June 1st marked the beginning of hurricane season, and it could be an eventful six months, according to NOAA predictions. As of writing, there are already two named storms in the 2021 line-up. When it comes to natural disasters, the resounding message for freight brokers – and any transportation and logistics organization – is to prepare (now) for the worst and hope for the best.
Extreme weather events, like hurricanes, can be especially disastrous because they move slowly and cover vast areas. According to climate experts, they will only increase in frequency and severity, which means that disaster planning is essential – especially for industries like logistics. Freight brokers have witnessed the operational and financial fallout from natural disasters on businesses.
Roads and railways are often exposed to sustained winds and damaging debris during weather events, while flooding and power outages can bring operations to a standstill. The ripple effect throughout the supply chain can be equally devastating.
However, with technology adoption on the rise, freight brokers are increasingly well-positioned to leverage real-time data to mitigate supply chain disruption risks. This post will look at how freight agents can use technology to respond to unforeseen weather events quickly and effectively.
Worldwide, small and mid-size businesses are rapidly replacing outdated technology with more robust digital tools to improve customer service and productivity. Organizations that fail to make these investments will risk experiencing a competitive disadvantage compared to their forward-looking peers.
In the logistics industry, leading freight brokerages are investing heavily in technology to increase visibility into operations, simplify processes, lower costs, and drive efficiencies while maximizing profits. It’s a fast-moving, complex, and competitive environment where it’s essential to stay relevant. The faster and more effectively a broker can respond to a customers’ changing demands, the more relevant they become.
With hurricane season upon us, now is the time to ensure you’ve reviewed your freight plan for the coming months.
A robust transportation management system is essential to the success of any modern freight brokerage, especially when disaster strikes. Organizations that rely on pen-and-paper processes, including visiting numerous websites for critical information, are not well-suited to keep pace with customers’ evolving demands – and even less so during unplanned events.
During a hurricane, freight brokerages can leverage the features of a robust TMS to provide:
As technology advancements continue and become more common across the logistics industry, freight brokers, shippers, and carriers will ideally be able to conduct their operations – even those for unplanned events – from one system, decreasing logistics costs through enhanced efficiencies.
Armstrong has experienced first-hand the value in keeping customers appraised of their cargo’s status during unanticipated events. Tracking and tracing trucks and freight is essential to managing customers’ expectations, especially when operations are anything but business-as-usual.
Are there extra steps your organization should be taking to ensure your operations are as efficient as possible in the event of a hurricane or other disaster? To what extent could a ripple effect impact your business in the supply chain? Are you prepared to leverage up-to-the-minute data to make more informed business decisions?
At Armstrong, our mission is finding more ways to say ‘yes’ – even in the face of unexpected events or adversity. By investing heavily in technology, we find ways to become more proactive and adaptive to our customer’s needs and deliver more value than ever before.
If you’d like to learn more about how agents, carriers, and shippers benefit from our technology, connect with us today and schedule a demo! On our site, navigate to the Tech page and scroll down to complete our contact form.