In April 2023, we wrote about some of the common problems shippers faced heading into Q2 of this year. It highlighted how despite a 7% increase in container imports in March, shippers were still left with a significant volume of products in their warehouses due to slumping consumer spending amid rising U.S. economic inflation. With bloated inventories and continued uncertainty over the state of labor relations between the shipping lines and unionized U.S. West Coast dock workers, import volumes to the West Coast have seen a steep drop. East Coast volumes have also slumped. However, the enormous investment and strategic improvements pumped into East Coast ports to strengthen supply chains and modernize port terminals show the strategic nature that East Coast ports like Savannah, Ga., will play in the future.
As shippers everywhere experience uneven growth and oscillating market conditions, many companies are finding stability by strengthening their drayage service operations and expanding their business portfolio by finding more customers. One way shippers have taken advantage of economic uncertainty in the drayage market is by partnering with a single source logistics provider to help manage their supply chain and lower the costs of their transportation budget.
How Single Source Logistics Providers are Helping Shippers and Freight Forwarders
Single source logistics providers help companies streamline their operations throughout the entire lifecycle of a shipment, from ocean to receiver. Drayage requires a lot of rational planning to maintain a healthy and effective supply chain. It starts by partnering with a transportation service provider with dedicated transportation solutions. Companies such as Port City Logistics offer customers guaranteed capacity by utilizing a fleet of trucks and equipment to provide year-round service for local and regional transportation. For port drayage service, this means that every container that arrives at the port will have a truck and chassis ready to load. Combing their national and cross-border capabilities to all the major ports in North America, Port City Logistics offers transportation solutions that include:
- Full-service reefer, flatbed, and dry van equipment
- Full Truck Load (FTL) final mile, middle-mile, and long-haul transportation
- Less Than Truckload (LTL) and partial service
- Specialized transport for over-dimensional equipment
- Hazmat Capabilities
- Company-owned trucks, chassis, and equipment
Streamlined Communication
When shippers onboard multiple third-party providers into siloed tasks and services, they create an exceptionally complex web of communication. Numerous contacts provide load updates, truck notifications, tracking and tracing updates, emails with paperwork, and phone calls about service issues. This can easily overwhelm a shipper’s operations team and contribute to supply chain disruptions. One way global shippers leverage single source providers to improve drayage operations is by driving communication through a single point of contact.
For instance, with Port City Logistics, all customers get immediate access to an easy-to-use collaborative Transportation Management System, which helps to simplify communication into a digital interface that gives shipping managers more control over their supply chain. All load updates, load paperwork, truck notifications, and track and tracing from port to door can be organized and carefully coordinated into their platform. This gives customers more peace of mind that their drayage service will be effectively coordinated, helping to reduce the time and energy spent manually entering load details into outdated databases.
Optimized Transloading and Warehouse Services
Another way that shippers are navigating around the state of the current drayage market is by streamlining their transloading and warehousing services. To improve operational performance from the port, companies must find a dependable service provider that owns and operates their own brick-and-mortar facilities. Port City Logistics owns multiple state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution facilities, all located on the U.S. East Coast. From ship to shore, Port City Logistics offers a range of value-added services that provide customers with solutions to their transloading and warehouse needs. This includes:
- EDI & Barcoding Equipment
- Long-term and short-term storage options
- Cross-docking
- WMS Digital Inventory Management
- Pick and Pack Services
- Wrap and Palletizing Services
- Customs Bonded Warehouse (CBW)
- 24-hour security
- Crating and Labeling Services
- DOT/IMDG Hazmat Certification
Port Drayage
Regardless of the current shipping volume of TEUs being moved in the logistics industry, shippers and freight forwarders everywhere can always find ways to improve their service quality. Port drayage doesn’t need to be difficult, and one of the ways that Port City Logistics makes port drayage easier is by providing customers with solutions to help optimize their supply chain. Optimizing port drayage means reducing detention and demurrage fees, improving on-time pick-ups and deliveries, improving customer satisfaction, and ultimately, lowering the overall transportation costs of your business. As an asset-based single source logistics provider, Port City Logistics reduces the obstacles and accessorial costs of working with 3PLs that outsource their transportation. Port City Logistics offers a range of services to cover your port drayage, including:
- Year-round dedicated capacity for all local and regional hauls
- Company-owned trucks and chassis
- TWIC-certified drivers
- Port-to-door service
- Full supply chain visibility from ocean to door
Shippers Find Stability with Port City Logistics
The current state of the logistics industry is providing opportunities for shippers and freight forwarders to readjust their operations to help navigate economic uncertainties. The benefit of partnering with a single source provider such as Port City Logistics is that its dedicated team of logistics experts combines decades of experience with the latest technologies designed to help shippers get the most out of their supply chain. There are many reasons why Port City Logistics is the trusted provider for thousands of global shippers and freight forwarders who move containerized freight in and out of North America. Port City Logistics provides the comfort to help companies maximize efficiency and reduce costs. Its no-hassle solutions give companies the flexibility and stability to strengthen their global supply chains. Connect with an expert at Port City Logistics today!