Blog
Blog
Courier-Messenger Inc is a local company, based in the Valencia Industrial Center, providing transportation of time sensitive shipments of all sizes from envelopes to full truckloads.
CMI provides same day, Overnight and Time definite Ltl point to point deliveries, through out the USA. Same day truck service is determined by availability at time of call.
CMI provides our customers with internet tracking, and proof of deliveries at time of completion via email.
CMI provides 24/7 Dispatch
C.M.I. DELIVERS TIME CRITICAL SHIPMENTS DOOR-TO-DOOR INTERSTATE OR INTRASTATE ANYWHERE IN THE USA
Are Truckers About to Get Rich?
As problems go, the U.S. trucking industry is facing a good one. Thanks to a gushing oil industry and a homebuilding renaissance, everyone needs trucks. The industry, however, is running short on supply—specifically drivers.
Trucking outfits are bristling under new federal rules that drastically constrain how long drivers can stay on the road. Since July 1, truckers have been limited to about 70 hours of driving per week, down from 82 hours. And new rest requirements limit how much they can drive in the small hours of the morning, when roads are relatively empty.
Even before the new rules took hold, capacity was tight. At the height of the Great Recession, truck fleets at transportation giants FedEx (FDX), UPS (UPS), and Swift Transportation (SWFT) had 85,000 more drivers than they needed; today these companies are about 211,000 bodies short, according to estimates by FTR Associates, a freight logistics firm in Indiana.
To make matters worse, crumbling U.S. infrastructure is forcing truckers onto expensive detours. One in nine U.S. bridges is structurally deficient and 42 percent of the country’s major urban highways are congested, according to an analysis in the Wall Street Journal.
Those kinds of problems are hard to picture in virtually any other sector. Imagine a Wal-Mart (WMT) without enough parking, a Google (GOOG) data center too small to speed through a glut of searches, or JPMorgan (JPM) turning customers away because its safes were full.
Bloomberg Industries analyst Lee Klaskow says trucking outfits may need to fork out more money to attract and retain drivers. “If you really want to find people to fill the seat, you’ve got to make the industry much more attractive to the 21-year-old who doesn’t know what he wants to do with this life,” Klaskow says. “Rates now—$45,000 to $55,000 a year.
Reference: click here.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
Keeping Logistics Costs in Check
To combat the rising costs of logistics, companies should reassess each aspect of their transportation and logistics strategy. Here are six factors to consider.
Logistics costs have skyrocketed over the last few years as fuel prices increased and the United States economy spiraled downward. A study by the Council of Supply Chain Professionals (CSCMP) found that logistics costs in the U.S. alone rose by $91 billion in 2007, an increase of 7 percent over the previous year. According to the CSCMP’s 19th annual State of Logistics Report, logistics costs accounted for more than 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Higher interest rates, the deflating dollar and increased customs and warehousing costs in addition to fuel prices have contributed to the high costs of logistics. In 2007, U.S. businesses spent more than $1.4 trillion on transportation, storage and distribution of goods, according to CSCMP estimates.
“Clearly, there is a cause for concern,” says a new white paper from LTL trucking company Purolator USA, Inc. “[B]usinesses cannot exist without logistics, but at the current rate, businesses can’t really afford to exist with them either.”
To assist companies in finding ways to control the amount of money being spent on the purchase, transport, storage and distribution of goods — especially for products crossing borders — the paper provides tips on getting around logistics costs. Some considerations include the following.
Consolidate packages. Combine shipments that are traveling in the same direction, as “costs will be lower for freight traveling on a truck that is at near-to-full capacity than a less-than-full truck.” If the freight is crossing borders, consolidate it with additional shipments at the border and use one set of customs documents. Once the shipment clears the border, the packages can be broken down into individual orders at a processing facility.
Rethink shipping classifications. “Businesses that ship goods at a higher level of service than is necessary are increasing their overhead without even realizing the adverse effect to profitability,” the Purolator paper claims. Why ship “next day overnight,” which costs significantly more, if you don’t have to? A logistics provider can make recommendations about a business’ delivery options that are commensurate with its needs.
Understand the hidden costs of imports. Whilst it may be smart to look beyond U.S. borders for components, businesses need to be wary about other costs that go into importing parts, such as transportation costs, taxes, processing fees and security fees. Review these factors and tack their costs onto the import’s price.
