Category: <span>Custom Carrier Solutions</span>

In logistics, success is reliant on an organization’s performance across a wide range of shipments over a long period of time. On-time percentages, claims ratios, customer satisfaction, and safety are just some of the metrics that are used to determine how well a company has been performing. In the grand scheme of things, a business must strive to keep these marks high over hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of shipments every year. But to achieve success at such a high level, shippers, manufacturers, and carriers alike must first start small.

Every week should be taken one day at a time, and every day one load a time. By establishing goals and objectives at a single shipment level, a company can help foster a work atmosphere that stresses attention to detail and preventative action. If the goal is simply to get as many loads out as possible, there are bound to be small, seemingly harmless errors that may lead to catastrophe down the road. These problems may be brushed aside at first, but a consistent pattern of carelessness will inevitably lead to strained relationships and higher costs on the back-end when trying to reverse the damage that’s already been done. Having measurable objectives and daily SOP’s to ensure proper packaging, labeling, handling, and filing of every single shipment can help every supply chain partner to meet their goals.

In order to maintain a high standard of service and exceptional level of client satisfaction, we at Zip Xpress take every part of our jobs seriously on a daily basis. No matter how many shipments we have on our table, we make sure double and triple check our work on each individual shipment before sending it on the road, and we continue to set standards for it while in transit. We know that spending a little extra time in the beginning can save a time and money in the end for our valued clients. To see how we can provide such consistency to your shipments, start today with Zip Xpress!

Many manufacturers still believe that shipping a full truckload is the safest most economical way to ship their freight. This can be true if their order happens to fill the truck completely with no overflow and only go to one location, but more often than not this isn’t the case. With today’s emphasis on lean manufacturing most shipments are less than a full truckload, and many shippers are realizing the benefits of optimizing freight, as it provides for a more sustainable shipment as well as a cut in costs. Zip Xpress has proven time and again that your freight will arrive in adherence to our service standards.

While most providers may require longer transit times for partial shipments, we make it a point to work around you particular delivery requirements, providing you with the assurance you need that your product will arrive on time and damage free. We also offer several expedite options including our pre-planned expedite program, which allows our customers to offer incredibly fast transit without the high costs of traditional expedite options. Our fine-tuned logistics processes ensure that your product won’t have a delay in service with Zip Xpress.

At Zip Xpress, we cater our headload, blanket wrap, pre-planned expedites and LTL solutions specifically to our customers’ needs. Our top priority is creating more sustainable logistics practices while also providing you with unmatched service for your freight. You can rest assured that your freight is in great hands – your company has worked so hard to bring your products to market, the last thing you want is for it to be delayed, lost, or damaged in transit. Why trust inferior shipping when you can go with the experts at Zip Xpress. To see this level of commitment and care for yourself, start today and experience the difference!

2018 was a great year for transportation providers. The manufacturing boom led to record demand in the shipping sector, which forced everyone in the supply chain to hone in on their logistics partnerships. Shippers realized how important carriers are to their growth and created flourishing partnerships. Reliability and optimized loads were proven out during 2018, with manufacturers reaping the benefits from these sustainable logistics practices.

2019 presents a lot of opportunity for shippers to partner with a trusted and reliable carrier like Zip Xpress due to a changing rate market. The markets may shift, but one thing’s for sure, there’s always a need for optimized shipments to arrive on time and undamaged. With manufacturers experiencing the current economic boon, they don’t want to see losses from their products damaged, they want those products to arrive on-time and undamaged. They want a carrier they can trust in the midst of a softening market. They don’t want instability, they want reliability. We’re here to provide guidance, increased capacity and excellent customer service to manufacturers who’re ready to partner with a reliable carrier.

At Zip Xpress, we are aware of the changing market conditions, but we believe that our service levels and commitment to customer satisfaction will always place us as one of the strongest carriers in our sector. While rates may change, our success is due to our relationships with our customers and vendors. With the market softening, we believe that now is the time to prove our status as the most reliable option. No matter what the price, we will always keep our clients’ needs as our number one priority. To see how Zip Xpress can provide on-time and undamaged service for your company, start today!

Customer service is an integral part of any industry, and logistics is no exception. When a customer – whether a business or an individual consumer – is relying on a company to deliver their product, they want to know that they are working with a reliable, communicative, and proactive organization who can quickly and efficiently service their needs. All too often, however, logistics companies fail to meet the service levels required of them, resulting in customers seeking out new, more dependable options. This can easily be avoided by committing to finding quick, simple solutions for customers rather than taking unnecessary measures to compensate for previous service failures.

