MARCH 2016
VOLUME 14 NO. 3
inside
37 Workforce warrior: interview with Mike Rowe
BY MITCH MAC DONALD
Best known as the host of the TV shows “Dirty Jobs” and “Somebody’s Gotta Do It,”
Mike Rowe is a passionate advocate for the blue-collar professions that underpin our
economy but are often overlooked.
45 The wacky world of diesel fuel surcharges, or
“How I learned to hate the peg”
BY MARK B. SOLOMON
In theory, surcharges should be a clean pass-through to shield truckers from fuel price
gyrations. Theory became roadkill years ago.
52 Cruze control
BY DAVID MALONEY
Producing a car a minute requires coordination, split-second timing, and a lot of behind-the-scenes support. Here’s how GM keeps the Chevrolet Cruze production lines humming.
57 Five ways to squeeze extra value out of your LMS
BY BEN AMES
Facing new market pressures, managers are using their labor management systems in a
variety of creative ways. Here are some examples.
62 The leading edge
BY DAVID MALONEY
Germany’s Ostermann relies on a sophisticated automated storage and retrieval
system to process orders for its carpentry products.
65 Hot spot
BY SUSAN K. LACEFIELD
At the Modex exhibition and conference in Atlanta, attendees can get up close and
personal with sizzling new technology, equipment, and services for the supply chain.
68 Warehouses make room for wearable computers
BY BEN AMES
With the right adjustments to DC design and strategy, wearable computers can deliver
the accuracy and efficiency needed to keep up with the rising demands of e-commerce
fulfillment.
71 Six small packaging changes that can save
big money
BY SUSAN K. LACEFIELD
A quarter of an inch here, a few more items in a box there, and suddenly you’ve reaped
thousands of dollars in savings. Here are a few small packaging tweaks that can produce
huge benefits.
