Transportation logistics operations are among the most complicated in the business world, with so many moving parts and so much happening at once that just accounting for it all can be a Herculean task. One of the biggest sources of wasted manpower and lost profits in the transportation industry is inefficient scheduling, and it represents the most preventable loss in this business sector.
Manage A Tight Schedule
Every movement and man hour in the transportation system represent an expenditure of precious resources. A lack of efficiency in scheduling directly leads to higher shipping fees for originating cargo, higher fuel costs for transportation, storage fees for frustrated cargo, and untimely delivery prompting refunds from aggravated customers. Keeping a tight schedule is about more than just managing employees during business hours. The transportation industry is always moving, so the schedule needs to be up and running 24/7.
Keep Everything Moving
In a typical day, you may be managing shipments by ground, air, and maritime shipping. You could have deliveries to a local business or shipments that need to cross entire continents. All of this can grind to a halt if shipping and receiving schedules are not executed perfectly. It is like juggling, only with planes, ships and trucks. To keep this balancing act from becoming a literal circus, this delicate schedule needs to be attended to with every tool that you have at your disposal, and one of the most powerful of these is cloud-based scheduling software that can be accessed throughout your logistical chain.
Safety Comes First
The biggest concern for any transportation manager is their drivers. Driver turnover has been at epidemic levels for years and the health and safety of drivers have never been more important. Scheduling software can go a long way toward ensuring that drivers are neither overworked nor underworked. Scheduling is usually a driver's main reason for quitting a company or even leaving the industry. Keeping the skilled professionals in your employ safe and happy can often be as easy as more effectively managing their schedule and work load.
Manage Costs Efficiently
Keeping costs manageable and keeping your logistical apparatus moving requires efficient scheduling, and the better the scheduling software the better the schedule. The right software can help you to realize many advantages including:
- Keeping track of all hours worked and cargo transported
- Managing load plans and optimizing shipments to their fullest
- Calculating all associated costs and of shipment and identifying opportunities to lower them
- More effectively managing available warehouse and work floor space
- Keeping all shipping documentation searchable and retrievable at the push of a button
Be Prepared For Every Season
The transportation industry can be a highly seasonal enterprise, with workloads shifting drastically depending upon the time of year. However, these shifts in workload can also be highly predictable with the appropriate forecasting software. Utilizing historical data of deliveries and orders from past years this forecasting and scheduling software can help to let your company know how much you will need to invest in terms of time and manpower to tackle your workload over a busy time of year such as the holiday season.
Face The Challenges Of The Transportation Industry
There are a variety of tough challenges that are facing the transportation industry in today's market. Cash flow and financials are getting tighter than ever as high fuel costs and slow payments make daily management of payroll and expense accounts an adventure. It can be tough to keep up with all of the regulations and rapid changes in the industry, but scheduling is one thing that can be firmly within your control.