When a customer is waiting on a product, they don’t want to hear excuses. They want to know that their logistics provider is working on the problem immediately. This means that there is someone to answer their call at all times and that emails and other inquiries will be responded to within minutes. Quick, straightforward answers are far more valuable than exuberant “make-up” offers or long-winded, reactionary explanations. The fewer channels and reps that a client must go through to find their answer, the more likely they will be to report satisfaction with their customer service experience. Just as time and transparency are key factors in any shipment, they also play a large role in customer service.

Zip Xpress is committed to providing the highest level of service for all of our valued customers. This is why we make sure to keep our lines of communication open and our response times as short as possible. Zip Xpress doesn’t even have a voicemail system or use prompts when you call our phone number. There is a live person here 24/7 and customers will always speak with someone when they call Zip. Employees at Zip are all crossed trained so if you need to trace a shipment, any of us that answer the phone can help you without passing you to someone else. Quote requests are responded to within 5 minutes of reception, because we know that even if the freight doesn’t have to leave the dock right away, customers want to know their costs as quickly as possible. Our highly trained and experienced professionals at Zip are dedicated to providing prompt, friendly, and effective service. To see for yourself, start today with Zip Xpress!

In the past few months, America has seen its fair share of treacherous weather. Hurricane Florence ravaged the southeast with flooding in September, constant rainstorms soaked the northeast in October, and a cold front brought heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures to the midwest just this past week. This is not to mention the devastating wildfires in California that have gone on for months. Despite these conditions, commerce stills goes on and Americans continue to work, and that remains particularly true in logistics. But how can carriers, customers, and other parties involved in manufacturing make sure that their freight arrives safely and on time in such a volatile environment? The simple answer comes down to preparation and communication.

Even the best meteorologists can not predict the weather with certainty, but we can all pay attention to the news and recent weather patterns around us. When we know that a storm is coming, we can better prepare our warehouses to expedite the production of hot shipments and communicate with all parties to set realistic expectations. The unfortunate truth is that trucks are going to be shut down due to blizzards, rainstorms, icy roads, and other unsafe driving conditions. This will lead to shipments being delayed, and it is an inevitable part of the world of transportation. However, if shippers, carriers, and customers stay in constant communication, potential late deliveries become manageable. We know that constant communications makes everyone in the supply chain more reliable and stabilizes your delivery schedule.

At Zip Xpress, we stay in constant communication with our partners at all times, even during inclement weather. We work with our customers, and ensure all updates are provided by another human being, not a recording. Hazardous weather is another challenge to navigate, but as long as you have a communication plan in place, everything becomes manageable. If you’d like to experience the stability and reliability of our custom carrier solutions, start today with Zip Xpress!

Improvements and innovations in technology inevitably dictate changes in the way any industry or sector behaves. Manufacturing has been disrupted by technology since before the Industrial Revolution, and that disruption does not seem to be going away any time soon. This hasn’t only changed the way manufacturers operate from a physical standpoint, but also the way they analyze their own performance and efficiency. No longer are manufacturing companies looking only inside of their factories to monitor performance – now they are extending the supply chain in both directions to evaluate their standing among end users and second and third-tier suppliers.

It is far easier now than ever before to collect and analyze data from deep within the supply chain. This means that manufacturers can use loads of end-user and supplier data to help them come up with stronger, more efficient solutions for their everyday operations. It isn’t just about pleasing the next warehouse in the line of production. It’s about ensuring that every consumer is happy with the final product and that vendors and suppliers are working seamlessly with the manufacturer to create an experience that benefits every party along the way.

However, data analysis can leave a sense of feeling trapped and that it’s not providing the full utility you desire from it. The end of the supply chain consists of shipping, shipment tracking, and invoicing all of which add on to this sense of overwhelm. At Zip Xpress our customer service experience offers solutions which help you get the answers you need without feeling trapped or overwhelmed. We’ll get you the answers you need with no waiting, no voicemail and no support tickets. When our data analysis uncovers an issue, Zip Xpress is able to quickly respond and address the issue. To see how we can help fit your supply chain together, start today with Zip Xpress.

A recent study in the consumer packaged goods industry found that nearly 70% of executives see the supply chain as a support function rather than a tool for growth. While that is only one industry, it isn’t hard to imagine that key players in a wide range of industries might feel the same way. The problem with this line of thinking is that it seemingly ignores all of the advances that have been made in the supply chain sector. These advances have been integral in growing multiple industries and contributing to the success of some of the biggest companies currently in existence.

Consider how much e-commerce has evolved over the years. The obvious name here is Amazon – what they’ve accomplished by focusing on revamping their supply chain has been nothing short of remarkable. The lesson here is that Amazon made the supply chain seamless for many consumer companies. The next logical step in supply chain evolution is getting product to arrive on time and damage free. Manufacturers need to take a long, hard look at their supply chain and evaluate how their carriers handle their products.

