/ By Zip Xpress / Sustainability/ 0 Comments

Staying Committed to Sustainability

Formulating and enacting green initiatives can be a challenge for any company, and it’s made even more difficult by the need to get all employees on board. While certain sustainable policies may not affect every employee in the same way, it is still important for organizations to ensure that their workers are understanding and committed to the idea of a greener company. This doesn’t mean forcing beliefs on the workers or changing their entire scope of responsibility. There are many ways that companies can educate their employees on sustainability and instill an interest, or even a passion, for working towards a greener world.

Sustainability benefits not only the environment, but also the companies that practice it. By focusing on sustainable practices, businesses can lower their energy and waste costs in the long run. Educating employees about this may help them realize that a more efficient company is a more profitable one. Once employees understand what’s at stake, they become more focused on the mission of creating a more sustainable company. This can work wonders on a team mentality, and may encourage employees to consider greener action in the future, as well as make them feel valued and significant (which they are in any productive company). Every employee feels appreciated when they see their suggestions come to light.

One of the ways Zip Xpress can assist with your company’s sustainability initiative is with our Carbon Footprint Reports. These reports tell you exactly how much less carbon dioxide is being put into the atmosphere and the effect your company is having on the environment. We can advise on any inefficiencies in your supply chain and provide solutions that can help make your company more sustainable. The feedback provided will be clear evidence on what the company is doing to become more sustainable. From there you can devise your own initiatives and together we can create a more sustainable world. To learn more about how we can help with your initiatives, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By Zip Xpress / Trucker Homage/ 0 Comments

Staying Comfortable on the Road

Temperatures are up across the country this summer, and that can make for some brutal driving stretches, even if you have great air conditioning in your cab. Other factors such as humidity, long sunlight hours, and unpredictable storm patterns can cause quite a bit of discomfort on long hauls across the country. Even after summer’s over, there are plenty of problems that can be caused by sitting in a cab for hours on end if you don’t set yourself up properly and consider your own well-being. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for truck drivers to keep themselves comfortable and create an ergonomically sound environment for life on the road.

One of the most basic but most important things to do is to make sure that the driver’s cabin is set up correctly for your body. The seat should be set at the appropriate height to prevent your neck from craning or dipping. You should always be looking forward in a natural position, or you may experience nagging neck problems in the future. The steering wheel should be adjusted so that you can easily maintain a comfortable position that doesn’t have you reaching or slouching over it. The best way to ensure proper position of both your seat and steering wheel is to sit as naturally as possible and have them come to you until it is both comfortable and easy to drive. If you’ve adjusted correctly, you should be able to reach the gas, brake, and clutch with minimal movement.

Investing in inexpensive upgrades can also make a world of difference. Things like memory foam cushions or beaded seat covers are ergonomically designed to take some burden off of your most highly taxed muscles and joints. In addition, it can be useful to find light, loose-fitting clothing so that you can move freely and benefit from better circulation. Moving around as much as possible when you get the opportunity is also important, as sitting in the same position for too long can lead to a variety of health problems. If you take these precautions and do your part in setting up a comfortable cab, you will be far happier and healthier every time you set out for a drive.

At Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of keeping drivers safe and comfortable. We do our best to stay conscious of these vital members of the supply chain so that they can do their jobs. To see the other ways we support our professional staff and our customers, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By Zip Xpress / Trucker Homage/ 0 Comments

Best Practices in Driver Management

Driving a truck is not an easy job. There are strict deadlines to meet, stricter laws to follow, and a lot of unexpected events that take place throughout the course of any shipment. Unfortunately, many of the difficulties of driving a truck go unnoticed by the people who rely on them the most. Dispatchers, brokers, shippers, and end customers often fail to understand the challenges involved with moving a load from point A to point B, and they’ll often blame drivers for situations that are entirely out of their control. When it comes to managing drivers – whether you work for the carrier, broker, or customer – there are several things we can do to better understand their needs and plan for our own successes.

Everybody who is involved with the supply chain needs to first put themselves in the driver’s position. If you have a shipment moving from Holland to San Francisco, imagine yourself pulling up to the shipping dock and waiting to load. Take a look at how many miles need to be traveled, and consider external factors such as weather and traffic. When you have an idea of how much work needs to be put into every shipment, you’ll be able to communicate more naturally with the driver and set realistic expectations for the route. If a driver feels uncomfortable with the amount of time he or she has been given to make transit, it is vital to listen to their concerns, even if it means changing your plans for the load. These are people, not machines, and we need to put their safety first, as well as the safety of everyone else on the road.

