Transportation can’t just be affordable or quick. It needs to be a full package if it’s to remain a sustainable resource for your business.
Believe it or not, this is not a tall order. All you have to do is work smarter, not harder. Load board integrations have been going through quite a few changes lately thanks to advances in technology. Instead of having to divide your attention across a dozen different areas you can shoulder the burden onto a broker system. These is a carefully designed software that revolves around behind-the-scenes transportation needs, from scheduling to online payment.
Sound like a dream come true? It’s a useful tool that can change the way you and customers look at shipping.
Customers Want Fast, Reliable Shipping
Ask any customer today what they want to see in their online shopping experience and many will cite shipping as the dealbreaker. Is it any wonder why businesses are spending so much energy on the perfect transportation method? Load board integrations are a complex labyrinth of stopping times, weather reports, and mileage. When they threaten to overwhelm, load broker software can pick up the slack. This is the program you use when you need all the little and major details in one convenient spot.
Transportation Comes In Many Varieties
Some companies use a mixture of air, ocean, and full truckload. Others rely solely on point-to-point. According to recent figures, the LTL market is reigning supreme at nearly $35 billion collected every year. Back in 2013 trucking was responsible for bringing in nearly 15 billion tons of cargo — the Bureau Of Labor Statistics reported that, by 2040, this number is going to exceed 17 billion tons. Less-than-truckload might very well be what you’re looking for thanks to its convenient design and competitive costs.
Safety Should Always Come First
Switching up your broker systems will not just save you time, you’ll increase your safety measures. Transporting cargo is no mean feat, not with so many things that can go wrong — these include (but aren’t limited to) monumental delays, crashes, and damaged goods. According to data provided by CargoNet and FreightWatch International, the first three quarters of 2016 ushered in 615 cargo-theft incidents. Shipping tracking integration gives you more oversight and more control. This will go a long way to keep your workers safe and your business’s reputation sound.
E-Commerce Is Getting Higher By The Day
Buying online is the convenient, flexible norm. American e-commerce revenue is hovering at $425 billion and continues to get higher by the day. Today’s carriers have a lot of work to do adjusting to changes in the retail industry, be they from full truckload, less-than-truckload, and parcel. LTL shipments are best achieved by adding on a freight broker software. This is how you provide customers with the reliable service they expect while keeping your inner workings as efficient as possible.
The Long-Term Benefits Of Freight Broker Software
To keep up with the changing times you need brokerware on your side. Things are only going to get more complicated from here. The president of the SJ Consulting Group, Satish Jindel, found nearly 25% of all for-hire freight tonnage being attributed to retail alone. The length of haul has also declined significantly — public truckload carriers have reported the average length has gone down by 5% between 2011 and 2016. Shorter travel points means less gas wasted, among other things, and pairs well with smart software.
Improve your load board integrations. Face the growth of e-commerce head on with a program designed to make each trip more successful than the last.