What the Freight?!? 3 Tips to Help Shippers Avoid Trucking Delays
Often, when thinking of freight forwarding and international shipping, one thinks of
containers, carriers and ships but not truckers and trucks. In fact, most people probably only think about truckers and their big rigs when stuck behind one on the road.
We’ve all seen that line of cars form behind one semi truck as it passes another. Many get angry at being slowed down by this occurrence, honking, yelling obscenities, or flipping the trucker off. What we often forget is that truckers and their rigs are at the heart of the shipping industry.
The failure of shippers to think about trucking can have a considerable impact on shipment schedules, companies’ bottom lines, and the personal lives of hard working truckers on whom our economy depends.
A story from Jalopnik revealed that most truckers “are gone 10 days [from their families], and home for a day and a half, and take home an average of $500 a week if everything goes well.” Too often things do not go well.
The trucker this Jalopnik story focused on was held up by a shipper for five and half hours, making a high risk for the trucking to miss the delivery cutoff. This would mean bad news for the shipper, loss of income for the trucker, and virtually no chance for that trucker to make it to his sister’s funeral. All too often, truckers are delayed with shippers causing these kinds of outcomes.
Here are three tips help shippers avoid trucking delays.
- TIP #1: Hire professional loaders.
Companies which are understaffed when a truck arrives for loading or individuals moving household goods without sufficient help often hold up truckers. This leads to loss of money for both shippers and truckers.
- TIP #2: Be ready, on location, and easy to contact at scheduled loading time.
This one seems obvious, but don’t take it for granted. If a trucker shows up and has to track down the person in charge of loading the truck, precious time is being lost before the loading process even begins. Many cost time by being at another location ready to drive over when the trucker shows up. When the trucker shows up, the clock is already ticking; you should be on location before him or her.
- TIP #3: Prepare ramps and loading equipment.
Don’t expect trucks to come with ramps and docking equipment. The space in the truck or container being trucked is reserved for your cargo and won’t contain loading equipment. While some trucks will have a small built in ramp, don’t count on it. Especially for large cargo items like a car, you will have to provide the equipment for getting it off the ground and into the truck. Have any ramps or equipment you will need for loading prepared prior to the trucks arrival.
Following these three simple tips could save you time, money, and help truckers provide for and see their families.
Share your trucking experiences and additional tips in the comments below.
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