It’s hard not to be aware of the current challenges within the American supply chain. Every member of the supply chain is experiencing records – companies are facing record number of orders, manufacturers are at record output levels, carriers experiencing record number of shipments and so on. All of these records of production, combined with a reduction in truck drivers creates a record amount of constriction in the supply chain. This constriction has led to many organizations becoming nervous about shipment times and whether or not customers will receive their orders in a timely manner. These factors have left many companies wondering: when will all of this be over?
The truth is that each of these factors create long-term challenges that we will be facing for the foreseeable future. Manufacturers are responding to demand from consumers who are placing orders via e-commerce and there is a mad rush to find a carrier who will get these shipments to their destination in a timely manner. Since shippers want great service, they select a full truckload when creating their shipment, even if their shipment can’t possibly fill an entire truckload. Combine this with a reduced workforce of available drivers and we find ourselves in our current situation of supply chain congestion. This is a gross oversimplification of course, but each has long term effects. It will take years to find and hire new drivers. There are supply chain issues for physical trucks, which exacerbate the problem. There is however, a critical way in which we can respond to this congestion, a win-win solution to every member of the supply chain.
The first response needed is a coordinated effort from carriers to implement optimization strategies for their customers. We have a responsibility to educate our customers on the benefits of partial shipments as well as handling their freight in a careful manner to ensure that every shipment arrives on time and undamaged. As carriers band together and begin the process of optimizing their shipments, they’ll find that it’s often a win-win solution for everyone involved. We have had the opportunity to work with multiple carriers that believe in optimization like we do, and it has proven effective at reducing congestion. As companies prepare for the coming year, they’re going to find that many of the supply chain challenges are not going away. It’s time for us to work together and use optimization as a means to overcoming these supply chain challenges.
Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of overcoming challenges for a customer. It’s in our nature due to our dedication to solving a customer’s problems as though they were our own. As a carrier, many of the customer’s issues become our issues and we have a responsibility to see that their shipments arrive on time and undamaged. Even though there are many challenges now, there will always be challenges in the logistics world and we’re ready to help our customers overcome them. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!
