Category: <span>Custom Carrier Solutions</span>

It is clear when listening to the news that many businesses are searching for talent. Companies have stepped up recruiting efforts, offering incredible incentives to bring on new talent and the logistics field is no exception. The industry has struggled for years with finding drivers, now the talent struggle has reached many other levels of the organization. Yet what’s not being discussed are methods for retaining the incredible talent you already have, especially in the logistics field. Turnover will always occur, but when you make talent retention a priority, you won’t need to focus on expensive incentives to entice workers to join your company. Here we share some of the methods we’ve had great success with when it comes to keeping talented employees.

Treat Everyone With Respect

This perhaps goes without saying, but there’s another saying: employees leave managers, not companies. Going out of your way to treat the people who remain with you (especially now) with respect and showing you care about their needs will go a long way in making them feel valued. Giving space for employees to tell you what they need will also yield valuable information that will help improve an organization. One area we placed our focus on was keeping our drivers in well maintained trucks, which resulted in us investing in maintenance schedules and routine repairs. Our drivers are happier as a result and treat our customers exceptionally well.

Host a Regular Check In With Employees

Due to increased shipments across the American Economy, there is a greater risk that all of a company’s current employees are working harder than ever and feeling the burden of carrying the company. This is true for manufacturers as well as carriers. Hosting a check in with current employees to see where they’re feeling stressed and what management can do to help will do wonders for morale. These employees will provide invaluable insights into how the company can prevent burnout with the current employee base. The last thing anyone wants is to see more employees leaving. The more we can help employees in-house, the better it is for everyone. Current employees may also bring referrals for new hires, which is a win-win for everyone.

Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of retaining talent, especially in uncertain times. We strive to do our best in keeping our employees satisfied with their work and developing our talent from within. It’s a process we continue to refine, but the results speak for themselves. When employees are satisfied, they’re apt to treat our customers with the utmost respect, which creates satisfied customers. Everyone at Zip Xpress is willing to help, and we do our best to help everyone inside and out. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

Every manufacturer needs to assess their supply chain risk at some time or another. You need to understand where vulnerabilities lie, especially at a time when market forces are creating volatility. Performing risk assessment allows you to be prepared and take active measures to ensure your company will be less vulnerable in the long run against unforeseen circumstances. Supply chain risk assessment is vital in preventing complacency since many companies understandably place innate trust in their suppliers. However this can cause manufacturers to be ‘blindsided’ in the event something goes wrong.

Analyze Every Angle of the Supply Chain

Viewing risk from the perspective of only your suppliers creates a myopic view, which doesn’t allow you to understand how much the supplier factors into your total risk exposure. On the other hand, only viewing the supply chain from a holistic perspective makes it difficult to understand where the ‘real’ vulnerabilities lie.

Perform Risk Audits on Every Supplier

Chances are you have a few suppliers that are key to your business. If this year has shown us anything, it’s that even the largest supply chains are still vulnerable. Performing risk audits on your suppliers forces you to prepare and prevent complacency. Also keeping your files up to date keeps your company up to date on all of the factors in your supply chain, which lets you see potential risks and allows you to adjust ahead of time.

Perform an Assessment of Each Particular Risk

Performing assessments tied to particular risks allows you to ‘see’ the potential impacts to your operations. Modeling these crisis events can show what you have direct control over and how you can prepare in the event of a crisis. You can begin to take preventative measures which will allow you to adapt as circumstances change. Staying on top of these situations will help you in the long run. It’s also important to remember that this is an ongoing process, one that needs to be performed over and over since circumstances are always changing.

At Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of assessing supply chain risk. We work with all of our customers to asses their risk and help them with any vulnerabilities to keep their shipments moving. We help each customer through our custom carrier solutions, a process where we partner with each customer and treat their problems as our own. If you want to see these solutions for yourself with your business, start today with Zip Xpress!

It is no secret that many industries have faced interrupted supply chains this year. With shortages across wide swathes of the American economy, companies are searching for ways to repair their broken supply chains and get their shipments to customers. A broken supply chain can cause irate customers and lost trust in a company’s reputation. Here we provide a carrier’s perspective on what can be done to fix a broken supply chain.

