Freightology: Freight Driven by Technology

They say good things come to those who wait. Well, we’re excited to let you know that the wait is over! In fact, the wait was over a couple of years ago but you just never heard about it. We’re here to enlighten you on some incredible advances in the Freight shipping industry that will make your life a whole lot simpler. You can thank us later.

Let’s face it, while most industries are evolving at a rapid pace, the freight industry is not one of them – at least that’s what most people think. Lack of information out there is probably the main reason a lot of freight forwarders have just given up and come to terms with the archaic ways of doing things despite it making life hectic and cumbersome. Here are some of the biggest challenges most freight shippers face today:

· Contacting a number of trucking companies to get a quote (high wait times)

· Comparing each quote to find one that meets your budget

· Inaccessibility of the driver once the freight is picked up

· Limited tracking for your shipment

· Miscommunication of critical information

All of the above can now be avoided because (drumroll please) there are actually automated platforms available in the market today that can do all of the above while making your freight life a lot more efficient, guaranteed. If you’re tired of the old brick and mortar practices in this industry then we can promise you that these platforms are going to be a godsend – you can hold us to that.

Check out some of the amazing benefits of these platforms below:

1. Quote Comparison and Real Time Rates

That’s right, no more rate negotiations! Common practice among freight shippers at the moment is to contact each and every individual carrier out there to try and get a reasonable rate. This is a taxing and a tremendously frustrating process and can be completely eliminated by using an automated platform. At a click of a button you can have access to rates from hundreds of carriers saving you tons of time to focus on other things. You know, like counting your money from all that extra business you’re doing. Automated platforms are integrated with various carriers, allowing you to see the rates in real time. That means what you see is what you pay (most times anyways!). This offers rate stability and very rarely would you see major price fluctuations.

2. Reverse Logistics

When purchasing products from vendors, common practice is to allow the vendors to ship them to you and then add the shipping cost to the final bill. Most times the vendors add a mark-up to this shipping cost (extra charge). This can now be avoided! Some automated platforms give you the ability to arrange your own shipping from your vendor. All you need to do is arrange a pick up from your vendor, print a returns label and send it to the vendor to use. This way you are in total control of how much you pay for shipping. Life changing I know!

3. Visibility

Like courier, wouldn’t it be amazing if we had total visibility of our shipments at all times? Well now you can. Just like automated courier platforms, freight platforms also generate a tracking number that allows you to trace your shipment from origin to destination. These platforms have very clearly marked transit times every time you make a shipment, allowing you to plan for warehousing space, docks, and everything in between.

4. In-house Support Services

Now, we know this is not exactly a necessity, but neither was the iPhone yet we still can’t live without it! In-house operations and customer service is kind of like the iPhone of the freight world. It is an invaluable resource when tracking just doesn’t give you that little nugget of information to calm your nerves about your precious pallet. This is just one example where a team of in-house experts can be very important. Let’s just put it this way: the in-house team is to the platform what Dr. Watson is to Sherlock Holmes.

5. Data Analysis Reporting

The ability to run customisable reports for analysis is another huge advantage with automated platforms. This is particularly useful for larger organisation with very high shipping volumes.

6. Centralized Billing

Imagine not having to deal with all those files, receipts, and invoices on a daily basis. Just the thought of it is music to our ears. Besides, no one else does it anymore so why should you? Well, some of the more robust platforms have very intelligently designed billing systems allowing shippers to receive one invoice for all their shipping – I bet Bernie from the accounts department will appreciate this (a lot!)

7. Coverage

Not many platform have services that span across the continent however, there are a few that offer services across Canada and USA. I don’t think we need to explain how incredibly useful this can be.

There it is, now you now know what you’ve been missing out on. More and more freight shippers are making the switch to an automated platform for convenience, speed, coverage and scalability and we’ve given you plenty of good reasons why you should too.