The holiday season brings with it many reasons to celebrate and to be thankful. It also brings with it minor hassles especially for the logistic divisions within companies of all sizes. Christmas is synonymous with shipping. For many retailers the months of November and December measure the success of their business as well as the economy in general.
Companies gear up for the holiday season early. They look for strategies to get their products out into stores and in the hands of consumers just in time to meet the seasonal need. Seasonal logistics affect all companies. This is true even when your company does not seasonally ship their products. The holiday madness itself affects hipping therefore affecting shipping departments throughout all industries.
With the season fast approaching it is important that your companies shipping department is running efficiently. Freight brokers are preparing for a surge of orders coming and are looking into a variety of carrier options to adjust to the influx. To ensure that your company does not fall short during the peak holiday season below are some tips to consider.
Advance Rate Shopping
When you shop shipping rates in advance of the seasonal rush you are more likely to be able to enact a plan that will allow you to meet the needs of your company. Add in a time in transit rule that allows you to compare services between air and ground. Not only will you be allowed to consider the cost but also the amount of time it will take for the transit of your products. You are allowed to weigh the cost savings verse the time it takes to get your product where it needs to be and then make a decision based on which is more valuable to you at the time. Advance rate shopping takes into account both regional and national shipping service options.
Implement Automatic Service Updates
Automatic service updates implement changes to the shipping software you use. IT allows you to create a rule that applies an in hand date to your shipments. This option assures that a product is shipped via the method that will get it to its destination when it needs to be there. The transit method, be it truck load, less than truckload or a variety of other options in which the product will be shipped is directly affected by when it needs to be in the retailer or consumers hands. Upgrading your software may be a costly logistic expense that needs to be considered when looking into updates in your logistic division. Look into updates that offer the most benefit to your company with the least amount of expense.
Jefferson Diversified Group, LLC is a Global Logistics expert offering LTL shipping and more. Check out available rates today at http://www.detroitltl.com.