Take advantage of trade incentives. There are several government programs that encourage cross-border trade, especially with Canada. Beyond the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), there’s also Canada’s Non-Resident Importer (NRI) program that allows U.S. companies to prepay all taxes, duties and fees on goods entering Canada before they arrive at the border. “This means that a U.S. company can pass along all fees to consumers up front,” the Purolator paper explains. “Canadian consumers will be aware of the fees at the time of purchase, and be able to pay them at that time. No more surprises.”
Another incentive scheme is the U.S. Duty Drawback program that prevents businesses from being over-taxed by giving “special consideration to businesses that pay duties on goods imported into the U.S., that are then used in the manufacture of products that are then subsequently exported.”
Avoid supply chain disruptions. Ninety-nine percent of companies surveyed by Aberdeen Group had supply chain disruptions in 2008, with 58 percent suffering financial losses as a result, Modern Materials Handling reports. “Distribution center stopovers waste precious time and money” and many companies “do not have the luxury of ‘padded schedules’ built into their distribution networks to absorb disruptions,” Purolator explains. Bypassing distribution centers by having direct-to-store delivery can save a manufacturer seven to 14 days by shipping directly to end-users.
Manage returns. Returns are a $100 billion business, according to the white paper, and as much as 7 percent of a business’ gross sales can be eaten up by return costs. One strategy for saving money while properly handling a customer’s dissatisfaction is outsourcing the returns processes. Logistics providers can offer a returns management solution that can arrange for the pickup, transportation and replacement or issuance of credit on a return.
With logistics costs having risen by nearly $100 billion in 2007 and no signs of the upward trend stopping, businesses must figure out a way to move their products as efficiently and economically as possible. Logistics costs are unavoidable, so companies must understand their overall businesses needs and address them within the context of the current economic environment.
Reference: click here.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
The Most Common Lies Dispatchers Tell Truckers
It seems that dispatchers NEVER seem to run out of lies to tell truckers, in order to get them to do things they don’t want to do…. or better yet, things THEY WON’T GET PAID FOR. Dave goes through some of the most common lies which trucking dispatchers tell truckers! Keep an eye on your dispatcher… keep him/her honest. Don’t tolerate a lousy dispatcher, as they can seriously affect your pay and your contentment with your driving job.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
Freight Shipments Rose 0.4% in August from July – Looking Back
Freight Shipments Rose 0.4% in August from July
Five Years: Freight Transportation Services Index, August 2008- August 2013
Source for Recession Dates: National Bureau of Economic Research, US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions
The amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry rose 0.4 percent in August from July, rising for the second consecutive month to reach the second highest level in the history of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI). The August 2013 index level (114.8) was 21.0 percent above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession (Tables 1, 2, and 2A).
The level of freight shipments in August measured by the Freight TSI (114.8) was 0.3 percent below the all-time high level of 115.2 in December 2011 (Table 2A). BTS’ TSI records begin in 2000. See historical TSI data.
The July (114.3) and June (114.0) index were revised but remain unchanged from the previous release.
Beginning with the April release, BTS improved procedures and refined the TSI methodology. As a result there have been minor changes in monthly numbers released previously. Documentation will be made available in the near future.
The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments by mode of transportation in tons and ton-miles, which are combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.
Analysis: The Freight TSI has increased in eight out of the last 10 months, growing from 108.4 to 114.8, an increase of 5.9 percent since October 2012. Most of the increase was in trucking and rail intermodal.
The 10-month growth is consistent with steady growth in Gross Domestic Product, industrial production and employment over the same time period. The growth in the economy has come particularly from housing, autos and energy, sectors that generate relatively large amounts of freight tonnage.
Trend: The Freight TSI remained above its 2012 range for the eighth month in a row. Beginning with January, every month in 2013 has exceeded the high point of 2012, 112.3 reached in December. The August 2013 level is the highest TSI freight has been in 2013, and is the second highest all-time level exceeded only by December 2011. After dipping to 94.9 in April 2009, the index rose 21 percent in the succeeding 52 months. For additional historical data, go to TSI data.
Index highs and lows: Freight shipments in August 2013 (114.8) were 21.0 percent higher than the recent low in April 2009 during the recession (94.9). The August 2013 level is down 0.3 percent from the historic peak reached in December 2011 (115.2).
Year to date: Freight shipments measured by the index were up 2.2 percent in August compared to the end of 2012 (Table 3).