One of the methods in fixing this problem begins with proper logistical planning. While nobody could have predicted the events of the past two years, many companies don’t have proper supply chain management plans in place. Their solutions are often to search using brokers in the hopes of finding a great deal and their shipments are often “thrown in” with the rest. Instead what’s needed is a comprehensive supply chain management plan, especially due to the tightened capacity we’ve seen this year. It is natural for some companies to panic and seek out a full truckload for their shipments to secure their space, but more often than not, they don’t need a full truckload, which only exacerbates the capacity problem. It would be far better to partner with a carrier and build a shipment plan that is best for your organization, rather than hoping this will all blow over.

Supply chain risk management is becoming an increasingly valuable field, but risk management begins with identifying where you’re most vulnerable. An example of vulnerability in a supply chain could be sourcing a component or material from a single provider. If the supplier faces any challenges such as price fluctuations or being shut down for any reason, now your company is forced to scramble for a replacement. Developing your supply chain plan requires you to map out your entire logistical process, including distribution facilities and transportation hubs. This will not be easy, but seeing the vulnerabilities will allow you to develop contingency plans in the event something goes wrong.

The final key to fixing a broken supply chain is communication. Communicating with your suppliers as well as your customers keeps everyone apprised of the situation and allows for innovative solutions to rise to the surface. Communication prevents silos from forming across organizations, which cause vulnerabilities in the supply chain. When you partner with a carrier that understands your supply chain, you’ll find it far more resilient and less likely to be affected by outside forces.

Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of fixing the supply chain. Nothing frustrates everyone more than supply chain disruptions, which is why we partner with all of our customers and assist them in overcoming their shipping challenges. We assist them in the form of our custom carrier solutions, which have been helping companies now for 20 years. To see how our custom carrier solutions can help you, start today with Zip Xpress!

The peak season for 2021 is just around the corner and it’s vital for shippers to begin preparations in an effort to ensure there will not be an interruption in shipments. Shippers who don’t have an established plan for their supply chain may find themselves at the mercy of the spot market, where brokers will prey upon both shippers and carriers, exploiting the market conditions for their own gain. Our goal is to see shippers and carriers protected from these practices and ensure that shippers and carriers have a bountiful year.

The key to avoiding the spot market is to align your business with a trusted carrier that is experienced in handling your freight. This prevents shippers from being forced to compete for tightening capacity and allows both parties to develop a shipping plan that works for everyone. Collaboration is always rewarded in logistics since shippers are provided access to proven processes, systems, dedicated teams and experienced leadership that will provide the best solutions for any supply chain problem.

Another method in keeping your supply chain on track is collaborating with your carrier in regards to shipment schedules and methods of transportation. Your carrier will know their capabilities as well as their shipment schedule and will be more than willing to create a shipment plan that works for you. They’ll be able to provide you with options, a vital asset that may not always be available during peak season. Businesses that laid the foundation by collaborating with a carrier have seen a smoother process and are happier with the results.

Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of preparing for the peak season. We specialize in handling unique freight, but we’re willing to work with any business that is in need of an efficient supply chain. We will provide you with the custom carrier solutions you need to make the right decision and create a better supply chain that will get you through any market conditions. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

Over the last 15 months we’ve seen headlines telling about shortages in every area of the economy. From consumer goods to microchips, everyone is feeling the effects of a vulnerable supply chain and is assessing new options. Yet there is an opportunity for companies to restructure their supply chains and create new processes with their stakeholders in order to meet the demands of the customer.

One of the ways businesses can meet this challenge is to keep focus on their suppliers and stock on hand. By measuring and analyzing every aspect of the supply chain, businesses can diagnose where the pitfalls are and take steps to fortify their operations. This helps companies stay flexible and make smarter decisions.

The second way businesses can strike the supply chain balance is by working with a trusted carrier to ensure they can fulfill your order. Keeping communication channels open across the supply chain allows businesses to plan for the ebb and flow within their operations and communicating those shifts allows your carrier to construct a plan to meet your delivery needs. Working together on a consistent basis helps both companies in the long run, allowing the creation of a supply chain that can help you regardless of the circumstances.

The third method of striking a supply chain balance is by ensuring you’re using the best method of optimizing your freight. Working with your carrier to determine the best delivery system for your business allows you to find the best solution for your needs. When you’re shipping unique freight, your needs will be different than a manufacturer who fills a truckload on a routine basis. Optimizing your freight provides options, which are critical at a time like now when it comes to striking the supply chain balance.

Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of providing great service to a customer. We partner with all of our customers, developing and optimizing their supply chain with our custom carrier solutions which fulfills all the needs of the business. Our customers find satisfaction because they can trust us when it comes to finding the right solution, no matter what their supply chain is facing. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

Choosing the right method of shipping can be difficult. With so many ways to ship your freight, you may have concerns about whether you’re using the right service for your business. The good news is that there are multiple options when it comes to getting your shipment to the customer. You just need to make sure that you are choosing the method that best aligns with your priorities.

