The logistical practice of transloading is gaining popularity and value as we continue to face an evolution in what makes for best practices in warehousing and logistics. We want to make it easier for you to determine if transloading is right for your business, so we’ve prepared this detailed tutorial to help you better understand transloading and how it functions in the context of your supply chain.
What is transloading? Simply put, transloading is the process by which goods are transferred from one means of transportation to another. Due to the difficulties inherent in standard freight transportation, companies are continuously on the lookout for improved methods of transporting their goods quickly, efficiently, and affordably. Companies face greater challenges and require more innovative approaches to accomplishing the same goals. Transloading can be used to cut down on expenses associated with warehousing and shipping.
Learn all there is to know about transloading with the help of this extensive and detailed guide.
What is Transloading?
As we mentioned, transloading is the process by which goods are transferred from one means of transportation to another. What is actually transferred are the goods themselves, and not the container they came in. This occurs, for instance, when a shipping container full of goods is first moved on a railroad car but cannot complete the journey by rail. After the goods arrive at their destination, they will be transferred from the shipping container to a truck for the next phase of the journey.
While this example is of a train transfer, in reality, transloading can be any type of transfer, such as transporting goods the final mile from an airport by plane and then onto trucks. In another scenario, goods could be loaded from a boat onto a train, and then onto a truck.
Steps of the Transloading Process
- Shipments of goods are unloaded at an initial arrival point
- Goods are transported to another form of transport, such as truck or train
- Shipments travel to their final destination
It may seem counterproductive to transfer the cargo around an extra time, but sometimes that is the only option. Out of the four major transportation options, only trucks have the ability to pull up to the curb right in front of the building where the cargo will be unloaded. Because of this, it’s only practical for trucks to travel to locations where trains, planes, or boats are unable to go.
Ways That Transloading Benefits the Supply Chain
In logistics, transloading occurs when cargo is transferred from one mode of transport to another before continuing on its route. Transloading has become an integral part of the supply chain as the world has become increasingly integrated economically. Transloading eases some of the most pressing issues plaguing the freight shipping industry today.
Flexibility
Transloading can immediately increase the adaptability of the supply chain. This occurs because the company has multiple transport alternatives to choose from and can successfully switch gears if one transport choice is insufficient. It’s useful if problems arise, too.
Transloading provides businesses with more flexibility while navigating the complex world of freight shipping. Shipping for businesses is already complicated, and the present climate is just making things worse. Businesses that find ways to streamline this process will have a leg up.
Growth
As transloading can function as a de facto distribution hub, it presents a viable option for expanding a business whenever the time is appropriate. If you can boost the supply chain’s adaptability and throughput, you can ship more products to more locations.
In the present climate, it may be difficult to get an adequate number of trucks for long-distance transport. If your company uses a train or boat for part of the journey, then delivers the goods to a transloading facility where your shipment’s truck(s) are ready to be loaded, you should be able to increase the size of your shipments to keep up with rising demand.
Simplicity
Perhaps you’re sending the same container or truckload to several distinct states. In such a situation, transloading can be an excellent option. It is possible to have many destinations in a single cargo, and after the shipment reaches the transload facility, the contents can be transloaded onto other trucks. Next, the cargo will be delivered by truck to their respective final locations.
In order to save money on shipping costs and reduce the number of containers and/or available space on a ship, train, plane, or truck, it is often beneficial to consolidate shipments in advance. That can help you save room and cash in the long term. It may also expand options for transporting cargo in harsh environments.
Speed
Transloading services exist to improve freight shipping efficiency. If the procedure is more efficient, then the time it takes for cargo to move from one location to another may decrease.
The idea is that freight can be always in motion rather than idling. While it may take an extra hour or two to unload one vehicle onto another, it may still be preferable to the potential delay of several days caused by trying to find a single mode of transportation capable of carrying the load for the bulk of, or the whole of, the journey. With transloading, your shipping operations can remain flexible in the face of the many challenges presented by today’s supply chains.