Long-term trend: Freight shipments are up 5.2 percent in the five years from the recession level of August 2008 and are up 10.5 percent in the 10 years from August 2003 (Table 5).
Same month of previous year: August 2013 freight shipments were up 3.4 percent from August 2012 (Tables 4, 5).
The TSI has three seasonally adjusted indexes that measures changes from the monthly average of the base year of 2000. The three indexes are freight shipments, passenger travel and a combined measure that merges the freight and passenger indexes. TSI includes data from 2000 to the present. Release of the September 2013 index is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Passenger Index: The TSI for passengers rose 0.1 percent in August from its July level (Table 6). The Passenger TSI August 2013 level of 117.6 was 0.8 percent above the August 2012 level (Table 7). The index is up 1.3 percent in five years and up 20.8 percent in 10 years (Table 5). The passenger TSI measures the month-to-month changes in travel that involves the services of the for-hire passenger transportation sector. The seasonally adjusted index consists of data from air, local transit and intercity rail.
Combined Index: The combined freight and passenger TSI rose 0.3 percent in August from its July level (Table 8). The combined TSI August 2013 level of 115.6 was 2.7 percent above the August 2012 level (Table 9). The combined index is up 4.0 percent in five years and up 13.1 percent in 10 years (Table 5). The combined TSI merges the freight and passenger indexes into a single index.
Revisions: Monthly data has changed from previous releases due to the use of concurrent seasonal analysis, which results in seasonal analysis factors changing as each months data are added.
For a webinar on the TSI, see Past Webinars. For a video explanation of the TSI, see Overview of the Transportation Services Index. A BTS report explaining the TSI, Transportation Services Index and the Economy, is available for download.
Table 1: Freight, Passenger and Combined Transportation Services Indexes Since February 2013
Percent Change from Previous Month
(Seasonally Adjusted, Monthly Average of 2000 = 100)
| Freight | Passenger | Combined | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Pct. Change | Index | Pct. Change | Index | Pct. Change | |
| February | 113.2 | 0.7 | 116.4 | -0.2 | 114.1 | 0.4 |
| March | 113.9 | 0.7 | 116.2 | -0.2 | 114.6 | 0.4 |
| April | 112.9 | -0.9 | 117.6 | 1.2 | 114.2 | -0.3 |
| May | 114.1 | 1.1 | 117.7 | 0.0 | 115.1 | 0.8 |
| June | 114.0 | -0.1 | 117.8 | 0.1 | 115.1 | -0.1 |
| July | 114.3 | 0.3 | 117.4 | -0.3 | 115.2 | 0.1 |
| August | 114.8 | 0.4 | 117.6 | 0.1 | 115.6 | 0.3 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 2: Freight Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2010-2013
Percent change from previous month
| 2010 % Change | 2011 % Change | 2012 % Change | 2013 % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.5 | 1.0 | -3.6 | 0.1 |
| February | 1.6 | -1.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| March | 0.0 | 1.5 | -0.5 | 0.7 |
| April | 0.7 | -0.4 | 0.6 | -0.9 |
| May | 0.6 | -2.2 | 0.1 | 1.1 |
| June | -0.3 | 2.1 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| July | 0.6 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 0.3 |
| August | -0.3 | 0.7 | -0.5 | 0.4 |
| September | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | |
| October | 0.5 | 0.0 | -2.5 | |
| November | -0.4 | 0.2 | 2.2 | |
| December | 1.9 | 4.0 | 1.3 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 2A: Freight Transportation Services Index by Month, 2010-2013
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 102.3 | 109.6 | 111.1 | 112.4 |
| February | 104.0 | 107.7 | 111.2 | 113.2 |
| March | 104.0 | 109.3 | 110.6 | 113.9 |
| April | 104.7 | 108.8 | 111.2 | 112.9 |
| May | 105.4 | 106.5 | 111.4 | 114.1 |
| June | 105.1 | 108.7 | 111.8 | 114.0 |
| July | 105.7 | 108.9 | 111.6 | 114.3 |
| August | 105.4 | 109.7 | 111.0 | 114.8 |
| September | 106.3 | 110.5 | 111.2 | |
| October | 106.8 | 110.5 | 108.4 | |
| November | 106.4 | 110.8 | 110.8 | |
| December | 108.5 | 115.2 | 112.3 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 3: Freight, Passenger and Combined Transportation Services Indexes Year-to-Date Change, 2004-2013
Percent change to August from December of the previous year
| Year | Freight | Passenger | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 2.6 |
| 2005 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| 2006 | -2.5 | 0.3 | -1.8 |
| 2007 | -1.1 | 3.4 | 0.1 |
