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6 Practices to Optimize Your Goods Transportation Process!

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Transportation optimization involves analyzing goods shipments, transportation rates, and restrictions to create a plan that reduces the overall costs and makes the process more efficient. Since transportation expenses constitute a bigger percentage of the business costs, business owners should concentrate on optimizing the goods transportation process. 

Optimizing the goods transportation process means reducing delays. Here’s how business owners can go about it successfully:

1. Use Automated Software 

If your business operations are large, you’ll need to adopt automated software to monitor your processes. For instance, bulk bags manufacturers have a wide customer base, meaning they have many deliveries to make. Such deliveries using manual transportation systems have an increased risk of committing errors during shipment. However, with an automated system to monitor everything, it’s easier to track down issues when things go wrong. 

Furthermore, automation systems not only help identify issues, but also prevent such unfortunate events from occurring. For instance, using pickers and trackers on forklifts helps handle and store goods safely, thus, reducing the chances of mistakes and human errors that could alter your shipments.

Automated software helps alert for any repair and maintenance needs before your transport vehicles break down. This gives you time to handle any issues during downtime, thus, avoiding sudden breakdowns and the delays they cause. Besides, automated systems use GPS trackers that can outsource traffic flows, weather patterns, and fuel costs to help offer the best possible route.

2. Analyze Your Routes, Modes, And Rates 

Reviewing all the distribution routes, the modes used, and the costs incurred allows for better transport management and optimization. By analyzing all your routes, you can have a better chance to pool shipments of the same geographical area together and ferry them in one shipment. This helps reduce transportation costs and saves time and effort. 

Furthermore, reviewing different transport modes and their rates allows you to identify the areas where you’re spending the most. This helps you choose cost-effective transport methods that won’t cause delays. For instance, when shipping large amounts of goods, instead of using expensive flight shipments, you can opt to ship the few goods that need to be delivered fast via air and ship the remaining goods via sea.

3. Adopt Transparency In Your Transportation Process

Transparency is key during the shipment process. It lets customers know where their orders are and when they’ll be delivered. This is done through transport management software, which allows you to share the shipment progress with customers.

Transparency will not only ensure great customer service, but will also benefit your business, too. For instance, when a shipment is delayed, your sales personnel will be made aware of the delay and why it’s happened. This allows them to rectify the issue and avoid potential customer fear as customers are aware of the delayed deliveries.

4. Data Protection 

During the transportation process, your business acquires sensitive information from customers. This can include customers’ names, mobile numbers, their locations, and other essential information, depending on the type of goods being delivered. This information is shared with the sales and customer service personnel, as well as with transportation companies shipping the products.

For the said reason, you should prioritize data security in your transportation process because when customers’ data fall into the wrong hands, it can get your business and customers in trouble. At the same time, it can ruin your customers’ trust in your business, affecting your good relationship with them. This can be detrimental to your business.

5. Choose The Right Shipping Partner

The shipping partner you choose will determine the safety and timely delivery of your goods, as well as the costs. Choosing the right shipping partner can be challenging, given how many there are in the market these days. The best strategy is to approach multiple shipping partners to help you identify the shipping provider that suits your budget and needs.

The first factor to consider when choosing a shipping provider is the price. The prices of shipping carriers vary across various shipping providers. Also, the price would usually depend on the speed of goods delivery, and the size and weight of the goods to be transported.

High shipping rates aren’t healthy for your business as they reduce the profit margins, thus, affecting your business’s bottom line. Therefore, depending on the shipping requirements, hiring a cost-effective company is essential without compromising the quality of services.

The services offered are another element to consider when choosing a shipping partner. The partner you choose should offer services that complement the goods you’re shipping, and also serve the routes and destination of your goods. They should also offer additional services, like cargo tracking and delivery confirmations.

Lastly, work with a reputable company with high regard for safety, even if this means you’ll have to pay more. Perform thorough research of the company by checking reviews of it online to ensure it has a good record. The company should also be insured to ensure the safety of your cargo. Insured companies can compensate you in case of damage or loss of goods.

6. Off-Peak Transportation 

Shipping your goods when the demand for shipping services is low can significantly affect the shipping fee you’ll have to pay. Therefore, contact your shipping provider on slow shipping days to optimize your transportation process. For instance, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays usually have huge shipping capacities as goods are shipped at the end of the week to reach their destinations by Monday. Therefore, avoid shipping during these days. 

Also, avoid end-of-the-month shipments as many companies ship during these periods. Refrain from shipping your goods during holidays or days that have bad weather, as the drivers’ availability is usually a problem, and when you find one, their charges are high. Furthermore, night shipments and pickups are cost-effective since you can load as many items as possible as there are no mitigation fees at night.

Goods Transportation in Conclusion 

Transportation of goods is usually a valuable asset in your business, so it’s essential to adopt measures to ensure it’s regularly optimized. The above practices can help optimize your goods transportation process and ensure everything runs smoothly and successfully.

Goods transportation article and permission to publish here provided by Claire Glassman. Originally written for Supply Chain Game Changer and published on August 30, 2022.
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