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Cleveland Truckload Carriers in High Demand as West Coast Supply Chain Bottlenecks Persist
Cleveland truckload carriers moving full trailers have been in especially high demand in recent months, thanks to persistent West Coast supply chain bottlenecks. The Wall Street Journal reports indicators from bellwether transport services foreshadow the likelihood these western port backlogs will drag through the holidays and into 2022. Suppliers and shippers looking to keep down costs may want to consider working with a dedicated 3PL trucking logistics service.
Part of the issue with higher costs is the rush by large retailers to restock inventory (with demand in some sectors up as much as 85 percent this year compared to the same time in 2020). Also factoring are the broader supply chain upheavals affecting the whole country – primarily, shortages of truck drivers, rail workers, and warehousing employees.
Keeping freight and trucking costs down while maintaining efficient logistics operations isn’t a cakewalk, especially when the labor force has been so limited. Meanwhile, consumers are leaning on e-commerce now more than ever, with few sacrificing expectations – including on costs and delivery times.
As longtime Cleveland truckload carriers and warehousing professionals, we understand these challenges and work closely with our customers to help tackle them. Key to our longevity are competitive pricing and low staff turnover, the latter fueled by good pay, attractive benefits packages, and a perpetually positive work environment. Loyal, experienced truck drivers and warehouse workers help us keep customers’ inventory moving as efficiently as possible for the best rates.
Cleveland Repacking & Coding Services Benefit Warehousing Customers
Each day, billions of packages are prepared and shipped from production plants, over seas and skies, through warehousing, distribution and processing centers and on to their final destinations. For those that cycle through our Northeast Ohio warehouse and distribution center, businesses and their clientele benefit from our expert Cleveland repacking & coding services.
Repacking is a value-added service that allows the contents of packages to be changed or reconfigured so that the end result meets customer expectations. Some examples of repacking goals:
- To repack a product into your company’s personally-branded packaging, as opposed to sending it in the manufacturer’s packaging.
- To make adjustments based on unique customer requests.
- To make a change to any pre-assembled kits.
According to Packaging Digest, the cost of repacking services globally is expected to reach $50 billion by next year. Wrapped up in these expenses are labor, returns, materials, transport and shipping.
Many 3PL warehousing and distribution centers offer some type of repacking, but not all promise the same quality assurance guarantee as the repacking professionals at On Time Delivery & Warehouse. In addition to repacking, we use specialized electronic coding equipment to place product information directly onto the product/packages. Such labeling can include clear sell-by and expiration dates, which must be both clear and readable.
How Cleveland Repacking & Coding Can Reduce Warehouse Costs & Inventory Losses
Supply chain managers have the ultimate goal of developing, implementing, and monitoring the timely receiving, storage, transport, and distribution of products for shipping. This means we must have effective planning strategies for packing and repacking goods, reducing damage risks and avoiding additional costs.
Specialized internal and external packaging can protect the integrity of a product as it continues to move through the distribution chain.
Advantages of Using Ohio Trailer Spotting Services
In the trucking world, trailer spotting is when a truck trailer is parked in a designated spot in the distribution yard, detached from the tractor, and then prepared to be ready-to-go for when its driver arrives. It’s a strategy that boosts efficiency for our shippers because it reduces the amount of downtime truckers have at the docking area. If your current trucking and warehouse logistics partner doesn’t offer Ohio trailer spotting services, it may be time to explore alternative options.
How Ohio Trailer Spotting Helps Streamline Your Processes
Having a trucking service that also offers trailer spotting can make a big difference in the efficiency of how your goods are moved. Some of the ways include:
- Less down time. If we have a shipper that routinely moves high volume (let’s say once daily), trailer spotting allows us to have a carrier enter the yard, drop off a trailer, and pick up the daily load immediately. Trailer spotting ensures an empty trailer is immediately available for whatever needs to be moved right away. It can significantly reduce the amount of trucker downtime and shipment backlogs. Delays can result in products sitting in your yard, putting strain on the warehouse, increases losses, and increases the amount the driver is paid to wait idly. But with trailer spotting, when a driver drops off one trailer, another is already on standby ready to go. Ohio trailer spotting also ensures the warehouse is going to maximize efficiency on the warehouse side of things as well because empty trailers are parked where they need to be for quick loading and fast turnaround. Shippers and carriers benefit.
- Yard management efficiency. In fact, your entire supply chain is going to run more smoothly. Yard management specifically refers to how trucks are organized and moved within the warehouse yard and loading docks. All those trucks need to be positioned, scheduled, loaded, unloaded – with the movement of all items on and off done with care and tracked in real time. Trailer spotting allows us to more easily manage pick-up loads, which in turn helps streamline the entire process.
- Flexibility in scheduling. When it comes to warehousing, trucking, and supply chain logistics in general, something is always changing. But that creates significant challenging when warehouse and trucking schedules of certain assets are locked in. Trailer spotting services allow us to provide additional flexibility, allowing us ultimately to be better prepared for unexpected issues and provide the best service possible for our customers.