| 2008 | -1.6 | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| 2009 | -0.9 | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| 2010 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 3.0 |
| 2011 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| 2012 | -3.6 | 0.3 | -2.5 |
| 2013 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 4: Freight Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year
Percent change in the August Freight TSI
(Monthly average of 2000 = 100)
| August Freight TSI | Percent change from same month previous year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 110.3 | 6.1 |
| 2005 | 112.4 | 2.0 |
| 2006 | 109.3 | -2.8 |
| 2007 | 109.2 | -0.1 |
| 2008 | 109.1 | -0.2 |
| 2009 | 99.6 | -8.7 |
| 2010 | 105.4 | 5.8 |
| 2011 | 109.7 | 4.1 |
| 2012 | 111.0 | 1.1 |
| 2013 | 114.8 | 3.4 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 5: Transportation Services Indexes from Previous Years
Percent Change to 2013 (August to August)
| Since August . . . | Duration in years | Freight TSI Percent change to August 2013 | Passenger TSI Percent change to August 2013 | Combined TSI Percent change to August 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| 2011 | 2 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
| 2010 | 3 | 8.9 | 4.4 | 7.6 |
| 2009 | 4 | 15.3 | 6.8 | 12.7 |
| 2008 | 5 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 4.0 |
| 2007 | 6 | 5.1 | -0.2 | 3.5 |
| 2006 | 7 | 5.0 | 7.4 | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 8 | 2.1 | 8.9 | 3.8 |
| 2004 | 9 | 4.1 | 12.6 | 6.3 |
| 2003 | 10 | 10.5 | 20.8 | 13.1 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 6: Passenger Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2010-2013
Percent change from previous month
| 2010 % Change | 2011 % Change | 2012 % Change | 2013 % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.3 | 0.4 | -1.1 | 0.5 |
| February | -2.5 | -1.4 | 1.5 | -0.2 |
| March | 2.9 | 1.8 | -0.1 | -0.2 |
| April | -0.5 | 0.0 | -0.4 | 1.2 |
| May | 0.5 | 1.1 | -0.4 | 0.0 |
| June | 0.9 | -0.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| July | 0.1 | 0.9 | -0.6 | -0.3 |
| August | 0.0 | -2.0 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| September | 1.3 | 2.2 | -0.5 | |
| October | 1.5 | -0.1 | -1.6 | |
| November | -1.1 | 0.0 | 0.6 | |
| December | -1.1 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 7: Passenger Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year
Percent change in the August Passenger TSI
(Monthly average of 2000 = 100)
| August Passenger TSI | Percent change from same month previous year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 104.4 | 7.3 |
| 2005 | 108.0 | 3.5 |
| 2006 | 109.5 | 1.4 |
| 2007 | 117.8 | 7.6 |
| 2008 | 116.1 | -1.5 |
| 2009 | 110.1 | -5.1 |
| 2010 | 112.6 | 2.3 |
| 2011 | 113.3 | 0.7 |
| 2012 | 116.7 | 3.0 |
| 2013 | 117.6 | 0.8 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 8: Combined Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2010-2013
Percent change from previous month
| 2010 % Change | 2011 % Change | 2012 % Change | 2013 % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.5 | 0.8 | -2.9 | 0.2 |
| February | 0.4 | -1.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| March | 0.9 | 1.6 | -0.4 | 0.4 |
| April | 0.4 | -0.3 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| May | 0.6 | -1.2 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| June | 0.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | -0.1 |
| July | 0.4 | 0.4 | -0.3 | 0.1 |
| August | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| September | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | |
| October | 0.8 | 0.0 | -2.2 | |
| November | -0.6 | 0.1 | 1.7 | |
| December | 1.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 9: Combined Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year
Percent change in the August Combined TSI
(Monthly average of 2000 = 100)
| August Combined TSI | Percent change from same month previous year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 108.8 | 6.5 |
| 2005 | 111.4 | 2.4 |
| 2006 | 109.5 | -1.7 |
| 2007 | 111.7 | 2.0 |
| 2008 | 111.1 | -0.5 |
| 2009 | 102.5 | -7.7 |
| 2010 | 107.4 | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 110.8 | 3.1 |
| 2012 | 112.6 | 1.7 |
| 2013 | 115.6 | 2.7 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
Route Planning Software: Mapping a Path to Savings
Paragon Software Systems’ route planning tool provides dispatchers at George’s Inc. more shipment control and better visibility.
