Business owners do everything possible to organize a smooth and stable functioning of the supply chain. It’s not an easy task and requires lots of time and effort. They face various challenges and difficulties – from choosing a good carrier to responding to clients’ complaints.
Quite often, entrepreneurs have to deal with one more common problem – delays. You can hardly find a person who is not familiar with such a situation – you order some products, define deadlines, pay, wait for the day X – and receive nothing. If your cargo doesn’t arrive on time, it’s definitely an unpleasant experience.
There are several reasons for cargo delays. The most common of them are the following:
- Weather conditions.
Even nowadays, in the age of technologies, people depend on nature. Whether you like it or not but strong winds or heavy snowfalls are able to spoil your plants. It doesn’t matter whether you cooperate with expedited trucking companies or want to deliver cargo with the plane, if the weather conditions are not goods, delays are inevitable.
- Human errors.
If managers enter the wrong address or confuse cargo, you are unlikely to receive your parcels on time.
- Car crashes.
Truck transportation is one of the most popular shipping services these days. Yet, it has a significant drawback – accidents happen quite often. They may cause delays.
Contact your freight forwarder
As soon as you realize that you do not get your shipment on time, it’s necessary to get in touch with your broker (if he or she doesn’t do it on their own). You are to clarify the reasons for delays and get to know the new delivery date. You are to provide forwarders with some information about your cargo.
Check the tracking information
Nowadays almost all logistics companies use tracking applications. They allow both shippers and carriers to avoid thefts and losses. It’s a good idea to monitor all the movements of your freight. You can detect any changes in the route or terms and contact the broker as soon as possible.
Rearrange your plans
The next step implies rearranging your further actions. You should always have a plan B if something goes wrong. It’s cool if you can wait until the cargo finally arrives. Yet, not all companies possess such an opportunity. By the way, it’s a good idea to get special insurance that will cover all your expenses tailored to the delays.
It’s almost impossible to avoid such situations. Yet, it’s up to you to minimize their number. You have to choose a proper 3PL partner carefully. The assortment of available freight forwarders is amazing these days. You should thoroughly research all the information about the company you want to work with. It’s necessary to pay attention to reviews from clients. It’s a good idea to visit chats in order to figure out whether delays are a common problem or not.
To sum it up, it should be highlighted that delays are able to lead to catastrophic consequences and significant financial losses. It’s of prime importance to cooperate with credible and reliable logistics brokers. Thus, even if your cargo won’t be shipped on time, you are to be informed about it and are able to implement a backup plan if it’s necessary.