Month: June 2021

The past few years have been turbulent ones for the logistics industry. In 2020, freight logistics and supply chain resilience was tested again and again.

The pandemic interrupted many global supply chains, which were forced into stops and starts over the past year. Shippers and carriers had to continuously change plans as the means of logistics they relied on strained and sometimes broke.

After the sluggish pandemic economy of 2020, government stimulus, low-interest rates, and increased consumer spending are spurring growth in 2021.

As a result of this unpredictable, pandemic-driven year, U.S. business logistics costs fell 4.0% to $1.56 trillion, or 7.4% of 2020’s $20.94 trillion U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), according to the 32nd Annual Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) State of Logistics Report.

Motor carrier costs dropped 0.6% in 2020. While full truckload carriers dropped 1.6% last year and less-than-truckload carrier costs were down 5%, private and dedicated fleets saw a 1.5% increase in costs during 2020. Parcel delivery costs jumped 24.4% last year, driven by the surge in ecommerce and changes in consumer behavior.

As consumer behavior changes global and domestic supply chains, fleets are forced to adapt to the ongoing pandemic and other disruptions continuously. Supply chains are being reset and reconfigured as manufacturers shift their sources and consumers shift their spending habits.

Logisticians proved themselves capable of quickly abandoning old plans, solving new problems, and handling disruptions. This ability to adapt will serve logistics professionals well in the future, as the report predicts that the pandemic’s aftereffects and “new surprises” will force logistics professionals to continually change their plans.

Growth + Change = Opportunity!

Freight is a dynamic and rewarding industry. One way to get your start in the shipping industry is to become a truck dispatcher.

Dispatchers play a key role in getting trucks out to collect and deliver loads for businesses shipping goods. 

You need to consider everything from how to navigate a load board and create an effective website to how to negotiate contracts and find and work with carriers.

Truck dispatchers are usually employed directly by a shipping company or an owner-operator. They could be employed by a freight company to coordinate a set portfolio of shipping lanes. Some truck dispatchers work freelance for multiple trucking companies as independent freight dispatchers.

The best truck dispatchers have a mix of interpersonal and analytical skills that help them solve problems in every section of the supply chain.

Dispatchers need to have a good sense of how all the pieces of the puzzle fit in order to quickly respond to changes or customer requests.

To become a freight dispatcher you  need:

Education and training.

Get industry experience.

Register your business.

Subscribe to a quality load board.

Running a successful truck dispatcher business is hard work, like so many of the jobs in the freight industry, dispatching can be lucrative. It takes a keen eye for detail and an organized mind to be successful in the role. If you have those qualities, this might be a career worth pursuing.

Growth + Change = Opportunity! 

Early in the game, brokers can manage their handful of loads manually. But as their network grows, they’ll need to reinvest the initial profit into technologies to scale their business. The specialized software will systematize the shipment process, improve the overall brokerage service offering, and ultimately organize operations a whole lot better.

To ensure profitability, they must define the most efficient transport option that benefits their own business while satisfying customer requirements. Doing this involves a lot of challenges.

Tallgrass Freight Co. (TGF) introduced an innovative, new CRM designed for freight experts, by freight experts. This groundbreaking platform empowers freight agents to earn more, work with greater efficiency and deliver the strongest customer experience. An industry disruptor, the Tallgrass CRM is poised to make a lasting impact on the logistics ecosystem.

While most companies utilize an off-the-shelf CRM, the Tallgrass Freight CRM was designed with a freight broker’s unique needs in mind. 

Every feature was created to streamline the logistics workflow. The system includes an intuitive shipment booking system, agent commissions data, a detailed carrier information page and easy accessibility to training. 

If you have a freight brokerage business and decide to purchase software instead of building it from scratch, you have a wide choice of solutions. As they all have similar functionality, a good practice is to select options within your budget range and then trial each of them. Make sure the system is highly optimized because speed is everything in this business.

Growth + Change = Opportunity!