Small to medium-sized business owners know how summer shipping and the holiday season affect your business and product demand. While your peak business season may differ from another retailer’s, the fact of the matter is that each season will impact your business to some degree. What we mean is this—carriers stay busy because companies have cargo to ship, which in turn, tightens capacity for your shipments even during your business’ offseason. Summer is a significant shipping season for retailers and carriers alike. With summer around the corner, it’s time to get ready before the last second. Find out how you can prepare with these summer shipping tips.
Demand Forecasting for Summer Shipping
Simply put, demand forecasting is the analysis and prediction of product demand in the future within controllable and uncontrollable factors. Demand forecasting is essential because it helps you plan and keep your production schedule flowing without significant disruptions.
Additionally, it gives you the time to get supplies, materials, and resources together. You will also have a better idea of how to plan your summer shipping budget, figure out what deals or promos you want to run, develop marketing strategies, and build a strong logistics plan.
Beat the Summer Shipping Heat
Losing cargo due to heat makes you and your customers unhappy. If you ship temperature-sensitive items, you know the summer heat can be a real challenge. In addition, the summer shipping season is also produce shipping, food & beverage shipping season. Here’s what you can do:
– Use temperature-controlled shipping.Items such as food, drinks, medicines, chemicals, and more are susceptible to temperature—both cold and heat. You can choose a carrier that utilizes reefer trailers to ship your products under temperature-controlled shipping. These trailers have heating and cooling capabilities to keep your cargo at the optimal temperature during transit. Learn more about cold chain logistics.
– Choose expedited shipping services. While there are no guarantees in freight shipping, choosing expedited shipping services for your cargo makes your freight a priority over other shipments, even in the event of unforeseen delays. For time-sensitive cargo, expedited shipping services are the way to go.
– Shipping large quantities of temperature-sensitive cargo or have products that require specialized equipment? Consider full truckload shipping. Going with full truckload shipping means your freight uses the entire truck trailer. There aren’t additional stops along the way, and you can choose what equipment your cargo will need.
– Package your cargo correctly. Ensure you package your freight with the proper insulation, coolants, and external packaging materials. Improperly packaged shipment often leads to product damage and loss, especially if you are shipping temperature-sensitive items. For a detailed look at everything packaging, download our free Guide to Freight Packaging.
– Work with a 3PL. When you work with a 3PL, you get expert help with all your summer shipping needs. Sourcing capacity, finding the best rates, identifying add-on services, and more take time away from making your business successful.
Prioritize Your Shipments
You know your product, your business, and your customers the best. Every company has cargo to get out to customers, and carriers want to fill their trucks to optimize their shipping strategies. Consider prioritizing your shipments to meet your customer’s needs during the summer. Remember, the battle for capacity in certain areas during certain times may be more intense.
When it comes to ensuring your most essential shipments reach their destinations on time and without disruptions, it’s crucial to determine which loads have the most flexibility and are the most time-sensitive. Then you can prioritize your shipments based on that information. This will help you stay on track during the summer shipping months and ensure your customers are happy.
A 3PL Makes the Difference.
Working with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) like FreightCenter as part of your overall logistics plan can mitigate supply chain disruptions early in the shipping process and keep your products moving even when summer shipping capacity tightens. That’s because 3PLs work with a network of fully vetted carriers to ensure your cargo gets the shipping treatment it deserves throughout the shipping process. FreightCenter has been helping business shippers, like you, for over 20 years.
When it comes to keeping your products moving this summer, don’t settle. Let the FreightCenter shipping experts help your business ship successfully all year long by getting a free online quote or calling us at 800.716.7608.
