One of the more commonly overlooked services in the shipping industry is called a liftgate service. It is required for many companies, especially those in residential-style buildings. A liftgate service is required in some instances, but it does come with an extra fee. Since shipping companies often must explain why it is required and why there is an extra fee, here are some common questions and answers.
Freight markets have seen some changes in 2019. The entire shipping industry is seeing changes from several critical points. While some carriers have had steady and reliable contract business, the more common transactional spot market is having a tougher time.
The two main areas of influence are the driver shortage and the issue of capacity storage. Each is slightly different but have a large impact on the current conditions of the freight market.
There are many potential hazards that cause damage to freight including bumps in the road, packaging fails, and even improper placement. Customers can help minimize potential damage to their freight if they package their freight correctly. This is an important step to not only keep freight safer but also to help minimize costs and save time overall.
Every industry is affected by the economy, but nowhere is this truer than the trucking and shipping industry. The highs and lows of the economy have direct correlations to the number of shipments processed, docked, warehoused, and trucked from every location.
Whether you’re on the sending or receiving end of a shipment, it’s important to pay attention to these shifts in the economy so you understand how it could impact your business.
The aspects of shipping that are most likely to change during economic highs and lows are the volume of loads on the road and the employment needs of trucking companies.
There are several factors that determine the cost of shipping. Effective freight shipping requires specific details and information regarding the freight before anything can begin the journey from point A to point B. This leads to a common customer question: what is included in shipping costs? Here is a quick break down of some of the factors that determine the final shipping price.
When you’re ready to start shipping product, chances are you will field many quotes from different trucking companies.
Obviously, as you go through these offers, one of the most important factors will be a price point that falls within your budget and increases the potential profitability.
However, it shouldn’t be the only factor you consider.
You need to know exactly what the trucking company provides at its price level. More than that, you need to know that it can be a reliable part of your supply chain and support your brand.
In other words, you need to look at more than the price when you hire a trucking company and consider how the following elements will improve this side of your business. Read more
For businesses in the on-demand and retail industry, the last and most critical step in their supply chain is the one with the most problems. This last step, universally known as last-mile delivery, involves the movement of products from their respective distribution centers to the final destination (end users). Although last mile delivery is at the tail end of the supply chain, it plays a decisive and crucial role in how customers view a business. In most cases, it is the benchmark used to evaluate the efficiency of a business’ supply chain. Read more
If you work in the trucking industry you know that a major obstacle, if not the most difficult obstacle today, is driver recruiting and the obvious driver shortage. They say that the shortage is, in part, due to the large number of truck drivers retiring from the industry as well as a smaller number of individuals from the new generation who are willing to take on the truck driving profession. The slow increase in driver pay over recent decades and the physical demand play major roles in less drivers entering the market. Read more
There are three primary methods of hauling cargo by road and they are parcel/small package mode, full truckload (FTL), and less-than-truckload (LTL). Depending on their needs, logistics firms can use any of these methods to ensure maximum utilization of their assets while reducing the overall cost of operation.
Although logistics companies desire this, market forces currently plaguing the industry such as ever-increasing fuel and labor costs, as well as the shortage of truck drivers, are making logistics operations more complex, and less profitable than ever before. Read more
The signing of NAFTA (the North American Fair Trade Agreement) in the 90’s and the rapid growth of a competitive manufacturing market in Mexico resulted in an increase in the number of cross-border business between the U.S. and Mexico. Estimates from the Office of the United States Trade Representative value this trade at $580 billion annually with cross-border truck trades accounting for nearly $6.6 billion in industry revenues. Read more
