GOODQUESTION
What’s One Transportation Metric Shippers Should Pay More Attention To?
Have a great answer to a good question? Be sure to participate next month. We want to know: How will arti cial intelligence impact supply chain management in the next ve years? We’ll publish some answers. Tell us at editorial@inboundlogistics.com or tweet us @ILMAGAZINE #ILGOODQUESTION Getting drivers in and out of pickup facilities eciently is critical. Ensure the carrier receives accurate information regarding service requirements, shipment details, and capacity needs. Check each shipment for proper in-transit packaging, stage the freight for convenient access, and have the driver’s paperwork complete and ready. –Chase Smith Vice President, Carrier Services, MODE Global By reducing dwell time, you can reduce detention and demurrage charges, improve your capacity utilization, streamline operations, and overcome driver shortage issues, ultimately improving your overall performance. It also has a positive impact on all aspects of the supply chain, reducing environmental impact and supply chain imbalances. –Amit Prasad Chief Data Science Ocer, Transportation Insight Dwell on This Dwell time is clearly the one thing shippers need to dwell on. On port containers, the dwell cost is at times as much as the final mile cost. Per the Department of Transportation report, dwell time at shippers’ docks costs carriers $1.1 to 1.3 billion per year. Essentially it shows a lack of planning at various levels in an organization and creates an impact on future RFPs in the form of increased carrier rates. And while the penalty cost is bad, the greater impact is on the reputation of the shipper. –Reo Hatfield VP of Corporate Services, TA Services Paying more attention to dwell time can give shippers early warning of potential backups in the supply chain, allowing them to work with logistics partners to identify and reduce bottlenecks. Container dwell times at ports or railyards can be a useful indicator for overall supply chain health as well. –Tony Pelli Practice Director, Security and Resilience, BSI High dwell times indicate ineciencies in logistics processes, leading to potential delays and increased costs. –Srini AV Transportation and Global Trade Practice Director, Gaea Considering dwell time information at the very start of a shipper/carrier relationship results in stronger overall plans. –Kelly Williams Enterprise Product Lead, Trimble
IT NEEDS TO BE ON-TIME DELIVERY PERFORMANCE if shippers can only focus on one transportation metric. Customer experience is foundational for every business. Delivery performance is the last thing that customers see and heavily influences their perception of the entire buying experience and the overall relationship with the business. –Chris Jones EVP of Industry, Descartes LOCATION OF INSPECTION AND FUMIGATION SERVICES. Streamlining regulatory processes through ecient dockside USDA and Customs inspections not only accelerates clearance but also minimizes unnecessary transportation distances and wait times. This optimizes shipment costs by avoiding osite cargo transfers and reloads. –Carla Stone President, World Trade Center Delaware SHIPMENT QUALITY. Poor shipment quality requires excessive manual labor for unloading—needlessly adding time and costs. Similarly, damaged goods, having absorbed order acquisition, fulfillment, and transportation costs, exacerbate shipment quality issues by further eroding margins.
–Rob Small Senior Solutions Expert, Supply Chain, Inmar
TENDER LEAD TIME TO SHIP DATE. Provide carriers ample time to meet your expected ship date, which includes scheduling appointments, confirming shipping details, arranging drivers, and finding backhauls. In general, more lead time results in better service and pricing. –Michael Link Chief Supply Chain Ocer, RJW Logistics Group TIME TO BOOK. Faster booking— via services like autobooking—enables a better shipper experience and more transparency with buyers, ultimately resulting in better customer retention. –Heather Hoover-Salomon CEO, uShip
10 Inbound Logistics • September 2023
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