Savings
Indeed, a transload charge does exist. While this isn’t always the case, it’s often cheaper than either waiting for delays or figuring out an alternative method of transport that doesn’t include transloading. One of the most compelling arguments in favor of transload transportation is the potential cost savings it offers to a company.
For delivering within the United States, truck and rail are superb transloading options because they are more cost-effective than shipping via air. On large distances, the cost of shipping by rail is lower than by truck, and it also has a smaller environmental impact. Most shipments can be moved more efficiently if the train is used for the bulk of the journey, and the truck for the final leg. Forms of transport include truck transport, plane transport, rail transport, and ocean freight transport.
Space
Transloading can help remove the requirement for storage and subsequent distribution of items if you’re not as interested in that part of the order fulfillment process. Transloading keeps your goods in motion so they don’t have to wait at a distribution center or warehouse for the next phase of transportation. There might be considerable cost savings when it comes to warehouse fees.
Warehouse services are available from companies that offer reputable 3PL logistics solutions if needed or desired. In any case, the ability to transload allows you to tailor your decision-making to the specifics of each shipment. To avoid having your cargo lie idle in a storage facility, you may wish to look into transloading.
Examples of Transloading
Although some of the more obvious applications of transloading have previously been described, we want to focus on one of the less obvious ways in which transloading contributes to the success of international supply chains.
On occasion, a massive ocean cargo may be too big to enter a geographically preferable port. To get around this restriction, smaller boats can meet larger sea vessels in deep water and transload their cargo onto the larger ship for transport into port. As the cargo reaches land, it might be transloaded from the boat onto trucks or rail.
Again, the term “transloading” refers to the process of moving cargo from one mode of transportation to another, and it is important to emphasize that this can happen at any point in the transportation process. An example of transloading would be the transfer of cargo from one site to another without first unloading the container (this process is known as transshipment and will be discussed in greater depth in the following section).
The Transloading Process
The transloading procedure itself has a broad flow that can be adjusted to accommodate your specific cargo. The primary idea is to have one vehicle or a shipping container completely devoid of its contents. The cargo is transferred to another vehicle after being unloaded from the first one. It doesn’t matter if the vehicles are different or the same; either way, it’s considered transloading.
If the item was previously delivered in a shipping container, then reusing that container is not transloading but instead, a distinct form of shipping called transshipment. A basic conveyor belt could be used to safely and efficiently transport small packages. Nonetheless, machinery such as forklifts and cranes are frequently employed to effortlessly and smoothly transfer heavy or palletized freight.
What Does a Transloading Company Do?
A transloader is a member of a transloading facility’s workforce whose primary focus is to transload cargo. Nonetheless, there are many distinct jobs to be done at a transloading center. The results are greatly influenced by the many types of jobs that a transloader may do.
Transloading Warehouse Workers
Even if the word “warehouse” is in there, we’re talking about someone who might drive a forklift and check packages for accuracy. Candidates should be well-organized, hard-working, fast-paced, and safe workers because this is a general job with various obligations (including keeping the transload facility clean).
Inside a warehouse or distribution center, this individual is capable of operating a variety of machinery, including a pallet jack, forklift, and others.
Transloading Operators
Blue-collar jobs like freight moving necessitate strong bodies and stamina, as workers spend their days on their feet lifting and moving heavy objects.
Yet, physical strength is only one factor. The regulations of transloading are complex and must be understood by every transload operator. Working in a transloading facility requires familiarity with a wide range of freight types and the methods used by that facility.
Those who run the recommended or required heavy equipment are also referred to as transload operators. As a result, many transload operators hold certificates allowing them to carry out these operations on a variety of specialized machinery.
Transloading Facility Manager
To be successful in this position, a transloading facility manager needs to be able to switch gears quickly, coordinate the efforts of a large team, and keep everything in order at all times.
Tasks that transloading facility managers are responsible for include:
- Implementing and overseeing processes
- Coordinating maintenance
- Hiring and recruitment
These individuals are responsible for ensuring the facility as a whole is running smoothly and efficiently, with an eye toward minimizing the risk of harm to employees and cargo. Concerns about the facilities are forwarded to this individual.
