Posted on September 1st, 2022.

A trucking company’s primary purpose is to transport full-truckloads of goods from one location to another. It is no surprise that most people think truck companies offer no other services to their customers. This is a sad, not to mention costly, mistake.

A standard trucking company offers other unique services that can help you and your business save both time and money.

Use these services instead of or alongside your conventional shipping methods to realize a tremendous cost-benefit. 

A trucking business may offer LTL shipments

 LTL Shipments, otherwise known as less-than-load, are cost-saving, eco-friendly options that are offered by many trucking companies. LTL shipments are useful to those companies who do not have enough goods to complete a full load. You can reserve some of the load, rather than pay the trucking business, such as a trucking dispatcher, for a full load only partially used. The remainder of the space is used by another company that is in a similar situation.

Your business will pay less because you are only paying for the space you need and not the unused space. In addition, because space is shared with other companies, there are fewer trucks on the road for transport, which is a better choice for the environment.

Get there fast with expedited shipping

 You should not feel like you need to stick with the same schedule week after week. Some trucking agencies rely on consistent schedules. Others travel only when required. Most will offer faster shipping for when you are in a bind and need quick turn-around on deliveries.

Expedited shipping is a specialized service that incurs an additional charge in almost all cases. They may send a truck at an unscheduled time, or they might work with air carriers. Each trucking business operates its expedited shipping offer differently.

Those who do not offer expedited shipping have alternatives as well. They may refer you to a company that can provide faster shipping. They might also recommend a more regular, full schedule so that the additional charges incurred with expedited shipping do not become a regular thing.

Digital warehousing manages your inventory

You may not have realized that a trucking company can provide inventory management systems. Trucking companies are uniquely qualified for this because they already have experience managing the logistics of tracking inventory that is loaded on and unloaded from trucks. The next logical step is for the shipping company to manage your digital warehousing for you.

Digital warehousing involves tracking incoming inventory, maintaining FIFO (first-in, first-out) inventory control, knowing the location of each item and making all information available to you online. Digital warehousing also includes generating reports, rotating stock and managing difficult situations like returns and backorders.

Proof of delivery is essential for peace of mind

 Trucking companies need to be able to prove they have completely delivered your load promptly. You should not expect all products delivered without incident. Instead, choose a trucking business that provides you with immediate updates on the whereabouts of your items.

They may offer updates throughout the journey. You can be granted access to GPS tracking so you can have an exact location of your products at all times. The most critical tracking component is proof of delivery that is both accurate and instant.

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