At Zip Xpress, our concern is always first and foremost on the driver. It is important to realize that as members of the supply chain, we are on the same team with the driver that interacts with our shipments. Whether someone is sitting at a desk entering orders, managing inventory on the warehouse floor, or analyzing packaging trends, we all need to support each other, and must work respectfully with all of our drivers to encourage efficiency and safety. When you treat the people who haul your freight with respect, you will benefit from stronger relationships and higher rates of success. To see how we can help optimize your supply chain, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By Zip Xpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

Transparent Transportation

In an age where it seems like people are always connected to each other, and when you can get real-time updates from friends across the world, there is an unfortunate lack of connection throughout the transportation industry. Brokers or carriers will suddenly disappear when a shipment hasn’t shown up for its appointment, or GPS tracking sites will conveniently go down as an urgent delivery is approaching. The technology for simple, seamless communication and tracking is readily available, but many organizations are slow to adapt or simply don’t want to embrace it at all. This is a recipe for disaster, and the transportation providers that commit to honesty and transparency will be the ones who succeed in the long run.

Transparency, however, is a two-way street that requires constant communication and a certain level of teamwork in order to benefit both parties. Shippers must let their providers know if a production line is down or if there is going to be a delay in loading. On the flipside, carriers need to be proactive about communicating any delays on their end, whether it be a broken down truck, a weather issue, or a simple data entry error. When either side tries to jump through hoops to fabricate a story rather than being open and honest, it hurts not only the particular shipment, but also the relationship as a whole. One simple mistake is nothing to end a relationship over, but if any party – shipper, manufacturer, or carrier – develops a habit of constantly backtracking, it is likely that the other parties will walk away in search of new business.

At Zip Xpress, our goal is to be as transparent as possible throughout the life of every shipment. We seek to foster a culture of trust between all stakeholders, because we believe that working together is better for shared success. We understand that early communication allows our customers to plan for any contingency and ensure that our shipments arrive on time. When we work as a team with our vendors, providers, and clients, we create an understanding relationship that allows all parties to improve their supply chain operations. To see this transparency for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

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Why Warehouse Efficiency Matters

Many people underestimate the importance of a clean, efficient warehouse in boosting the overall effectiveness of an organization’s supply chain. This is a grave mistake, because an efficient warehouse leads to improvements in inventory planning, loading times, fulfillment abilities, and far more. In addition to streamlined operations, a clean warehouse also leads to a safer, more professional environment that will make for happier employees and satisfied clients, especially if it is open for customer visits. Companies who don’t put an emphasis on cleanliness and efficiency are likely losing out on profits and new customers, so it is important to keep some things in mind when it comes to maintaining a warehouse.

Many changes seem incredibly simple, but they can play a major role in helping employees and equipment become more productive. Something as basic as labeling aisles can work wonders for walking employees and forklift drivers, as well as dock workers who need to minimize the time it takes to load a truck. Planning ahead to keep popular inventory nearer to the docks can also ensure that it is loaded and turned over quickly. This keeps detention at a minimum which in turn makes for happier truck drivers, meaning that carriers will be more willing to return to the warehouse in the future. It also helps to reduce the likelihood that these same drivers will need to shut down before they can make on-time delivery. Quicker in and out times means fewer worries about making transit time.

At Zip Xpress, we understand that when a warehouse is firing on all cylinders, everybody benefits, from lift operators to members of the executive board. Even the smallest delays can cause extraordinary ripple effects, and working to minimize these provides a myriad of benefits to any organization. It is simply another piece of optimizing our supply chain. To see this optimization for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

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Lowering Emissions for a Greener World

These days it isn’t just a few highly progressive outliers in business that are concerned with lowering emissions. Environmental friendliness is a philosophy that is now being embraced by some of the biggest manufacturers and profit-driven companies. At this point, we’ve seen plenty of the negative effects of pollution, and even realized that green technology can lead to lower costs and more profit in the long run. Most importantly, however, is that we are treating the world around us with respect and care, doing everything we can to lower emissions and allow the environment to thrive. For those in transportation, this can be a bit of a challenge, but there are several steps that all logistics companies can take to become more friendly to the environment.

Some basic, cheaper ideas include installing mud flaps and trailer tails to reduce drag and make the truck more aerodynamic, helping it to become more fuel efficient. Carriers can also help reduce the number of miles driven by focusing on route optimization, making sure that dispatchers and drivers alike are working together to formulate the most efficient path of travel for delivery. Drivers should be sure to monitor their particulate filter and to clean it regularly before it becomes too bogged down by ash and soot. For trucks with engines that allow biodiesel to be used, it is an excellent option for running more cleanly.

The most important method of lowering emissions in logistics is to optimize every shipment and ensure there’s no wasted space on any truck. The less “empty space” we have in our trailers, the fewer trucks we can have on the road at any given time. This reduction in emissions will provide cleaner air and reduce the wear and tear on our roads. It is a cycle of sustainability, one that we can all do our part.

These are simple changes that most carriers can make to reduce their carbon footprint, but the future of trucking may make it even simpler. Hybrid trucks are becoming more of a reality, and while they will still use the diesel engine at high speeds, they will drastically cut down on emissions in city and final-mile driving, where much of the pollution takes place simply from idling or sitting in traffic. Eventually, fully electric trucks may come into existence, eliminating the need for fossil fuels altogether. In the meantime, we are constantly seeing new, innovative technologies that serve to reduce our emissions as long as we are reliant on these fuels, and all those who are involved in the transportation field should be embracing these tools. To see how we can reduce your carbon footprint with our sustainability report, start today with Zip Xpress!