Freight Conductors
A dedicated worker is required to coordinate the flow of traffic between trains arriving at the plant and leaving again after being unloaded onto trucks. For this reason, a freight conductor’s job is to ensure that all trains’ crews are working together to place their cars securely and efficiently for loading and unloading.
This is a highly specialized role that calls for extensive classroom and on-the-job training before it can be performed by an individual. Nonetheless, any transloading center recognizes its critical necessity for the aforementioned reasons.
Types of Transloading Equipment
It is possible to transload with a wide variety of machinery, depending on the goods being moved. All of this is either essential in order to get the job done right, or it helps the hardworking staff who are responsible for doing it.
Forklifts
When the transloading is happening in a warehouse or distribution center, forklifts are most likely to be used. These machines can easily transport pallets full of cargo, but they require a dedicated transload worker to operate. Also, their forklifts can be used to transport large objects.
The forklift operator is responsible for ensuring the safe carriage of any load. Manufacturer requirements and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration establish forklift safety rules (OSHA).
Forklifts are extremely useful because they enable large amounts of weight to be moved rapidly and efficiently, even to a distant 18-wheeler (up to 100 yards away). Forklift operators, like those of other vehicles and heavy equipment, need to be licensed and trained extensively to ensure their safety.
Cranes
Since cranes can pick up and transport complete shipping containers, they are useful for transloading (and its close relative, transshipping). Using a crane to lower shipping containers to the ground is the quickest and most efficient way to process containers at ports of entry.
Container cranes of a smaller size than those typically found in ports have several potential applications. A container crane might move up next to a train and shift a container so that it’s closer to an unloading vehicle. Then, the empty container is relocated either back to its original spot or to a different spot at the transloading station. They can also be useful in situations when break-of-gauge has been implemented.
Conveyors
If you’ve ever been inside a warehouse or distribution center, you’ll be familiar with these. Either manual or motorized, these conveyor belts are instrumental in being able to quickly move boxes from, let’s say, a rail car into the back of an 18-wheeler.
They are essential since they can be set up between both points of the transload and make it so that potentially heavy goods don’t have to be lugged across long distances. These can be simple metal conveyors with wheels on the bottom that can be moved into place or ones with mechanized belts to effortlessly send boxes along their merry way.
Regardless of which type of conveyor is utilized, they’re handy tools in the transload field and you’ll find them inside warehouses, distribution centers, and transloading facilities.
What Are Transload Containers
The term “transload container” refers to a shipping container that has been packed and is ready to be loaded onto a ship, train, or even a flatbed truck. Before the actual transloading happens, the container aids with the transportation of the freight itself. When that’s done, the contents are transferred to another container or a truck’s trailer.
The majority of containers used in container transloading are ocean transport containers that have traveled overseas. There are several sizes to choose from, but the three most common include:
- 40 ft high cube container
- 40 ft container
- 20 ft container
What Are Transloading Facilities
A transloading facility is a staging area, either open-air or enclosed, where cargo is transferred between different modes of transportation. If the facilities are outside, they are likely to be situated near highways and railroads, making them convenient for both passenger trains and truck traffic.
Although railroads play a significant role in the logistics sector, many companies, businesses, and even warehouses do not have direct access to railroad tracks. Because of this, we have transloading facilities. When there is a lot of congestion at the ports, transloading and the related infrastructure can help move cargo a lot faster.
Aspects of a Transloading Facility
Everything that is required to handle transload cargo can be found in a transloading facility. With such diverse requirements, on top of what is likely an already busy facility for standard logistics and warehousing, it’s no surprise that a transload facility should be well-equipped to face any challenge.
Interstate Access
Because the transloading process includes the use of vehicles to transport cargo, this is an absolute necessity. The transload facility should be placed where big rigs have quick and easy access on and off the highway. Due to the large amount of area required, transloading facilities are not always located near main thoroughfares. They need to be located conveniently so that the trucks are not wasting time and gas traveling to them.