LTL

LTL, or Less-Than-Truckload freight, is usually less than 20,000 pounds, taking up six or fewer pallet spaces in a truck. LTL shipments are combined with other shipments going in the same direction, and usually optimized at an origin terminal and distributed for final mile delivery from a destination terminal. At Zip this is not the case, as all of our shipments are sent directly to the customer and our handling is reduced by up to 75%, ensuring that your freight will arrive undamaged and on time. This is generally a more cost-effective shipping solution, however it may take a little bit more time due to the optimization and distribution needs.

Truckload

Truckload freight takes up an entire truck. This means that the space inside is dedicated to your freight and will generally have a quicker transit time. This is often the right option when you have enough freight to fill a truck and need to have it delivered quickly. However, you will be paying for the entire truck, so this option isn’t cost effective for smaller shipments.

Expedited

When you need to expedite your freight, you are usually on a strict schedule, but might not have enough freight to justify paying for an entire truck. Expedited solutions can optimize your freight with other loads, but will place priority on your shipment. This may cost a little bit more than standard LTL service, but most customers find that it is well worth it. Our expedited service will help ensure that your products will arrive right when you need them to.

Headload

Sometimes you may have a shipment that sits right in the grey area – too large to be an LTL shipment, but not large enough to justify buying space on an entire truck.You are also concerned about paying for air due to the empty space. These types of loads are perfect for our Headload solution, which optimizes customer freight to provide superior service by ensuring that your freight will arrive undamaged and on time.

Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of knowing your options when it comes to shipping your freight. That’s why whenever you reach out to us, we work with you to find the best option for your business that will ensure your freight will arrive undamaged and on time. These are called our custom carrier solutions, and we provide them to every customer we work with, which is why we maintain a 99% satisfaction with all of our customers. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

One of our goals is to keep our shipments and transportation networks optimized at all times. All of our efforts are focused on this goal since optimizing shipments helps ensure that deliveries are made on time and undamaged. Optimizing transportation also has the benefit of creating a more sustainable fleet since there is a reduced amount of “empty space” that customers are no longer paying for. Here are a few tips manufacturers can use when it comes to optimizing their network.

Set Optimization Goals

Are you looking to get your high-volume shipments to customers as quickly as possible? Or do you manufacture high end products and are looking to make sure your unique freight always arrives undamaged? Optimization looks very different between companies and your ideal may look very different from a company in another industry.

Consider All Stakeholders

Freight optimization starts with the customer. Asking them about the frequency of deliveries, cost expectations and transportation schedules allows both companies to create an optimized network that works with all parties. Keeping carriers in the loop helps ensure they can work around your schedule and keep your customers satisfied by receiving deliveries when they expect them.

Anticipate and Communicate Hurdles

Optimization is a process. Expect there to be hurdles and keep all stakeholders in the communication loop. As long as all parties are working together, the hurdles will themselves smooth out and in time, the transportation network will be a fully optimized supply chain.

Work with the Best Carrier for Your Business

Every carrier is different and it’s important to find the carrier best suited for your freight. The worst solution is to turn to brokers who will force carriers into providing you with cut-rate service. This is a short-term solution, a mistake we’ve seen too many times. Working with a carrier directly will ensure you’ll get the best outcome in designing your optimized transportation network for the long run.

Here at Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of optimization. Everything we do is driven towards optimization, from the way we handle our shipments to the way we clean our offices. We work closely with all of our partners in optimizing their supply chains, creating what we call custom carrier solutions which ensures that every shipment arrives undamaged, on time and to the customer’s satisfaction. If you’d like to see how we can optimize your transportation network, start today with Zip Xpress!

Nobody likes delays, but they are an inevitable part of trucking and transportation. The best thing we can do is to be proactive in our supply chain operations in order to minimize the number of delays that we must face. Of the many slowdowns that happen during the life of a shipment, one of the most easily avoidable is that of detention. You can’t control the weather, traffic, or the mechanical abilities of any given truck, but you can control the ways in which your warehouses operate. Here are some tips to help you save money on detention bills.

Don’t Schedule a Pickup Until the Goods are Confirmed

Whether you are manufacturing the product or waiting on raw materials to arrive, make sure that your shipment is ready to go before scheduling a truck. If pallets aren’t assembled or wrapped by the time the appointment rolls around, the driver will likely have to sit for longer than 2 hours. In some instances, there may not be a need for packaging, so check with your carrier on their recommendation for packaging.