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Getting More Drivers on the Road: The Push for Recruitment

It is currently estimated that there are about 3.5 million truck drivers actively working in the USA. This looks like a large number on the surface, but the fact remains that there is still a massive shortage of truck drivers, and shippers have been struggling to cover all their freight for several years now. The manufacturing boom has slowed a bit, but the amount of product being produced is still outweighing the number of trucks that are available to carry it. As many lifetime drivers are retiring, younger people simply aren’t as attracted to a profession that was once seen as highly desirable. This is why carriers must focus on new trends and put extra effort into recruiting drivers if they want to continue to be successful.

Carriers can try to focus on the changing landscape of the industry to entice younger people as well as those who weren’t traditionally seen as the truck-driving type. This includes focusing on diversity and reaching out to women who currently only make up 8% of the pool of cross-country truckers. As attitudes change across the industry, there aren’t as many barriers to entry for women and minorities to get their CDL and to become successful drivers. Similarly, carriers should push hard for a strong millennial outreach program, highlighting why driving might have benefits for young people who don’t yet have families. Some of these advantages include flexibility, great pay if you work hard, and the perk of getting to see parts of the country that you may have never made it to before.

At Zip Xpress, we understand that the profession isn’t going away anytime soon. Potential drivers will need to work hard, but the benefits are rewarding to those who put in the effort. All of our partners in manufacturing still need their products shipped, nothing will replace this reality. Moving this product by truck is still the most effective way to get this done. Emphasizing that a job in trucking can be a flexible, lucrative, and long-lasting career is a vital part of improving a carrier’s recruitment program. To see how our professional drivers can handle your freight, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By Zip Xpress / Industry Partners/ 0 Comments

Specialized Freight – Highlighting Automation

Over the past few years, we’ve seen an industry transform itself and become explosive with innovation. From humble origins of stands and conveyors, the automation industry is now on the cutting edge with sensors, lighting units and robotic arms that look like they belong in a science fiction book. Those machines are fueling a new industrial revolution, but in order for progress to be achieved, those machines need to get to their final destination.

Manufacturers everywhere can imagine the horror of seeing a truck arrive with a dozen robotic arms and three of them have their paint chipped. Two more had their sensors ripped off due to a box falling on top of them. Three others even had a finger knocked off of the wrist joint. Now the customer needs to file a claim with the shipper, who needs to transport the defective units back to the manufacturing plant. The original shipper won’t be satisfied because they need to refurbish, replace and diagnose any unseen issues from being damaged in transit. The result is loss of revenue for all three, from making repairs, transporting an additional trip and loss of time in production. All of this in a rushed effort to ship with a carrier that isn’t experienced in handling such delicate machinery.

Manufacturers in the automation industry never have to worry about such horror stories when they partner with Zip Xpress. We’re experienced at handling every piece of automation equipment – from conveyors to industrial robots. We understand how precise the equipment must be, so our dockworkers take extra care when loading and strapping the machines into place. We provide automation companies with the custom carrier solutions required to ensure that these machines arrive in the same condition we found them in. To see for yourself how carefully we can handle your machinery, start today with Zip Xpress!

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Competency in Compliance

Whether you love them or hate them, there are rules and regulations that must be followed in every industry. Transportation is no different, and the regulations are there to not only encourage fair trade, but also to promote safety and education across the sector. Trucks, trains, and planes are all massive, potentially dangerous vehicles that can cause great harm if they aren’t operated safely by trained professionals who understand the consequences of breaking the aforementioned regulations. Every year, it seems that new rules are proposed and applied, so it is important for any transportation organization to strive to be highly competent when it comes to compliance.

Over the past 2 years, the ELD Mandate has been a topic of much debate. But whether or not you agree with the terms of the mandate, the fact remains that all companies must be in compliance and that drivers, dispatchers, and even executives are responsible for making sure that it is followed. In fact, every June the CSVA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Association) inspects as many trucks as possible searching for safety violations as well as ELD compliance. The best companies will exhibit a culture of compliance from the top down, and will provide the training required for all employees to understand the importance of following industry rules. They will also set their own rules that may go above and beyond the legal regulations, just to ensure that every member of the organization are going the extra mile to stay compliant. This doesn’t apply only to the ELD Mandate, but to all industry rules and regulations that must be followed.

At Zip Xpress, we are committed to providing safe, reliable transportation services while complying with the rules and regulations set forth by the DOT. We understand that these rules and regulations are put in place for the safety of our drivers as well as for the protection of other stakeholders. We help our customers navigate through the compliance maze and deliver their shipments on time and undamaged. Our experienced staff is well versed in all of the rules and regulations our sector deems necessary for compliance – don’t put your freight at risk, trust us to take care of your next shipment. To ensure every shipment of yours is compliant, start today with Zip Xpress!