Trucking Capacity Crunch: Why You Should Not Ignore It

Logistics, like any other industry, has its good and bad times. These days freight forwarders are to face various difficulties although the demands for their services are rather high. No matter whether you are a business owner who is interested in trouble-free freight forwarding services or a broker who is going to dive into the intricate world of logistics, you have to be acquainted with the major problems.

Trucking capacity crunch is a term every forwarding company is familiar with. It implies a significant lack of trucks. During the seasonal peaks, it becomes more crucial. Actually, there are 4 major factors that affect the trucking capacity crunch. They are the following:

A lack of vehicles.

The crisis affects various industries. Nowadays the production of vans is reduced. The models that were produced 20 or 30 years ago do not correspond to the modern safety standards. They can’t be used for shipping.

A lack of drivers.

It sounds weird but a qualified and skillful truck driver is very rare today. Not all forwarders want to hire newbies while they possess minimum knowledge and skills. It often leads to delays, crashes, and financial losses.

Government regulations.

There are so many rules and laws regulating logistics that sometimes it becomes a real challenge even for experienced forwarders to get through them.

Economic pressures.

Copious economic pressures have forced equipment shortages too, adding to shrinking production capacity.

The trucking capacity crunch is not a new phenomenon. It has a history of about 20 years. Yet, still, the question is “How to cope with trucking capacity crunch?” The following tips will be useful for business owners. The thing is the capacity crunch directly affects the stable functioning of the supply chain. If you are an entrepreneur and do not want to expereince significant financial losses, it’s better to act in advance.

Plan your shipments as early as possible.

It’s not a good idea to organize a freight forwarding process at the last minute. Moreover, when it comes to peak seasons, you are likely to fail the shipments.

Cooperate only with a reliable and credible forwarding company.

You must be sure that your cargo will be delivered intact and on time. The best way to achieve this goal is to cooperate with well-rated and experienced brokers. They have lots of contacts to find the needed capacities in no time.

Explore different modes of transportation.

You should keep in mind that although trucks are the most convenient way to deliver your cargo, they are not the only available solution. It’s a good idea to test intermodal shipping when different modes of transportation are combined. By the way, this option is rather profitable.

Benefit from the LTL delivery.

While the number of available vans is limited, the popularity of the LTL delivery option is increasing. Yet, it’s not good for all categories of products. You should consult with your freight forwarder before ordering it.

So, trucking capacity crunch is a problem which you definitely should not ignore. Proper planning and cooperation only with reliable partners are able to solve this difficulty to some extent. It’s also a good idea to explore various modes of transportation and always have a backup plan.