As November approaches, so do some of the most observed holidays of the year. It's important to consider how service delays will impact the delivery dates of freight that you might be shipping to customers, or having delivered to you from your suppliers. Many LTL carriers observe Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with complete or partial closures of their networks. This can include trucks, service centers, linehauls and more. In addition, when holidays border weekends, substantial delays can occur.
Shipping managers everywhere will tell you that in recent years, LTL carriers have become mroe aggressive with regard to weighing and correcting the freight class of shipments in transit.
Does your company have inbound shipments coming from your suppliers? Whether coming from domestic or international points, allowing your vendors to arrange for shipping while they bill you can be probelmatic and costly. When your suppliers know that they're billing their customers for shipping, they are usually not very motivated to make sure their rates are as low as possible. Often, we talk to companies who say that their vendors include freight charges - but rest assured that they are simply building the cost of the freight into the goods you're buying.
Accessorials are charged when a shipment requires additioanl services during transit. Some of the most common accessorials are explained below:
Inside Delivery - If the shipper or consignee requires the carrier to move freight inside a structure, inside delivery will be assessed to the shipment.
While freight volumes continue to be high, there are several major issues facing the trucking industry in the United States. Among the top of the list is capacity issues combined with driver shortage. One study shows that as a whole, the truck driver population in the United States is aging. One of the biggest obstacles faced by trucking companies or carriers is recruiting quality drivers.
Plastic pallets are becoming a common sight these days. The reasons are quite clear - plastic pallets have many advantages compared to their wood counterparts.
For starters, plastic pallets are easy to sanitize because they can be washed and disinfected between shipments. In foodservice logistics, this feature can help to reduce cross contamination and can also prevent the spread of foodborne illness because they don't absorb pathogens.
The manufacturing industry has seen huge innovations in the past 10 years, from advanced barcode scanners, conveyor systems and robotics to 3D printing and more. Just like the manufacturing industry, the transportation sector has seen new technology develop over recent years. Transportation, logistics and distribution systems have become completely computerized, allowing companies to have better control and visibility over their supply chains. In turn, companies require a more advanced level of computer literacy and ability to adapt to technology among new employees.
Many companies who ship large volume shipments or full truckload shipments are unaware how easy and advantageous it can be to move freight via rail. Most of the main rail freight providers in the US offer door to door service, not just boxcar and bulk services. Rail freight can be significantly cheaper than moving freight by truck, and because of the operational stability of railways, shippers can avoid equipment shortages and increased rates during certain seasons.
As most shippers know, carriers and 3PLs consider LTL (Less than Truckload) to be 6 or less standard sized pallets. Usually, LTL shipments weigh less than 10,000 lbs. Conversely, FTL (Full Truckload) shipments occupy an entire trailer (or close to it). The shipments which are too large for LTL, but smaller than FTL are referred to as Volume shipments. Volume shipments are similar to a partial load, and are moved via common carrier (UPS Freight, Saia, Conway, etc).