Poultry supplier George’s scheduling solution delivers meaty efficiency gains.
George’s Inc. is a classic American success story. The company started as a general store in tiny Brush Creek, Ark., west of Springdale. In the 1920s, founder C.L. George began hauling live poultry to customers in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago, laying the foundation for what would become one of the country’s leading poultry producers.
Nearly one century later, the fourth generation of the George family still leads the privately held company. The thriving operation spans multiple states, and employs more than 4,700 workers. George’s processes more than five million chickens weekly, and is a major supplier to restaurant chains such as KFC and Popeye’s.
The company primarily supplies foodservice, retail, and national companies, and operates processing plants in Springdale, Ark.; Cassville, Mo.; and Edinburgh and Harrisonburg, Va. The Virginia-based business—which mainly serves direct-to-store-door (DSD) customers—created the challenge George’s eventually met by integrating route planning software into its enterprise business system.
Simplifying Complexity
George’s DSD accounts presented a logistics challenge, sometimes demanding up to 35 stops for a single truck.
“We entered the DSD orders into our business system, but then had to manually create routes,” says Jeff Overstreet, director of transportation for George’s. “Because this was a complex, labor-intensive, and time-consuming activity, I began to search for a software solution that would assign orders to the best possible routes based on destination, driver hours of service, and other factors.”
After intensive research and evaluation, Overstreet chose a route planning solution by Frisco, Texas-based Paragon Software Systems. “The selection came down to four or five competitors, but the determining factor was Paragon’s ability to integrate with our existing enterprise system,” notes Overstreet. “The software is not an off-the-shelf commercial solution, but one of our own design.”
George’s dispatchers use Paragon’s daily route management software (RMS) to download order details from the enterprise system. The RMS slots each order into its correct position in the fixed routes, then recalculates route timing, truck utilization, mileage, driver service time, and costs.
It also updates daily key performance indicators such as average cost per delivery; highlights any under-utilized routes that need to be improved; and provides warnings for any overloaded vehicles, over-worked drivers, or late customer deliveries.
The Integrated Advantage
Before George’s implemented the system, sales and transportation were not integrated. The sales office and dispatch function were in separate locations, so every order placed was printed in the dispatch office.
“For example, the dispatcher picked up the printed orders, saw two deliveries for New Hampshire and one for Connecticut, then assigned those to a route together in the enterprise system,” says Overstreet.
The system allows George’s to quickly develop routes, eliminate manual planning and scheduling, and ensure that mileage does not spiral out of control as workload increases. In fact, George’s has been able to add more deliveries without adding more miles.
“Prior to implementing the Paragon system, we didn’t have a way to integrate our transportation function into our operating system,” notes Overstreet. “We’ve been able to automate transportation to our advantage.”
Paragon’s software manages details such as customer addresses, delivery quantities, time windows, vehicle sizes, and driver shifts. Running an algorithm designed specifically for optimizing road-based transportation operations, the software uses digital mapping to calculate the most effective delivery and collection sequences with accurate transit times, allocating loads to the appropriate vehicles and drivers.
The solution ensures schedules are geographically feasible to meet promised arrival time windows. It also improves fleet utilization and productivity by making routes more efficient, minimizing total mileage, and reducing empty miles.
When George’s first applied the software solution to its DSD business, the company operated 11 routes from the Virginia facility. After running orders through the Paragon solution, the number dropped to nine. “That represents significant savings in capital equipment and labor costs,” says Overstreet.
The company gained further efficiencies. First, since implementing Paragon’s RMS, George’s has cut its fuel bill for DSD operations by more than $30,000 annually. The savings result from a five-percent reduction in road miles, made possible by using Paragon’s map-based transportation optimization capabilities.
Second, George’s was able to reduce its fleet size by 10 percent, while still maintaining high service levels.
Saving dispatchers six hours per week was a third benefit. They now spend this time investigating backhaul and other business opportunities, instead of performing data entry and dispatch administration tasks.
