In a recent research report, 80 percent of the supply chain companies surveyed reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on their businesses. If you’re like most logistics and brokerage businesses, you’re trying to adapt to a new normal in which resiliency and the ability to anticipate and recover from market disruptions are mandatory. While many of the fundamentals of logistics remain constant, what’s essential for success in logistics has changed. To achieve success in today’s world as a logistics company or freight broker, you must embrace technology to be profitable, provide top-notch service to shippers, and be able to build and access a high-quality carrier network.
1. Automate Repetitive, Manual Tasks
Using technology instead of staff members to initiate repetitive, manual tasks isn’t about laying off employees or reducing the size of your team. Automating repetitive tasks such as check calls or capacity inquiries really is about using your human resources more effectively. When you automate repetitive tasks with the help of technology, your staff members can concentrate on relationship-building activities such as business development and carrier development. Process automation reduces your cost per load and gives you the opportunity to move more volume, which are key to maintaining and/or increasing profitability.
2. Use Carrier-Friendly Tech
It’s no understatement to say that truckers and carriers are essential to the supply chain. It makes sense then to think about carrier experience any time that you’re implementing a new process or technology in your operations. For example, instead of asking carriers to download your shippers’ visibility app, consider alternatives that provide real value to truckers and carriers. The Trucker Tools driver app, the driver component of Trucker Tools’ freight tracking system, offers drivers/carriers over a dozen real-time tools and features designed to simplify life on the road. Truckers can use the Trucker Tools app to find the cheapest fuel, best routes, weigh scales, loads, rest areas, truck stops, parking and more. It’s worth noting that providing a positive carrier experience via carrier-friendly tech makes it that much easier for you to build a reliable carrier network.
3. Cover Loads Faster with Digital Freight Matching
You want to know where capacity is available and to be able to cover a load as quickly as you possibly can. If you can increase the speed at which you identify and secure capacity, you can reduce your cost per load and even increase the volume of freight that you move. Digital freight matching technology instantly matches your uncovered load with the best truck available from your customized list of preferred carriers. With digital freight matching, you don’t have to undertake the time-consuming process of posting to a load board, waiting for responses from carriers and then responding to those carriers. Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching platform shows you the best truck matches at the top of the match results list so that you can quickly cover the load and move onto the next one. The popularity of digital freight matching technology has soared over the last 12 months because of how impactful it can be on freight volumes, operational efficiency and cost per load.
4. Provide the Real-Time Visibility Shippers
Require
In the past, check calls were adequate for tracking freight for shippers, but times have changed. Today’s shippers expect and often require start to finish, continuous digital visibility. If you’re unable to provide the digital visibility compliance and consistency that your customers require, they may not let you move their freight. Trucker Tools’ real-time visibility platform can help you meet or even surpass your shippers’ freight tracking KPIs. Trucker Tools’ freight tracking platform uses the GPS technology in the trucker’s phone and the Trucker Tools driver app to provide you with freight location updates every five minutes. Instead of picking up the phone to find out where a load is, you can quickly view the location of the load on your computer monitor. Integrations between Trucker Tools’ load tracking platform and shipper visibility platforms MacroPoint, 10/4, FourKites and Project44 allow you to share visibility data with your shippers automatically, which makes you an even more attractive prospective partner.
5. Integrate Real-Time Technologies with Your TMS
To boost your productivity even further, choose real-time technology that integrates with your transportation management system. When you use technology that integrates with your TMS, you don’t need to open a new browser or software program to track a load or find capacity. You can perform these tasks directly in your TMS. Trucker Tools’ real-time visibility platform, digital freight matching platform and Book It Now® integrate with most of the TMSs in use today. Integrating your TMS with Trucker Tools’ solutions makes it that much faster for you to get the information you need and then move onto the next task — and that’s invaluable.
Schedule a free demo of Trucker Tools’ real-time freight tracking platform, digital freight matching platform and Book It Now®.
