Meeting Increased Shipping Demands During a Time of Constraint

The final session of Pacejet’s three-part Smart Shippers 2022 Virtual Roundtable series is now available on-demand: Meeting Increased Shipping Demands During a Time of Constraint.

Roundtable guests included a panel of cross-industry shipping experts:

• Amanda Armendariz, Editor of PARCEL Industry
• Vaughan Proctor, Channel Account Manager at Netstock
• Shawn McCarthy, Director of UPS Ready at UPS

As peak season starts for many shippers, the typical challenges of increased shipping volumes are being compounded by widespread business constraints—namely, considerably limited time, money, and human resources to get the work done.

The panel noted that succeeding in such a uniquely challenging environment requires thoughtful planning, actionable strategies, and constant communication within and among teams and business partners.

How to deal with today’s unprecedented delays in the supply chain

The first topic the panel addresses is top of mind for all shippers currently: How to deal with excessive delays in the supply chain and unprecedented congestion at ports. The experts share several key insights on this, including:

• The heavy congestion at ports won’t be going away anytime soon. Look for it to continue to be a top issue well into 2023.
• Don’t fall for what has been termed The Disneyland Effect. In other words, don’t skip from line to line (or port to port) hoping the wait will be shorter.
• Look for opportunities to better utilize container shipping.
• Move upstream if/when possible. For example, instead of going to Long Beach, go to Houston. Although travel time might be 5-6 days longer, 30+ days of waiting at the port may be eliminated.
• Keep in constant communication with all concerned parties, including partners and customers.
• Whenever possible, plan months—not weeks—ahead.
• Leverage technology that provides real-time visibility into data that informs better decision-making and increases operational efficiencies.

The roundtable guests then go on to address several additional important topics:

• Why parcel growth is expected to continue to increase at compound rates over the next five years, and how you can leverage it to expand your business.
• What you should be doing right now to prepare for the end of the year.
• How carrier diversification can help you grow your business, and what you need to get started.

Experience the entire roundtable by watching the video, available on-demand for a limited time.