A Cleveland 3PL Helps Partner Companies Navigate Ongoing Supply Chain Challenges
The modern supply chain is capable of impressive feats, delivering goods and materials from across the globe to businesses, suppliers, and customers in days or sometimes even hours. Of course, there are always vulnerabilities. If the last 1.5 years has taught us anything, it’s that even the most tightly-managed supply chains aren’t invincible. Industry analysts now opine that global supply chains are poised for ongoing, high volatility on several fronts. Those partnering with a Cleveland 3PL will find they’re far better prepared to successfully steer through these challenges.
You may recall that during the pandemic, supply chain snags meant certain goods and products were unavailable for days, weeks, and even months. High-demand items were suddenly in short supply, creating logistical calamities that have, in some cases, persisted to this day.
These problems haven’t been limited to a single industry or product, which is why we’ve seen overall hikes in logistics costs. Compounding matters are the record numbers of ships delayed at ports, a highly constrained warehousing space market, and soaring fuel costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the cost of fuel was up more than 35 percent this summer year-over-year. In some areas, load-to-truck costs are up more than 70 percent.
As longtime Cleveland 3PL providers in warehousing and shipping, we’re familiar with the many ups and downs (and sideways spins) a supply chain can take. Given that there is a good chance we won’t see a pre-pandemic normal of supply chains anytime soon, businesses need to brace themselves for disruptions and higher costs. Those that are working with a dedicated third-party logistics firm will have a leg-up on the competition.
Benefits of Small Business Cleveland LTL Shipping With Our Ohio Delivery Team
Tough circumstances can often compel creative action. This was evidenced by the fact that last year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 4.4 million new small businesses were launched, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Half a million new companies were started in January 2021 alone. Some small business owners in Northeast Ohio may have started out with parcel shipping, but are now smartly considering Cleveland LTL shipping.
Ensuring that goods are delivered in a manner that’s timely but also cost-efficient can be a constant balancing act. If you’re at the point of considering whether to switch from parcel shipping to Cleveland LTL shipping, you’ve hit a marker of success. It’s important to carefully weigh your options.
Let’s be honest: Shipping is expensive. Big parcel shipping firms can have their place, particularly when you’re first starting out. But once you’ve grown to a certain size, they may no longer be as practical, cost-efficient, or responsive as you need. At the same time, you may not be big enough to justify booking entire truckloads to get your goods from Point A to Point B. This is where Cleveland LTL shipping (or less-than-truckload) comes into play.
Bill of Lading Preparation: Leave it to Our Cleveland Warehouse Pros!
A bill of lading is a document that serves as proof a company or carrier received goods from a shipper. It’s a critical record that our Cleveland warehouse professionals know is essential to demonstrating the chain of custody from shipper to carrier. Beyond simple proof of cargo transfer, it establishes a contract between the two parties for the delivery of the goods to the purchasing party or next carrier. They’re often required for many types of land freight shipments, but can also be mandated for air and sea cargo as well. Failure to properly fill out these forms can be costly.
If you’re considering partnering with a Northeast Ohio warehousing and distribution to a third-party logistics company, it’s important to have a solid understanding of what bills of lading are and how they’re prepared. Chances are, it will be an aspect of your operations you’ll also want to outsource.
What Exactly is in a Bill of Lading (BOL)?
Bills of lading, sometimes called BOL, are nothing new. In fact, they go all the way back to at least the 16th century, when they were routinely used to track ship cargo movements. Back then, it was pretty basic: An inventory check and the signatures of the shipper and carrier.
Today, the general idea is the same, but with all the various modes of transport, warehousing, and distribution (not to mention evolving technology), the particulars are quite a bit more involved.
Why Truck Drivers Want to Work for Our Cleveland Trucking Company
The culture of a company is important for any worker, but it matters more than you might expect for truck drivers. Despite the many hours they spend solo on-the-road, we’ve found lots of drivers prioritize a company that truly cares for them. In the course of the long-running truck driver shortage, it’s been reported that many drivers move from one Cleveland trucking company to another in search of higher pay, signing bonuses and more miles. Some just want to be able to spend more time at home.
At On Time Delivery & Warehouse, we have long recognized the importance of competitive pay, benefits, and adequate down time. But as a family-owned company, what we’ve also long understood is that while a good salary will get a qualified truck driver in the door, what keeps the best truckers is a tight-knit culture of truly caring. How we treat people day-in and day-out is what really drives career satisfaction among our Northeast Ohio trucking professionals.
That means knowing more about our drivers than their first name and credentials. We respect their professional opinions, understand when major milestones or troubles are happening with their family and celebrate exceptional employees and achievements. Anyone can launch a Cleveland trucking company. What keeps it running for the long-haul is respect for and relationships with your people.
Culture is what differentiates us from any other Cleveland trucking company. It’s the tone and feel from the moment you walk in each day. It can be tough to define, but our drivers, warehouse workers, supervisors and other staffers recognize it – and it’s what translates to top notch service for our clients.