In today’s world, many customers want their product to arrive damage free. They don’t want to see office furniture coming out of the truck dented, scratched or crushed. They don’t want to see dents in their medical machinery or bends in the industrial robotic arms. Low prices and fast transits go out the window if your unique freight arrives damaged. Customer trust erodes every time freight arrives damaged and the costs to replace this sensitive equipment will soar. This will put a strain on sales and revenue, further hurting the company. On the other hand, if you are consistently outperforming expectations and keeping your customers happy, you have a great chance of gaining more business and driving profits up. To see how we can increase growth for your company through the supply chain, start today with Zip Xpress!

In the history of business, there have been very few companies that have succeeded with proper planning. Those that have succeeded have generally experienced a great stroke of luck, and that is not something that an organization should rely on if they want to remain profitable. Planning is highly important and is a process that should be taken seriously. However, your plan doesn’t always have to be followed exactly, and you should allow room to adapt in case something unexpected takes place. In the supply chain industry, we know that you can never predict what challenges you may face in a given day. This is why you should have an adaptable and malleable plan of action for every situation.

Supply chain operations would not be successful if there was no planning involved. The supply chain itself is based on planning – companies must outline every step of production, manufacturing, and transportation throughout the life of the product, from securing raw materials to delivering the final goods. It is a good idea to have a standard course of action for every step in the supply chain, but room should be left for alterations in case an error is made, or any sort of difficulty is encountered. When we have actionable plans for a wide variety of scenarios, we give ourselves the flexibility to be creative while maintaining efficiency in our operations.

Every shipping company should make planning an integral part of their operations. Many even hire people specifically for this purpose – whether they are planning shipping routes or warehouse storage solutions, their expertise can be of immense value to any organization. One small kink in the supply chain can have a domino effect throughout a company’s operations, but if proper planning has been done, the negative outcomes can be minimized.

To see how we can help with your company’s plan, start today with Zip Xpress!

In the freight world, delays are inevitable. Everything could be running smoothly for the first leg of a shipment when all of the sudden inclement weather shuts a driver down. While we may do everything in our power to get our shipments delivered on time, there are many things that we can’t control that can contribute to late shipments. The key to minimizing these problems is not to try to control the uncontrollable, but rather to plan ahead and manage every situation effectively when something undesirable occurs.

The first step in managing the unexpected is to pay attention to the details involved with every shipment. Know where the shipment is delivering and when it is needed by. Warehouse requirements should always be known ahead of time to limit the chance that the freight will be rejected when it arrives. Dispatchers can even check the weather forecasts along the route to try to minimize the risk of running into weather delays. They can’t control the weather, but they can try to find the path of least resistance. With every shipment, we must expect that there will be potential delays somewhere during transit. Instead of becoming frustrated that the delays occurred, it is important to have a plan of action in place for when they happen.

Much like in every industry, problems are going to occur if you are shipping multiple truckloads or multiple LTL shipments every day. It is important to keep a positive mindset, hoping for the best for every shipment, but to be realistic and do everything that you can to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. A shipment isn’t complete just because you booked the load – it is vital to have a plan B, plan C, and even plan D in place for the possibility of a casualty occurring.  When you learn to plan ahead, you won’t be blindsided by a casualty. You’ll be able to take action and fix the problem, keeping your customer happy and your company profitable. To see how we can help you with managing the unexpected, start today with Zip Xpress!

Supply chain jobs are abundant in America, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to fill them with qualified talent. Recruiting in logistics can be a stressful, confusing task as there are many different qualities that are required to be successful in the field. One of those qualities is the willingness to learn – that is, being ready and eager to take on new tasks and roles in order to solve the unique problems that will inevitably occur on a regular basis.

Here at Zip Xpress we place a lot of value on an individual’s willingness to learn, which is why so many of our employees have been promoted from within. Someone who starts on the warehouse floor can learn a lot about how the freight looks, how to handle it, and the best ways to package it. This knowledge can translate to becoming a great planner or dispatcher, as they will be able to visualize the freight and speak from prior experience. The world of logistics is always changing, and those who are constantly adapting have a great opportunity to advance their careers.

At Zip Xpress, we place a major focus on company representation. We recruit people who we believe could be the face of the company at any time. This means that candidates should be personable, communicative, and have a willingness to provide the highest level of customer service at all times. This can be seen from the ground level in evaluating how people answer the phone or respond to emails. Answering the call is only the first step, but the ability to listen to the customer and come up with unique and creative solutions is what sets our elite talent apart from the rest. In logistics, one should always be motivated to go above and beyond what is necessary to get the job done. The employees at Zip Xpress believe in this philosophy, and it is our goal to always see a customer satisfied.

To see how our team can service your business, get started with Zip Xpress today!