Online and e-commerce sales have grown exponentially in the last three years. Accelerated by the global pandemic and the inability to shop in person, e-commerce has shifted consumers’ expectations for instant gratification in the form of fast delivery. In fact, a recent survey found that 60% of ecommerce customers say same or next-day shipping has a “significant influence” on their decision to purchase from an online retailer. With this focus on speed of delivery, airfreight and airfreight trucking are an increasingly important component of logistics operations.
Providing exception-free, reliable shipping and efficient airfreight operations is critical for meeting consumer expectations in the highly competitive e-commerce market. Unfortunately, persistent supply chain disruptions can make it difficult to execute seamless airfreight as planned. Weather, carrier capacity, and ongoing labor shortages can dramatically impact airfreight schedules and create massive delays, wreaking havoc on the fulfillment schedule and creating friction with end customers.
Increasingly, shippers and logistics service providers are turning to optimized air cargo trucking and airfreight recovery as a means of circumventing potential delays and providing customers with the speedy delivery service they expect. This blog examines the importance of optimized operations through visibility, streamlined processes, and improved delivery outcomes and how a TMS-equipped air cargo trucking and recovery provider supports these critical capabilities.
If a shipment is escalated to urgent or expedited air cargo status, it is undoubtedly a time-critical item with very little room for error. Optimizing air cargo trucking and airfreight recovery operations is essential for executing these shipments and should focus on three key capabilities:
Visibility is frequently touted as the solution to many supply chain woes, with a recent study conducted by last-mile delivery provider Bringg reporting that 87% of logistics providers are implementing or planning to implement real-time visibility solutions by 2024. As real-time visibility becomes the industry standard, shippers and logistics providers must embrace comprehensive visibility technologies throughout their processes.
Real-time visibility solutions allow logistics professionals to access timely information and status updates in the airfreight process, which provides two key benefits. First, it helps improve communication between stakeholders, ultimately leading to improved coordination of freight movements and fewer exceptions. Second, real-time visibility empowers operations teams to manage exceptions and issues as they occur and to proactively communicate milestone updates to customers. This is absolutely critical to the customer experience, especially for time-critical air cargo.
Manual operations processes are inefficient, create intense labor pressure and are more susceptible to human oversight and information gaps. Automating time-consuming tasks, like check calls to air trucking and recovery providers, gives the operations team more time to focus on managing real-time exceptions and improving the customer experience. Partnering with a TMS-integrated freight recovery carrier can eliminate manual check calls and provide automated notifications, exception alerts, and status confirmations instantly.
Another operations process that can be costly if overlooked is airfreight recovery documentation. Having the right paperwork filled in correctly and on time is critical for making smooth airfreight pickup. Automating alerts, reminders, and filing checklists can help streamline the air trucking process and ensure that time-critical shipments can be recovered and delivered to schedule.
The top priority for air cargo is always urgency. No matter what the underlying reason, if a shipment is moved by air, there is likely a tight delivery deadline. Logistics providers that partner with a TMS-equipped air cargo trucking and recovery provider gain access to the predictive analytics they need to optimize routing and improve delivery outcomes. The combination of real-time visibility and advanced predictive analytics gives logistics teams the critical data they need to embrace proactive, rather than reactive, operations and provide a better customer experience.
Growing customer expectations for same and next-day delivery and ongoing supply chain disruptions are putting pressure on shippers and logistics providers to broaden their service offerings and expand their provider networks. Increasingly, that means turning to expedited air cargo and airfreight recovery providers to meet stringent delivery deadlines. In these critical shipping scenarios, optimizing airfreight trucking and operations is essential and should integrate solutions that increase visibility, streamline processes, and improve delivery times.
The team at Carrier 911 understands the pressure today’s companies are under to provide flawless delivery services. That’s why they partner with world-class TMS-provider Turvo, to deliver real-time visibility, accessible 24/7, on every shipment. This visibility technology allows all parties in the supply chain to access an air trucking driver’s geographic location at any time, eliminating the need for time-consuming check calls and streamlining operational processes. With Carrier 911, proactive communication is at the heart of each and every shipment – with automated notifications when a driver is en route to pick up, at the pickup location, and departing the shipper – ensuring that goods are on schedule to arrive on time.
Contact Carrier 911 today to learn how their team, supported by Turvo TMS technology, can help you optimize operations and improve delivery outcomes on your most urgent shipments.
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