How to Avoid Emergency Expedited Shipments

Expedited Shipping for Your Industry

Emergency Expedited Services are primarily used to deliver time-sensitive freight requiring urgent delivery. Time-sensitive freight can include but are not limited to, the following products: medical supplies, perishable goods, critical spare parts, time-sensitive documents, and relief supplies. 

Medical Supplies: This includes life-saving medications, transplant organs, and medical equipment needed for urgent surgeries or treatments. It is easy to understand why medical products are often expedited. 

Perishable Goods: These include temperature-sensitive and time-critical perishables, including fresh produce, seafood, and flowers. Emergency expedited shipping is necessary to maintain quality and prevent spoilage. 

Critical Spare Parts: Critical spare parts are often transported via expedited shipping to repair equipment and machinery. Common industries requiring expedited shipping include the aviation and manufacturing industries to minimize downtime. 

Time-Sensitive Documents: Important legal documents, contracts, and sensitive documents may be expedited to meet legal requirements and deadlines. 

Relief Supplies: Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and war prompts an immediate need for survival supplies. These emergency items include food, water, medical aid, and shelter materials; and are shipped via expedited freight to the affected areas. 

Avoiding Emergency Expedited Shipments

While emergency expedited shipment services can be invaluable across various industries, the difference in cost can often deter shippers unless the expediting services are necessary. As you may have guessed, emergency expedited shipment services are more expensive than standard shipment and, for this reason, may want to be avoided, as the difference in cost is often significant. 

More reasons to avoid emergency expedited shipment services include limited availability, increased risk of error, damage potential, and on the emotional end, often creates additional stress and may contribute to feelings of overdependency. Expedited shipping to specific regions and during particular seasons may result in limited availability, contributing to delays and hiccups in transit.

Such fast shipping processes also increase the risk of errors and processing mistakes. Packages may be mislabeled, resulting in increased delays and supply chain disruptions. The risk of errors increases, and so is the risk of damage. With faster transportation methods, mishandling packages due to rushed handling; can easily result in damaged goods. 

Emergency expediting shipments can take a physical toll on the products themselves and emotionally on the shippers, carriers, and customers. Waiting for an emergency shipment to arrive in perfect condition, without defects or delays, can be highly stressful. When the stakes are so high, the result is often rushed decision-making, sometimes a compromised customer experience.

While 3PLs like FreightCenter partner with the nation’s most reliable and reputable carriers, mistakes and accidents can still occur, no matter the precautions taken. Using emergency expedited services frequently can cause shippers to become overdependent on the service. Overdependency can reinforce negative business behaviors, such as under-preparedness, the cycle of urgency, and last-minute planning. 

While emergency expedited shipping services are necessary for various industries, the circumstances do not always justify using these services. Due to the substantially high costs and increased risk of damages and delays, it is wise to utilize this service only if your products require them. Instead, rely on planning, optimizing processes, and avoiding the need for emergency expedited services in general. Doing so will create a more efficient and reliable supply chain. 

How to Avoid Emergency Expedited Shipping 

While emergency expedited shipping is unavoidable in some situations, it can be avoided in others. Much of the issue can be avoided altogether simply through proper planning practices. Start by carefully planning your inventory management and order fulfillment processes. Be sure to anticipate demand, and remember to order products with significant enough lead time. Being aware of the numbers prevents the rush of last-minute orders. Another crucial element of the planning process is maintaining a “safety stock.”

Keeping a safety stock buffer will allow order fulfillment when the new stock orders are delivered. It is essential to monitor inventory levels to complete the previous two steps. Using worthy software or an excellent inventory management system is imperative. The software will allow you to monitor stock levels accurately.

Another added benefit of inventory software is its ability to send automated notifications when inventory levels are low and products need to be reordered. When you know what you have in stock, consolidating your orders into smaller and larger orders is also easier, reducing the need to place emergency expediting orders. Maintaining excellent customer communication is essential for avoiding rushed orders and last-minute shipments.

FreightCenter Optimization

FreightCenter is nationally recognized as a reputable and award-winning third-party logistics provider. Using our logistics services will help you prevent the need for emergency expedited shipments. We partner with only the most reliable and efficient carriers nationwide, so you can rest assured that your shipments will arrive on time and meet your deadlines. We have strong relationships and communicate well with our carriers, so your expectations and needs will be communicated clearly.  

We are here to help you improve your supply chain processes with the help of our expert agents and TMS (transportation management systems). We can help you streamline your operations, reduce lead times, and eliminate bottlenecks that cause emergency shipments. Partnering with us will give your company access to the top technology in the industry, allowing you to forecast accurately using historical sales data. Our cutting-edge tech enables you to predict demand and understand customer buying patterns. This will allow your company to plan and manage inventory levels and reduce shortages precisely.

Your FreightCenter agent will help you explore various shipping carriers and services, ensuring you are matched with the most time and cost-effective options for your company. We compare prices and transit times to ensure your success.   

Partner with a 3PL like FreightCenter

What’s a shipper to do to ensure a successful outcome? Partner with a third-party logistics company (3PL) like FreightCenter and get all the insight into how carriers ship your freight, including how they determine the shipping cost. Find the suitable carrier for the best rates with our extensive network of carriers and use our powerful TMS that streamlines the process for you.

Refrain from letting freight weight confuse you or keep you from shipping your cargo. Let our experts answer your freight shipping questions by calling us at 800.716.7608. You can also use our free online quote tool!