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- Labor ManagementThe planning, assignment, and measurement of warehouse and fulfillment workforce activity. It covers forecasting staffing needs from order and receipt volumes, building schedules, allocating labor to tasks, and tracking time, attendance, and performance. Labor standards from time studies or historical data define expected rates for picking, packing, putaway, and other tasks. A labor management system links with the warehouse management system to capture scan events and report metrics such as units per hour, utilization, and indirect time. Results provide data for payroll, training, safety procedures, and compliance with labor rules.
- Landed CostThe total expense to move a product from the seller to the buyer’s named location, calculated as purchase price plus freight, insurance, duties and taxes, customs brokerage and clearance fees, port and terminal charges, documentation and security fees, and final inland transport and handling. Components included depend on the Incoterm and the specific point named in the contract.
- Lane AnalysisThe evaluation of freight movement between a defined origin and destination pair using historical shipment data to assess cost and service. Typical measures include volume and frequency, weight and cube, rate per mile or per hundredweight, accessorial charges, transit time, on time performance, claims history, carrier and mode mix, capacity utilization, and variability. Findings inform routing guides, carrier bids, and network design decisions.
- Last In First Out (LIFO)An inventory rotation and cost flow method in which the newest units are issued or recorded first. In accounting it assigns recent purchase costs to cost of goods sold and older costs to ending inventory. In warehouse practice it directs picking from the most recently received stock and contrasts with FIFO.
- Last Mile DeliveryThe final movement of a shipment from a local node such as a distribution center, post office, store, or locker to the consignee. It covers parcels and bulky goods using parcel networks, postal services, couriers, and regional delivery firms. Core tasks include address validation, route planning, pickup from a local terminal or store, delivery attempts, signature or photo proof of delivery, returns pickup, and exception handling. Common service levels are same day, next day, scheduled window, contactless drop off, and white glove. Performance is tracked with on time rate, first attempt success, and cost per stop.
- Lcl Less Than Container LoadAn ocean freight service where shipments from multiple shippers share one container. A consolidator groups cargo at an origin container freight station, issues a house bill of lading to each shipper, and tenders a master bill to the carrier. The container moves to a destination station for devanning, then freight is released for pickup or final delivery. Charges are based on chargeable volume or weight plus common station and documentation fees. Transit typically includes extra time for consolidation and deconsolidation compared with full container load.
- Lead Logistics Provider (LLP)A service model in which one provider designs, coordinates, and oversees a shipper’s entire logistics network. The LLP selects and manages third party logistics providers and carriers, runs transportation procurement, sets routing and service standards, and allocates loads. It operates centralized planning and visibility, often through a transportation management system, and reports performance against agreed metrics. Distinct from a 3PL that executes specific services, the LLP serves as the single coordination point across all logistics partners.
- Lead TimeThe total elapsed time between starting an activity and its completion. In supply chain contexts it is the interval from placing a purchase order to having goods available for use or sale, covering order processing, production or picking and packing, transportation, customs clearance when applicable, and receiving. Common types include supplier lead time, manufacturing lead time, customer order lead time, and cumulative lead time. It is measured in days or hours and informs reorder points, safety stock, and delivery commitments.
- Lean WarehousingThe application of lean principles to warehouse operations to reduce waste, standardize work, and accelerate material flow. It focuses on waste types such as waiting, excess transport, unnecessary motion, overproduction, defects, excess inventory, extra processing, and underused skills. Common practices include 5S, visual management, standard work, value stream mapping, pull based replenishment, slotting reviews, smaller batch sizes, cross docking, and continuous improvement through kaizen, tracked with metrics such as dock to stock time, order cycle time, pick accuracy, labor productivity, and space utilization.
- Lease A lease is a legally binding agreement that grants a tenant the right to use or occupy a property, equipment, vehicle, or other asset in exchange for regular payments to the owner (lessor) for a specified period. Leases define important terms such as payment amounts, responsibilities, usage restrictions, and renewal options. Lease terms can vary widely depending on the agreement, ranging from short-term arrangements lasting a few months to long-term contracts that extend for several years.
- Line HaulThe main transport segment that moves freight between terminals or hubs over longer distances, separate from local pickup and final delivery. In pricing it refers to charges for the trunk move on the core route, often calculated by distance, weight, or zone.
- Load TenderA formal offer from a shipper or broker asking a carrier to move a specific shipment. It lists pickup and delivery locations and dates, equipment type, commodity, weight or volume, accessorials, rate, and reference numbers, along with service windows and terms. Sent through a transportation management system by EDI 204, API, email, or portal, it requires the carrier to accept or decline, and acceptance records the booking.
- Load TenderingThe process of offering a shipment to a carrier and obtaining acceptance. A shipper or broker sends a load tender through a transportation management system by EDI 204, API, email, or portal with pickup and delivery details, time windows, equipment type, commodity, weight and dimensions, accessorials, and rate or contract terms. Carrier responses accept or decline and confirm capacity. Common methods include primary award, waterfall tendering to backup carriers, broadcast to multiple carriers, and spot bidding under routing guide rules.
- LogisticsThe planning, execution, and control of the movement and storage of goods and related information from origin to destination to meet defined requirements. It covers transportation by all modes, warehousing, order processing, inventory control, packaging, materials handling, network design, last mile, reverse flows such as returns and recycling, and customs and compliance for cross border trade.
- Logistics ConsultingAdvisory and project work that assesses and improves logistics operations across transportation, warehousing, inventory, order fulfillment, and reverse flows. Practitioners collect and analyze operational and cost data, model scenarios such as network footprint and mode mix, define requirements and KPIs, select carriers and systems, and produce implementation plans for process and technology changes. Engagements may include RFP design, compliance review, and performance audits.
- LTL ShippingA motor freight service for shipments that do not fill a trailer, where freight from multiple shippers shares space on one truck. Carriers route pallets through a terminal network using hub and spoke operations with local pickup and delivery and long distance line haul. Rates are based on freight class or density plus weight, distance, lane, and accessorial charges, and shipments move under a bill of lading.