/ By zipxpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

Building Resilience into Your Supply Chain

While the country is beginning to understand COVID-19, there are still many unknowns of what will happen after the country begins to open up. Companies are anxious to get back to work and executives will start taking a hard look at their enterprises to determine where their resources need to be deployed. One of these areas will inevitably be the supply chain, and with the lingering uncertainty in the marketplace, it’s vital for every business to build resilience into their supply chains.

The first step is take an assessment of your current supply chain. Many companies will be taking a hard look at their processes to see where weaknesses may exist. Flaws in the system will inevitably rise to the surface, but once revealed they can be managed. The second step will be monitoring forecasts as well as planning future shipments. Your organization will be doing a lot of planning in the coming months, but one area that will never change is the importance of your customer service. During times of uncertainty, your reputation will become more important than ever. Customers need to know they can trust your company and that your products won’t arrive damaged at their warehouses. The third step is to work directly with a trusted carrier in structuring your supply chain. Shopping online with freight brokers doesn’t provide you with the expertise needed to build a resilient supply chain. It reduces your freight to nothing more than a transaction and puts your hard earned reputation at risk.

At Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of building a resilient supply chain. We know how much your reputation matters and endeavor to ensure excellent customer service for your customers. We’re working hard with companies on both sides, making phone calls to ensure companies are open and that they have the staff capacity to accept their freight. We’re in constant communication with our customers to ensure they’re getting the custom carrier solutions they need to keep their supply chains resilient, no matter what happens next. To see what solutions we can provide for your business, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By zipxpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

Managing Scarcity in Times of High Demand

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to make life more difficult for everyone across the world, but it seems that people have started to adapt. When it comes to the supply chain, this ability to adapt has always been extremely important, especially as companies work together to deal with scarcity and demand spikes. The shutdown of certain industries have left some supply chains in unideal situations, but this has shown the essential need for open lines of communication and collaboration between manufacturers and supply chain partners.

Whether checking with a warehouse to confirm working hours or letting a customer know immediately about a truck breakdown, it is vital to communicate quickly and effectively in order to keep products moving. GPS tracking and online systems are nice, but nothing will ever replace the power of a live conversation. Customers like to know that their carriers are thinking about them and that there is somebody willing to work with them rather than just moving freight and collecting a bill.

The communication doesn’t end with tracking a shipment. Partners in any logistics relationship should be transparent about their current staff capabilities and manufacturing limits. In the end, we are all in this together and should treat each other as equals throughout the life cycle of any shipment. While we believe this should always be the case, the COVID crisis has shed a little more light on the need for functional partnerships in the transportation world. If one positive comes of this, perhaps it will be strengthened relationships between manufacturers, suppliers, and carriers.

At Zip Xpress, we believe in the power of partnerships and treat every shipment as though it were our own. During this time we’ve worked with every member of our supply chain, making calls to ensure deliveries can be made and that companies are open. We understand that our customers and their customers need to know they can be counted on, especially during these uncertain times. To see how we can help with your supply chain needs, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By zipxpress / Custom Carrier Solutions/ 0 Comments

COVID’s Dangerous Impact on Trucking Revenue

When it comes to essential industries, logistics is one of the most important. Without freight moving across the country on a daily basis, people would not be able to easily purchase vital goods such as food, clothing, and medications. Logistics companies are responsible for bringing in goods such as medical devices, personal protection equipment, and hospital beds, and it becomes even clearer that we need trucks on the road now more than ever. Unfortunately, some companies are taking advantage of the overall shortage of freight.

Many freight brokers, realizing that non-essential industries are shut down and that there is less overall freight available, are charging shippers the same but giving carriers rock bottom rates who now have fewer shipments to choose from. It’s not uncommon to see shipments being offered for less than half of the fair market rate. However, the costs of maintaining a truck and running a trucking company have not gotten any lower. If such practices from brokers continue, many drivers will not be able to afford to make their payments, and carriers would be forced to shut their doors.

It should be clear why this is a dangerous precedent to set. There is already a shortage in truck drivers, and if we lose a significant number more, shippers could experience major capacity issues in the future. This would lead to an overall increase in rates over time, as well as a strained supply chain across the nation. It is important not to be short-sighted when evaluating your shipping rates, as a stark decrease now could be offset by higher rates and fewer options in the near future. Shippers can help stop such practices by seeking out and working directly with carriers to build mutually beneficial relationships in order to minimize volatility and maintain some level of stability during these trying times.

At Zip Xpress, we understand that you want certainty during uncertain times. We understand that shippers partnering with carriers is the best method of navigating this pandemic, because we’re all in this together. Partnering together will ensure better service for your freight and an optimized supply chain. If you’re in need of a carrier to partner with, we can provide you with custom carrier solutions that will work for your business and ensure your supply chain will continue to run smoothly. To see how, start today with Zip Xpress!

/ By zipxpress / Trucker Homage/ 0 Comments

Truckers: The Other Heroes of COVID-19

There is a branch of heroes that aren’t being talked about every night on the evening news as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare and retail workers deserve to be in the limelight due to their constant exposure, but it’s still important to recognize the contributions of the brave truck drivers who are working around the clock during the outbreak. Were it not for truck drivers, our retail shelves would be empty and medical supplies wouldn’t reach the hospitals in dire need.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was underway, truck drivers came out in droves to help ensure supplies were replenished after people rushed their local grocery stores and stocked up. The Federal Government even lifted the ELD restrictions of driving 11 hours a day so long as they were transporting goods such as: medical supplies, food products and other materials deemed as critical. The significance of this was that many drivers started working 12 hours a day or more to ensure these deliveries were made, often weeks at a time. They’re taking time away from their families to be out on the road, and logistics is proving that it’s one of the most essential sectors of the American economy. Many of these humble heroes are honored to be moving these products across the United States – it’s one of the reasons why they became a driver in the first place.

At Zip Xpress, we understand the importance of the truck driver’s role in the supply chain. We know what they’re giving up by being out on the road and we seek to give them the recognition they deserve. The importance of truck drivers cannot be overstated and we hope that this will inspire a new generation of drivers to get behind the wheel. We know what heroes these drivers are and their dedication is nothing short of heroic. We wish all of you drivers the very best and that you return to your families safe and sound.

/ By zipxpress / Miscellaneous/ 0 Comments

A Look Ahead: Quarter 2, 2020

With only 3 months of 2020 finished, we can say this has been one of the most unpredictable years in recent memory. The world economy has slowed in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, and there are many uncertainties that lie ahead. With many industries dealing with employees working from home many wonder what the lasting effects will be as our economy continues to move forward into the next quarter.

Fortunately freight and transportation services are considered essential for the US economy. People still need to eat, take medicine, and use infrastructure, so there are always going to be trucks on the road delivering these goods. This ensures that shipments are less likely to be interrupted, although companies in luxury and entertainment may have to wait for their freight to be shipped. We believe that many industries will see spikes in demand in the upcoming quarter, so truckers, warehouses, and logistics firms will be needed more than ever.

At Zip Xpress, we understand that there is a lot of uncertainty and concern during this time, but we know that everyone working together – businesses, government agencies, and individuals will help provide relief for the most at-risk. Transportation is still going to be needed and there are many stories of local heroes doing their part to get critical supplies to those who need them. It is during uncertain times that companies will turn to those they can rely the most upon – rest assured Zip Xpress is ready to help you navigate through. We believe that all logistics companies will rise to the occasion and show how invaluable they are to the US Economy. We’re more than ready to do our part. To see how we can help you, start today with Zip Xpress!