Are you looking to benefit from a trucking company to transport your products? If so, you want to make sure that you get the most out of transport services.
Here are some handy tips that your business can use when working with trucking companies.
1. Work with Them to Streamline Routes
Are you planning on delivering your products to multiple locations? Do you need to make sure that your products arrive on schedule? If so, you’ll want to communicate to the trucking company how important it is to follow an optimal route and delivery schedule.
Reliable trucking companies can map out the best routes and adhere to your schedules. For example, at steelesgroup.com, which is an example of a company that is flexible and relies on transportation to meet your needs and stay on track of deliveries.
2. Ask About Their Logistic Services
Logistics is an important part of making sure your shipment gets to its destination without any issues. During transport, your shipment can be damaged if the proper measures are not taken. For example, metal can easily get bent and scratched from impact during shipment.
An example of how a trucking company can resolve this issue is to use tarps. The shipping tarps cover the item and will prevent it from getting scratched or getting exposed to moisture. It will also tie down the shipment to help keep it immobile during transport.
3. See What Equipment the Company Uses
When it comes to freight that needs to be handled with care, you want to check to see that the company has the equipment for the job. Ask to see what they’re using and how they are executing the loading, securing, and unloading. You want to see them use padded walls, decks, ramps, and other equipment to protect your shipment.
If you plan on shipping special materials, like hazardous liquids and gases, make sure to ask if the company has specialized vessels that can handle such materials to avoid any complications during the shipment process.
4. Look into Tracking Updates
A good trucking company should have the tools to manage their fleet optimally. They will probably be using a GPS and tracking software platform to keep track of their entire fleet. This is vital for making sure that deliveries are keeping to schedule.
With this technology, you should be able to get status updates from the company about where each truck carrying your shipment is. This will allow you to observe the schedule and make any necessary changes if there are emergencies or delays.
5. Ask for Warehousing Services
After you’ve tried out the services of a trucking company and found their service to be satisfactory, you should consider storing inventory with them. Some truck companies may have large warehouses to store inventory for clients. This is a useful service if you want to make the whole storage and shipment process easier.
It’s also a great choice financially. The cost of renting out your own warehouse, training staff, and managing employees can get high. Outsourcing the whole inventory management is often the more cost-efficient choice.
6. See If the Company Offers Expedited Shipping
Depending on the season and unique circumstances, there may come a time where you’ll need expedited services. You’ll want to try to work with a trucking company that offers expedited shipping during times with tight deadlines, promotional periods, and other time-sensitive events.
Standard delivery times can take many days to even weeks, depending on how far away the destination is. This delivery time can be shortened dramatically with expedited shipping. This kind of service usually involves the trucking company using multiple driver shifts to drive non-stop to the delivery point.
Benefit from Trucking
These are just some of the things you’ll want to look into when working with trucking companies to benefit from trucking. You want to ask the right questions and dig into their process to see if they can deliver the services you need.