Transportation Journal

Transportation Journal is devoted to the publication of articles that present new knowledge relating to all sectors of the supply chain/logistics/transportation field. These sectors include supply chain/logistics management strategies and techniques; carrier (transport firm) and contract logistics firm (3PL and 4PL) management strategies and techniques; transport economics; regulation, promotion, and other dimensions of public policy toward transport and logistics; and education.

Special themed issue “Retail Logistics: Exploring the Changing Logistics Costs and Competitive Environment.”

Considering the COVID-19 crisis, the Transportation Journal’s upcoming special issue on Retail Logistics now welcomes submissions related to the role of logistics in a distressed retail environment, such as shutdowns due to the virus. The editors would also like to see conceptual pieces and case studies.

The deadline for submissions has been extended to July 31, 2020. Visit the “Submissions” tab for details.

Journal News

Announcing the 2018-19 Best Paper Award Winner

“Examining the Impact of Shipping Charge Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Behavior” by Angela L. Jones (Howard University), Stanley E. Griffis (Michigan State University), Matthew A. Schwieterman (Michigan State University), and Patricia J. Daugherty (Iowa State University) and published in Transportation Journal 58.2 (Spring 2019) has won the Best Paper Award.

2017-18 Best Paper Award Winner Transportation Journal 57.2 (Spring 2018): “The Impact of Out-of-Stocks and Supply Chain Design on Manufacturers: Insights from an Agent-Based Model” by Claudia Rosales (Michigan State University), Judith M. Whipple (Michigan State University), and Jennifer Blackhurst (University of Iowa).

2017-18 Outstanding Reviewer

David Cantor (Iowa State University) was chosen as the 2017-18 Outstanding Reviewer for his service to the journal. Thank you, David!

It is a journal of the Association for Supply Chain Management.

Editors

Yoshinori Suzuki

David Swanson

Regional Editors

Juan Carlos Martín Hernández

S. I. Ivan Su

Associate Editors

John Bell

David Cantor

Thomas Corsi

Stanley Griffis

Robert Novack

Assistant Editor

Michael Belding

Book Review Editor

Robert Overstreet

Industry Notes Editor

Robert Overstreet

Editorial Board

Yemisi A. Bolumole

Haozhe Chen

Michael R. Crum

Patricia Daugherty

Martin Dresner

Thomas Goldsby

Scott Grawe

Curtis M. Grimm

Svienn Gudmundsson

Christian Hofer

Deepak Iyengar

Milan Janic

Carol J. Johnson

Scott B. Keller

Steve Leon

Ira A. Lewis

Robert C. Lieb

Michael Maloni

Karl Manrodt

Ila Manuj

Keith Mason

John Mello

Subhro Mitra

Paul R. Murphy

Tobin Porterfield

John Saldanha

Tobias Schoenherr

Richard D. Stewart

Pete Swan

Evelyn Thomchick

John E. Tyworth

Bijan Vasigh

David B. Vellenga

W. David Walls

Ling Wang

Robert J. Windle

Kefeng Xu

Zach Zacharia

Walter Zinn

To submit a manuscript to the editorial office, please visit http://www.editorialmanager.com/transjour/ and create an author profile. The online system will guide you through the steps to upload your manuscript.

Special Issue Retail Logistics: Exploring the Changing Logistics Costs and Competitive Environment

Transportation and logistics service quality that has traditionally been more relevant in B2B commerce (i.e., lead time, lead time variance) is now increasingly salient to consumers. However, consumers may not necessarily be knowledgeable enough to discern service differences among traditional transportation companies, such as Fedex, UPS, and postal services. Does it mean that consumers continue to view companies involved in product delivery as interchangeable, or is it now the case that transportation service providers are becoming less commoditized?

Further, as consumer expectations of “free shipping” continue to evolve, how can retailers continue to lower cost of service and cover such costs in their pricing models? Even as most retailers continue to struggle to offer free two-day shipping programs, Walmart and Amazon further raised the standard by announcing free one-day shipping on millions of products in their online assortment. What are the competitive and cost implications of the ever-narrowing seam in between online retailers and consumers? How can retailers continue to fuel this last mile delivery “arms race” without bankrupting themselves in the process?

As retailers become increasingly aware of their finite delivery capacity, is there now greater incentive for companies to take control of their final mile delivery services? For instance, restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory rely on services such as Doordash to reach consumers. On the other hand, Panera contracted a service delivery platform and retained its own branding right up to the consumer’s doorstep. Meanwhile Amazon is adding to its fleet of trucks, trailers, and freight aircraft. What are the pros and cons of each service design?

As illustrated in the examples above, technological advances are fundamentally changing the way companies are embedding transportation and logistics in their overall consumer-facing service design. The proliferation of these last-mile delivery service models suggests that each possesses its own set of implications on both cost and service impact on consumers. Although omni-channel retailing had seen increasing academic and industry attention, less attention is being paid to the specific roles of transportation and logistics in the changing competitive landscape of last mile delivery services.

This special issue seeks to explore the changing role of retail logistics and invites submissions of research papers on this important topic.

Here are some suggested research questions for consideration.

What is the modern retail competitive environment’s impact on logistics service providers’ bargaining positions vis-à-vis shippers? How is retail logistics changing in the Internet Age of “Free Shipping?” How are transportation and logistics costs changing in the modern era to support “ordering online”? Where are transportation and logistics (including reverse) costs accounted for, and how can logisticians monitor the related operational and financial impacts? How do marketing campaigns regarding transportation and logistics costs impact consumers? What is the modern role of reverse logistics on retail strategies? How have “buy local” campaigns impacted retail transportation and logistics? How have recent trends impacted cold-chain logistics? How has retail logistics changed in the face of the “sharing economy”? How are technological advances, such as drone delivery programs and autonomous vehicles, altering our traditional understanding of the last mile delivery service design?

Considering the COVID-19 crisis, the Transportation Journal’s upcoming special issue on Retail Logistics now welcomes submissions related to the role of logistics in a distressed retail environment, such as shutdowns due to the virus. The editors would also like to see conceptual pieces and case studies.

Manuscripts should be submitted to http://www.editorialmanager.com/transjour/. The deadline has been extended to July 31, 2020.

Guest Editors:

Dr. Henry Jin

Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management

Miami University

Dr. Frank Adams

Associate Professor of Marketing

Mississippi State University

Dr. Tyler Morgan

Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management

Auburn University

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