With the shipping industry only growing increasingly massive every day—especially with people ordering packages more and going out to brick-and-motor stores for their shopping needs less during COVID-19—it’s imperative freight management stay organized.
Professionals like Industrial Networks, in this industry, are always looking for ways to improve their processes so they can offer faster, more trustworthy, efficient services for their clients and their clients’ customers. And of course, more cost-savings for themselves so they can make a profit and their employees can also go home to their families with adequate pay).
With a near-endless combination of departure and destination locations as well as countless items traveling all the time, though, how in the world are people supposed to keep track of everything coming in and going out enough to meet the exploding demands? Simple: with the right technology and processes.
Shipping Companys’ Websites Need to Keep Up With the Times
Any shipping company that wants to stay on the cutting edge and keep up in this ever-changing business landscape is sure to have made updates to their website in the last several years. No longer will simply having a webpage and filling it with some basic information slide in the expanding market.
Rather, ensure there is a well-functioning, accurate, and bug-free feature set up on there that offers rail-container tracking software. You will want to always be able to have key details about the shipments heading your way so you know what to do with them and get them where they need to be in a timely, secure fashion.
When shipping freight, the tracking numbers and other important information should be shared with customers so they can follow their items along their journey and know what their status is at any given time. Providers who are doing this are finding themselves to be leading companies over those that are not.
Know Road Conditions and Make Sure Packaging is Up-to-Par
Always have the journey in mind when prepping packages to be sent. Most freight ends up on 40” x 48” pallets, and much of it can be expected to be breakable. You need to keep this all in mind so things don’t get rough and render negative consequences. Be aware that in the event that freight needs to be repackaged, its arrival date could be delayed. Maintaining accurate measurements will also help to keep all shipments on schedule.
People are putting their confidence in you and your staff that their items will arrive fairly quickly and unharmed. If everything is packed correctly and sizing is appropriately considered, the potentially bumpy ride in the back of a truck or in a railcar shouldn’t be too tough on the packages in your care.
Additionally, to avoid problems, it’s a good idea to place orders for any necessary supplies during months that don’t tend to have extreme weather issues (nor major construction projects). If snow or heavy rains are likely during certain seasons along your route, you will be able to experience business as usual—while competitors struggle with slowdowns and an angry receiving end.
Also, make sure the destination has a loading dock and doesn’t have limited days or hours, as this could make your shipment challenging to track. Being prepared is critical if you want to carry out shipment tracking worry-free.
Utilize Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) Tags
Railcars, semi-trucks, and locomotives, and rely on these special aei tags to obtain and convey the most crucial tracking data. The AEI devices are placed on nearly every vehicle moving freight across the country and readers are used by radio frequencies to pull the passing vehicles’ tag information are used all over, as well.
You would be hard-pressed to find someone in the industry who has yet to start taking advantage of this invaluable and widely-adopted system.
Railyards and trucking companies use this software to watch in real-time as their assets travel from point A to point B across the U.S. This way, all stakeholders can get the details they need and can, in turn, share them with customers—from delays to early arrivals.
Don’t Be Left Behind—Stay Abreast of The Latest in Freight Shipment Tracking
Heed our advice and you will be at an advantage over others in this industry. Always keep on top of the latest technologies, tools, trends, research, and processes and you should be able to expect happy customers—due to freight being delivered on-time, every time.
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