More Satisfied Customers
For a George’s customer who is down to four cases of chicken and requires more to serve its lunch patrons, the need to know immediately when the product will arrive is paramount. As any retail operation can attest, calling the driver doesn’t always yield accurate information. George’s found a solution in Paragon’s Fleet Controller.
Fleet Controller provides the link between real-time truck tracking and Paragon’s RMS. It enables George’s to:
- Verify in real time that delivery schedules are on plan.
- Receive alerts of any late-running issues or route deviations.
- Identify recurring inefficiencies.
- Provide customers updated arrival time alerts.
Fleet Controller includes standard interfaces to many leading truck tracking systems. Real-time tracking data—including GPS locations and ignition settings—links to the system, which uses advanced matching logic to continually assess each truck’s location in relation to the planned schedule, and update the timing for the remainder of its route.
“Fleet Controller plays a key role in supporting customer satisfaction in our DSD operations,” says Overstreet. “It is integrated with our onboard communications systems to provide real-time shipment visibility. We and our customers know where a truck is at any given time.”
The software also provides a range of fleet management reports, and plan-versus-actual summaries. George’s can discover which routes incurred the highest excess mileage or driver hours, and immediately debrief the driver. It also has visibility into which customer sites regularly keep drivers waiting, resulting in added costs and late deliveries for other customers.
For George’s, an important part of the Paragon solution is its flexibility. If the company wants to deviate from the standard package, Paragon can easily adapt the software and implement the desired functions.
“Paragon’s programming group has been a huge factor in the solution’s success over time,” says Overstreet. “We perform functions other poultry suppliers don’t, such as filling small orders, but this makes our overall process variable. We needed a tool that can organize the logistics pieces.”
For example, because the company sells fresh poultry products, every day has to be a “sell out.” George’s DSD operation doesn’t have the luxury of keeping inventory on hand, or selling product several weeks out and storing it. Product has to move.
“We were having an issue with spot sales on loads—product that had to move that day,” says Overstreet. “Now, our sales force can go into Paragon, draw a 50- or 100-mile radius around a truck that is half full, then identify buyers within the route who can purchase product that needs to be sold. We’re not only optimizing transportation with this system, but also maximizing product movement.”
New mapping enhancements in the latest version of the software provide a user interface that automatically displays information on a map for fast, accurate, and familiar visual references for drivers and dispatchers.
George’s success with Paragon for its DSD business in its eastern U.S. operations motivated the company to expand its usage to operations in the western region, with a slightly different approach. The company uses fixed routing in the East, where it owns the fleet and employs drivers. In the West, however, it uses dynamic routing, because outside carriers transport 95 percent of its shipments in that region.
Paragon’s Integrated Fleets software adds another level of sophistication to George’s multi-site transport and logistics optimization capabilities. The tool enables managers to treat vehicles and drivers at multiple sites as a single integrated transportation resource, so movements from different depots can be combined into efficient routes that reduce overall empty running.
The tool generates route plans with efficient backloads, which increases asset utilization, improves productivity, and reduces empty mileage. Integrated fleet transportation planning helps:
- Optimize all vehicles as a single resource, regardless of location.
- Decrease empty running and increase loaded miles per vehicle.
- Ensure quick and efficient automatic routing for operations involving combined fleets based at different locations.
- Optimize complex logistics operations such as those involving warehouses or production sites with different products serving the same customer base, or combined primary and secondary distribution operations.
The Integrated Fleets software is suitable for more complex transportation operations, such as those involving multiple DCs with different product ranges, or where a company wants to combine pickups and deliveries on the same truck routes.
For example, dispatchers can schedule a truck from one DC to make some customer deliveries, then pick up its next load from another warehouse or DC for delivery on the way back to its base. This creates route schedules with efficient backhauls that reduce empty mileage, improve productivity, and lower total transportation costs.
“Eliminating miles and adding payload delivers a huge benefit,” says Overstreet. As a result, costs drop in every shipping category, which leads to financial and service-level gains.
As George’s looks to further expand its use of transportation optimization software, its immediate goals are developing new customized reports and setting up its database to better analyze rates and carrier performance.
“It’s important to know your business requirements,” Overstreet concludes. “Then ensure that technology is tailored to your operations, and helps you continue to improve your business and methods.”
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
TBT – Come Connect at the VIA B2B Show!
LETS CONNECT AT THE VIA BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS SHOW!
