Three Things Shippers Can Do to Beat Peak Holiday Stress

Lack of freight capacity: It’s one of the biggest issues facing retailers who are trying to fill sparse shelves in time for the 2021 holiday rush. Some of the nation’s largest shippers are taking matters into their own hands, contracting their own ships and fleets to alleviate supply-chain issues. But many small and midsize shippers lack the ability to source carriers to accommodate increasing capacity needs around peak holiday season. They also lack the organization-wide visibility and insight into freight operations to optimize rates and service — and keep up with enterprise competitors. 

A transportation management system (TMS) solves these problems — and it’s not too late to employ one to beat peak holiday stress. Here are three advantages one TMS will give you to better navigate this shipping season that has all but arrived:

Secure instant, high-quality capacity from top-performing carriers.

Transfix TMS helps with both contract and spot buying. “It automates the routing guide process,” says Nijil Kuruvilla, Transfix’s Product Marketing Manager. “Transfix TMS digitizes tendering. On the contract side, if one carrier is not able to meet the shipment, the routing guide will automatically offer the shipment to the next carrier. Plus, if a routing guide fails, shippers can get instant quotes and book instant capacity.”

Get full visibility into carrier performance.

Shippers can view and track the exact locations of all their shipments using Transfix TMS, which provides continual updates of pickup and drop-off times, as well as any other shipment status changes. “Being able to get a real-time update of where shipments are and knowing early if they are going to be delivered on time or late lets shippers communicate those changes to their customers or warehouses,” Kuruvilla says. It also lets them manage and rearrange their schedules in real-time, as needed.

Optimize your loads and logistics network.

Transfix TMS optimizes loads in several ways. First, it provides insights into carrier performance, using metrics such as OTP and OTD, to track how and if carriers are meeting your standards, so you can decide whether to stay with certain carriers or use Transfix TMS to choose others. Second, it provides data on the spend you have for certain lanes or carriers, allowing you to optimize your resources by choosing different carriers or lanes that might meet your shipping demands less expensively. Lastly, Kuruvilla says, “Transfix TMS lets you consolidate multiple loads, whether FTLs or LTLs, so you can save money and increase efficiency.”

Transfix TMS keeps on giving, enabling shippers to minimize stress and stay ahead of the volatility that is right around the corner this holiday season.

Learn more about Transfix TMS.

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