In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey—and as Hurricane Irma moves closer— truckload capacity is tighter than it has been for years, giving some shippers challenges in covering freight. Here are the factors at work, along with some suggestions for what you can do now to prepare yourself for the market ahead. Read More…
How to Prepare for Tight Truckload Capacity
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Carrier Management, Market Trends, Procurement, Risk Management, Transportation Management, Uncategorized
Tags: Carrier Capacity, Truckload, Weather
As the unprecedented flooding and impact from Hurricane Harvey continues to be felt throughout Houston, SE Texas, and into Louisiana, the extent of the damage and cleanup efforts needed is becoming more clear. Our thoughts are with the thousands of people who have been impacted by this crisis situation. As suspected, the storm is also having a significant impact on supply chains across North America. 
From hurricanes to cyber-attacks, supply chain managers have to anticipate and manage the impacts of unplanned disruptions. While most disruptions occur without warning, sometimes shippers and logistics providers do have an opportunity to see one coming and plan accordingly.
Even containers don’t like to wait in line. Dwell time—the amount of time a container remains parked in a marine terminal waiting to be picked up after it’s been offloaded from a vessel—is a drag on supply chain efficiency, especially when it becomes excessive. Rising container volumes, fluctuations in demand, and the constant need for just in time inventory have increased the impact of dwell time over recent years. 
Everything is humming along, sales are picking up, and things in general are going well. Life is good! And then, just like that, you find yourself in the midst of a perfect storm. We’ve all been there—and it’s every logistics professional’s nightmare. 