VIA Website: click here. Register Online: click here. Article Reference: click here.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
Using shipping delays to enhance customer service
Customer satisfaction is a key factor for the success of any business. Happy customers are more loyal, more likely to recommend a business, more open to cross-selling, and less sensitive to price increases than unhappy customers. Other than the quality of the purchased product, the main concern is reliable, on-time shipping.
It’s time to change our thinking and consider shipping challenges to represent an opportunity to increase customer satisfaction rather than a problem. What really irritates customers isn’t necessarily an actual delay, but the feeling of uncertainty about the status of their order. Customers who feel they are being kept up to date are not just less dissatisfied, they may even perceive this proactive communication as an extra service. Who would have thought shipping delays could actually generate greater customer satisfaction and retention?
Unfortunately, tracking the status of a shipment in the various transport service provider systems can be complicated and time-consuming. To keep an eye on the big picture, an IT solution is required – independent of transport partners and integrated into internal processes – that brings end-to-end transparency to the flow of goods. The challenge lies in consolidating the data from various transport partners and presenting it in a unified format – because sadly, there is still no global standard for exchanging data up and down the supply chain.
That’s where specialized IT solutions in the form of collaboration or visibility platforms come in. They speak the languages of the various transport service providers, enabling the allocation of information from disparate sources and formats. As they are typically linked to host systems (e.g. a shipping solution), they can obtain information on the status and content of individual packages and shipments and make it available to all relevant supply chain partners. The upside is that transport partners always track statuses, and internal processes at packing stations or goods issue points generally capture data on the current status through confirmation scans or manual data entry.
With such visibility solutions in place, existing data can be collected throughout the supply chain, and put to good use: by giving customers access to this information platform, you’re enabling them to look up their orders’ shipping status. They can log on whenever it suits them to track their orders and check the latest delivery updates. Flexible customization options offer access rights management to ensure that customers only see their own order data, and different notification settings to cater for automated client alerts by email or text message in case of discrepancies. Another benefit is the document upload function, which lets customers access shipping documents such as delivery notes, invoices or customs clearance paperwork even before the shipment arrives.
But visibility platforms can add even more value to businesses: powerful performance and analysis tools support companies in optimizing their own logistical processes while creating transparency for customers. By mapping predefined milestones, updating statuses and monitoring when they are reached, the software helps to identify the source of problems and initiate corrective actions. Recurring delays on certain routes or with specific milestones can be taken into account for future planning, be it by ensuring that picking operations begin earlier or by assigning more employees when order volumes are high. Visibility solutions can also generate reports and analyses to evaluate the reliability and on-time performance of service providers. Repeated violations can trigger the appropriate actions – including prompting new contract negotiations based on latest performance numbers or replacing unreliable partners with more reliable carriers. In short, using visibility solutions to optimize internal logistics processes can make companies more efficient, reliable and responsive, which in turn increases customer satisfaction even further.
The expense of setting up this type of system can pay for itself, as a 2011 study[1] by market research firm Aberdeen Group showed. Nearly 30 percent of those surveyed indicated that they expected a return on their investment (ROI) in less than one year after introducing visibility software, and the average expected ROI was 18.2 months. By using visibility software to optimize their internal processes, businesses can improve the quality of their service, increase customer satisfaction and gain a competitive advantage.
Reference: click here.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
Transportation Game App to Keep You Moving #13
Driving Games
Description
Various kinds of Driving Games chosen meticulously are in one app. If you want to play the games, install them. You can not play them on our app, you are directed to the android market to install them. This app offers an alternative way to search games. Please note that it requires internet connectivity.
There are free and paid categories filtering your search. Also, you can access new releases and most popular games on our list. The games on our list enable you to develop your driving skills. Some of them have racing game elements. So the driving games application is comprehensive.
Features:
– Ease of access and installing
– A collection of driving games
– Daily update
– Free and paid categories
– New releases and most popular games
– The best games chosen by the editor in star category
– Similar game recommended
– Great screenshots
Functionalities:
– All driving games in one app
– Ease of access to the latest and the most popular driving games
– Friendly user intarface design
About the games on our list:
– Vehicles like taxi, truck, and sports cars
– Test driving and handling skills
Reference: click here.
COURIER-MESSENGER INC. – (661) 257-8689 – BIG OR SMALL, WE SHIP IT ALL!
