutions.

Highlights from the show included:

·         The Opening Celebration at Library Square featuring Project Bandaloop, a group of aerial dancers performing on the glass exterior wall of the Salt Lake City Public Library

·         An early-morning 5K Fun Run

·         Opening Keynote with NASA Astronaut brothers Scott and Mark Kelly. 

·         “The Classic” event, with a theme of “A Night with the Sundance Film Festival” and music from the Bacon Brothers

·         Reconnecting with our great partners and meeting new ones!

PartnerShip also gave away two $100 gift cards to two lucky visitors to our booth. Congratulations to John from the Society of Broadcast Engineers and Anne from Healthcare Distribution Alliance!

PartnerShip provides shipping programs to over 150 professional and trade associations and we love when we’re able to meet so many of our partners at one time. Plus it’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce ourselves to new colleagues and explain how a PartnerShip managed Shipping Program is a valuable member benefit.

If you’re an association member, executive or board member and would like to learn more about our association shipping programs, click here.