The 3 Most Common Logistics Issues And How To Overcome Them
The shipping and logistics industry is a constantly evolving field that reacts frequently to supply chain and economic changes in our country. This can leave a lot of uncertainty and room for error if not managed properly.
The last thing you want for your business is to have empty shelves or long shipping times because your logistics partner was unable to finish a job on time. In this blog, we will look at the three most common logistics challenges and how your company can overcome them with the help of a reliable shipping partner.
1. Driver Shortage
According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), there is a shortage of around 80,000 truck drivers in the United States today. This driver shortage continues to affect the industry year after year as trucking tends to be a demanding job, and many shipping companies do not treat their drivers well enough for them to stay at the company long-term. In fact, a survey of 24,000 drivers showed that 30% of them leave their company within 3 months, and 50% leave within the first 6 months.
This high turnover rate may seem alarming at first; however, it is not caused by drivers leaving the industry. It is mainly from drivers leaving one company to go to another where they earn better benefits or get to drive a more favorable route. You would never want a logistics partner who is at risk of delays due to driver turnover, and that is why Bender is a driver-first company. We make sure our drivers feel appreciated and heard and put an emphasis on ensuring they make it home every night to their families.
2. Shortage of Truck Parking
Both the size and volume of trucks on the road contribute to a dangerous shortage of legal truck parking for drivers to use while they eat or sleep on their route. The ATA asserts that there are eleven truck drivers for every one truck parking spot in the country—leading to drivers spending nearly an hour every day looking for parking. Because of this, 56% of drivers have resorted to parking illegally at least three times per week which can be incredibly unsafe.
Unfortunately, only legislation and federal funding can create more parking spots, but that doesn’t mean you can’t overcome this issue by choosing the right shipping partner! Finding a regional warehouse and shipping company means that drivers can make multiple trips for your business in the same day and still make it home at night, avoiding having to find overnight parking for their truck.
3. Scheduling Delays
One of the biggest problems drivers are currently experiencing is scheduling delays, also known as detention time. This is caused by poor communication and operations management between a shipping company and warehouses and leads to drivers idling for hours waiting for their trucks to be loaded/unloaded. Not only is this inefficient from the business perspective, but it also is incredibly detrimental to drivers. In a lot of cases, these delays count as unpaid time when they could be already on the road or with their family instead.
Having healthy communication with your shipping and logistics company saves everyone time and gets your business running more efficiently. It is important you schedule loading and unloading times to make sure that the process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible—ensuring neither you nor the driver feels like their time is being wasted.
Bender Transportation Tackles Logistical Issues for You
Having a quick and efficient supply chain is all about anticipating potential problems before they arise. We take pride in our drivers and the people we work for and have full confidence in our ability to seamlessly streamline your shipping needs. We are large enough to matter, and small enough to care. This allows us to build partnerships based on trust, performance, and flexibility.
If you would like to read more about Bender and our approach to shipping challenges, read on to learn more about how we can serve you!