Outsourcing Ohio Warehousing & Distribution Saves Dollars, Makes Sense
In recent months, logistics industry watchers have seen demand for warehousing close to major ports surge, driven by the tsunami of e-commerce demand and flood of container imports. That’s made it tougher – and more expensive – to find storage space from New York to Los Angeles. Bloomberg reports these demands are unlikely to abate anytime before next year, at the earliest. The good news is many companies may find solutions in working with Ohio warehousing & distribution firms that are strategically located and connected.
Both logistics service providers and real estate companies were quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying the fierce competition for warehousing space near port cities has pushed warehouse costs so high that many companies have been compelled to scour neighboring regions (including in the Midwest) to serve shippers’ needs. Northeast Ohio has long been a prime, strategic hub for warehousing and distribution.
The demand for industrial space – inland and around the ports – is likely only to rise in the coming years. Nationally, it’s accelerated the last few years thanks to the rapid rise of e-commerce, which relies more heavily on Ohio warehousing and distribution versus retail space. Storage space rates in some regions have doubled just in the last year. The pandemic exacerbated that trend, and shows no signs of abating.
If your current, in-house Ohio warehousing and distribution practices are already taxing your time and resources, it may be time to take another look at outsourcing with a Cleveland 3PL. “3PL” stands for “third party logistics.” A dedicated 3PL warehousing provider does more than simply give you a place to store your stuff. It offers opportunity for dynamic companies to access a broad range of supply chain & logistics services and expertise.
How a 3PL Can Help Reduce Your Cleveland Warehousing Costs
If you’re seeking affordable Cleveland warehousing space, you might consider teaming with a third-party logistics (3PL) company. Not only will a 3PL be more likely to have a central warehouse location in an increasingly competitive market, it can also handle receiving, storage, inventory control, and reverse logistics with optimal efficiency.
Warehousing is critical for moving goods safely through the supply chain. But warehouse space competition has dramatically impacted industrial rents over the last year. Retailers and logistics firms are routinely paying a premium to lock down the most advantageous spots. CBRE Group Inc. reports industrial rents in 58 U.S. markets were up almost 10 percent in the first five months of 2021 compared to last year. Demand was largely driven by the surge in e-commerce that occurred when pandemic-related lockdowns closed many storefronts, keeping people at home and shopping for goods online.
But even as restrictions have eased, the public and businesses have continued their online ordering habits – along with their expectations for next day or even same-day deliveries. CBRE estimates more than a quarter of all retail sales in the U.S. will be facilitated by e-commerce by 2025. Meanwhile, suppliers stung by the pandemic shortages are trying to guard against a similar scenario by ensuring they have enough on hand to meet a sudden demand spike. That inventory has to be safely stored somewhere – and ready to be moved at a moment’s notice. Select sites in regional hubs near highways and closer to final destinations can dramatically reduce transportation costs.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, this demand for warehousing is likely to create a similar situation to what we’ve seen with the housing market, with limited supply and fierce competition for warehouse properties in strategically key locations. But available spaces – particularly larger buildings with higher ceilings and ample parking lots near urban centers – have become more scarce in recent years.
For many Northeast Ohio companies, the expense of Cleveland warehousing is a considerable one when determining operating budgets. Prices can swing significantly, depending on the type of facility and services one needs. What we can confidently say is lots of businesses don’t require an entire warehouse dedicated solely to their operations. That’s why it often makes sense to partner with a 3PL, one with adequate space, value-added services and the best rates.
Why is Ohio LTL Freight So Pricey – and How Can I Reduce the Costs?
Less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload (FTL or just TL) are the most common types of freight shipping in most industry supply chains. Unfortunately, Ohio LTL freight shipping prices have risen substantially in recent years.
At On Time Delivery & Warehouse, we pride ourselves on pricing transparency and strive always to provide the most competitive LTL shipping costs in the region. Understanding why costs are higher these days is important to formulating a workable strategy to keep those expenses manageable while still ensuring your shipments are getting where they need to be – intact, on time, every time.
What is Ohio LTL Freight Shipping?
Approximately 54 million tons of freight are moved on trucks daily in this country, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. A considerable share of this is hauled on LTL loads.
Anytime your shipment takes up an entire truck (typically somewhere around 42,500 lbs. or 24 pallets), it’s called a full truckload. When the weight or size of your shipment is less than that, you have the option of shipping items via less-than-truckload. LTL is sort of like a rideshare service with multiple passengers, but for freight.
On a per-mile, per-unit basis, Ohio LTL freight is often more costly. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t the most cost-efficient option for the specific needs of your business.
Some benefits of LTL shipping include:
- Tracking and tracing. Transparency and visibility of shipments is important to our clients as well as their customers. Knowing transit times, the location of shipments, estimated delivery times and more can be invaluable.
- Service options. These can include pick up and delivery, liftgate service, import/export freight handlers, hotshot deliveries and more.
- Earth-friendly. Shipping via LTL allows carriers to use all the room on the truck, meaning each shipment is efficient and eco-friendly.
These should be factored when considering whether LTL makes the most financial sense for your firm.