 up up and awayrising costs and what you can do about it  many supply chain professionals are preparing for several pending challenges as we enter into this early new year if you are not aware there has been a perfect storm brewing in the logistics industry revolving around these major items decreased carrier capacity decreased carrier driver pool increased government regulatory action economic recovery stable oil pricesoops the last item is what many analysts believe could be the trigger point that begins a series of steep increases in freight and related costs that when combined with the other items on this list could produce a phenomenon we are dubbing freightflation if many of these issues intersect during the same quarter shippers could face freight rate corrections the likes of which have not been seen in over 30 years so what can you do to offset these challenges and protect your company from freightflation here is a list of best practices i recommend that can help to offset and prepare your company to weather the storm and maintain integrity in your overall business plan be informed   knowledge is power start tracking the above items through the internet google alerts is great industry groups like cscmp apics and interviewing your current transportation and logistics providers about them be prepared   this old boy scout adage is simple yet lacking in many businesses today use the knowledge acquired to inform your internal customers your coworkers and executives of what is going on and call for a collaborative plan of action that includes meeting with all departments that will be impacted be honest   if things look bad don t avoid the truth but embrace it when you find an area that needs to be worked on take charge and work with your suppliers and coworkers to measure and come up with the best plan to reduce the impact of any shifts in costs be proactive   while it may seem difficult at first it s best to reach out to your best customers and start informing them of the potential shifts in costs before they happen use the information you have gathered and reference credible third party industry articles that substantiate the changes share your plan and what you have done so far and also ask for feedback as to what they have experienced to confirm and add to your research be committed   longterm thinking in a short view culture is prudent behavior and can save you and your customers over the long run develop a plan to stabilize costs first then map the plan out with your company customers and suppliers over a multiyear period standardize as many metrics as you can from fuel scales to base rates and insist on contractual arrangements with guarantees when possible most importantly stick to the plan  