Employ a Reasonably Sized and Qualified Staff

It should be obvious that you can’t really get through your day without your forklift operator. Make sure that you have plenty of qualified professionals who can load a truck safely and efficiently. In some cases, it may be worth it to look into outside contractors during times of increased business.

Keep Your Expectations Realistic

If you are a smaller warehouse with 2 docks, it probably doesn’t make sense to schedule 100 trucks a day. Know your limitations and keep track of loading time data so that you can better stagger your appointments in order to load every truck as quickly as possible.

Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up

In all aspects of shipping, communication is key. If you are experiencing a backup at the warehouse or if equipment is down, notify your carrier. Chances are they would be willing to accommodate a different appointment time slot. It may not always be possible, but keeping communication open will be appreciated and will set you up for more success down the line.

At Zip Xpress, we understand the frustration of detention for both sides of the logistics equation. In order to combat this frustration we communicate with our customers every step of the way, from scheduling pickups, deliveries and notifying about delays. Our communication processes help our customers and their customers ensure a successful delivery that is made on time and undamaged. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

If there is one message that bears repeating, it’s the value of great service. The importance of improving the customer experience can’t be understated because customers simply deserve better. In logistics, superior service is called bringing out the white glove where shipments are handled with extra care and charge a premium to do so. Here at Zip Xpress, we treat every shipment with care, but we don’t tack this on as an additional expense – this is simply our standard for all of our customer’s shipments. There are other ways to improve the customer experience beyond handling their shipments.

Improving the customer experience also means being available whenever a customer has a question or wishes to submit a quote. The back and forth of leaving a voicemail (or an unanswered email!) can be such a waste of time and customers are left feeling that they’re not valuable. At Zip Xpress, every phone call is answered by a person willing to help the customer get the answers they need. Most of our staff is trained to provide customers with a quote, which ensures that a customer’s deliveries can be made on their schedule. This also ties into the belief that great service must span the entire organization. Consistency is key and every employee must be trained in treating customers with utmost respect.

Partnering with a customer’s business is critical in delivering great customer service. When you understand the industries you serve, you’re able to anticipate the needs of the customer and work to solve their problems as though they were your own. You can devise unique solutions for your customers and provide them with the advice that they find valuable. Here at Zip Xpress we call these our custom carrier solutions and they enable us to solve any problem a customer may have to ensure their shipments will arrive undamaged and on time.

At Zip Xpress, we have always recognized the importance of great service. We strived to set ourselves apart by optimizing every shipment for our customers. From there we focused on other details, from keeping our offices organized and clean to ensuring our drivers are happy and will delight our customers upon delivery of their shipments. We sought to create the personal touch that delights our customers with every shipment and all of our focus here at Zip has been on delighting the customer. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

Relationships in the logistics realm are as important now as they ever have been. On-demand shipping, automation, and expedited freight are becoming more prevalent, and performance expectations are higher across the board. While transportation is full of unpredictable situations, supply chains are constantly striving to maintain as predictable of a process as they possibly can. In order to achieve this, strong relationships with vendors and suppliers are absolutely essential.

While shippers think they may save money here and there on ad-hoc shipments with unknown providers, the cost of doing business this way adds up in the long run. This factor is compounded with damaged shipments, costs for replacement and lost trust. Developing strong relationships with transportation partners allows customers to benefit from more predictability and reliability. Carriers, likewise, can expect more consistent freight when they form long-term partnerships with shippers. It’s hard for us to see shippers who are forced to deal with cut-rate service and hear their stories. We believe that a deeper relationship could have prevented most if not all of the damage.

Communication and transparency lie at the center of every successful logistics partnership. When a customer has a shipment, they need to make sure that all information is accurate and that they notify the carrier of any special requirements. Carriers must provide realistic expectations for transit time and maintain open lines of communication throughout the trip. It is important to alert the customer of any delays that might happen along the way. If both partners can consistently communicate in an honest and straightforward way, it is likely that the relationship will flourish.

At Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of a deep relationship with our customers. This understanding drives everything we do in our effort to create a wonderful shipping experience. It’s why we’re able to maintain a 99% retention rate with our customers, and allows us to provide the best custom carrier solutions for every shipper we work with. When you work with us, you’ll understand why we say that premium is the standard at Zip Xpress. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!