Freight visibility is more than knowing where a package is in its journey to its final destination. Freight visibility is most valuable when you use it to make better business decisions and predict and prepare for possible disruptions. Leveraging historical shipping data that can be analyzed to drive and support those decisions is critical when justifying changes to operational processes and responding to supply and demand.
Experts are predicting severe disruptions to supply chains from flooding, power outages and high-wind damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian that could significantly impact over-the-road (OTR) freight. They estimate it will take at least nine weeks for shipping to recover based on the amount of damage to both buildings and inventory sustained by Shippers in the affected area.
As inflation hits industries across the country, the supply chain continues to see rising costs impact shipping due to current economic conditions. Fuel prices remain elevated and carrier rates continue to rise. According to CNBC, the supply chain is improving and past the worst, but rates will remain well above pre-pandemic levels for the rest of 2022.
Heading into what is typically known as “peak” shipping season, 3PLs and Shippers are seeking ways to counter the rising carrier rates and fuel surcharges. They are finding the best way to do so is to implement or switch to an innovative technology solution that allows them to rate and execute shipments from a single screen.
“If there’s one thing that’s certain in business, it’s uncertainty.” That saying can be applied to the supply chain, especially over the past few years with the unpredictability and disruptions on a global level. As things continue to change and evolve into “peak” shipping season in the U.S., Shippers and 3PLs who manage over-the-road (OTR) shipping continue to struggle to manage the disruptions which have become the new “norm”.
Shippers and 3PLs must remain agile to adjust for fluctuations in the supply chain. The ever-changing shipping environment continues to experience significant disruptions affecting shipping in the U.S. with no end to the constraints and issues in sight. To remain competitive and profitable, you need a solid freight exception management plan and technology solution to help you work through current and future issues in the supply chain.
Disruptions to the supply chain aren’t new, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, shippers and 3PLs have had to adjust their operations to accommodate frequent changes. The most-recent issue to impact shipping, specifically for over-the-road (OTR) transport, is the “Freedom Convoy” protest in Canada. In addition to capacity issues, rate increases, and shipping delays, the blockade, created in protest of vaccine mandates and restrictions, has proven to be another hurdle for 3PLs and shippers in providing timely deliveries for OTR shipping in the U.S.