Space for Staging
The location doesn’t have to be any certain kind of building; it could be outdoors, next to some train lines, or even a warehouse. Whatever the location, there must be a staging area where cargo can be loaded and unloaded quickly and without disrupting other supply chain activities.
For your company’s present and future transloading needs, Murphy Logistics offers nearly 3 million square feet of warehouse space across our 14 Minnesota and Missouri warehousing and logistics facilities.
Manpower
Workers at the transload facility are required to strategize and carry out the necessary actions to ensure a successful transloading experience. The workers have extensive knowledge of transloading and are able to execute a wide range of services for customers. It can include anything from human labor to the know-how to operate the necessary machinery.
Machinery
Speaking of machinery, when dealing with vast quantities of potentially heavy freight, mechanical equipment such as cranes, forklifts, pumps, and conveyors are necessary. These items are necessary for every facility that deals with the distribution of transloading freight.
How to Compare Transloading
Transloading is a unique and specialized form of logistics. With the new understanding you would have gained from this article, you can see that it requires specific skills, equipment, and experience. With that in mind, it’s worth comparing transloading to other common forms of logistics.
Comparing Transshipment vs Transloading
Transshipment, unlike transloading, is more similar to intermodal transport. Intermodal and transshipment both entail the physical movement of shipping containers and the cargo they carry. Hence, the goods inside are not unloaded until the last stop on the line is reached.
When a container is transferred from one ship to another before being transported to a new location, this process is called transshipment, which distinguishes it from intermodal transport and transloading. Transloading and intermodal shipping can make use of all available means of transport to carry cargo from one point to another.
Although a transshipment may be part of an intermodal or transload shipment, the term is typically used to refer to the transfer of cargo between vessels as described above.
Transshipment can technically be a part of an intermodal or transload shipment, but again the phrase is used to denote the aforementioned movement between vessels that takes place before the means of transport transitions to that.
The act of transshipment can also occur either out at sea or in waterways that are either just outside or even inside the port of entry. This is also used to connect ports around the world that might not have direct access to one another. This limited access can be a result of many things including too much time or resources being needed to get to certain ports.
It can also be used if the desired port is congested or unavailable due to low tide. Transshipment is monitored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, so keep this in mind if considering this option. Some countries use the practice to try to avoid tariffs or trade restrictions, which America deems to be illegal.
Comparing Cross Docking vs Transloading
We discussed palletized transloading earlier. This is still true, but it’s important to note that many maritime containers skip the pallets altogether and are loaded straight onto the container’s floor.
In such cases, the loads are palletized at the transloading facilities. Cross docking is the practice of loading cargo onto different vehicles. A truck often arrives at a distribution location and is unloaded there. After being unloaded, the cargo is transferred across the center to an existing vehicle, which may be carrying a combined shipment destined for a single business.
Cross docking increases the likelihood that a load of palletized cargo will be loaded directly onto an awaiting truck. Material can be separated and reloaded onto different outbound vehicles, or it can be stored in the distribution center until the appropriate time.
Transloading, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with goods that are in transit from beginning to end. What this doesn’t mean, though, is that the cargo can never be stored. The primary objective of transloading is to transfer commodities from one mode of transportation to another in order to get them to their final resale location as soon as possible.
The ships and railroads that are integral to the transloading process operate primarily outside, making it more vulnerable to weather conditions. Trucks must drive through the same conditions when entering and exiting the warehouse for cross-docking to work, but the process itself takes place within a climate-controlled distribution center, where the cargo is safe from the elements.
When navigating the supply chain, cross-docking is another option. It’s vital to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of both options and decide which is best for your current situation based on a thorough understanding of your needs and the alternatives available to you.
Understanding a Cross Dock Terminal
Having defined cross docking and discussed its process within a warehouse or distribution center, let’s hone in on the specifics of the terminal used for cross docking. We’ll also look at how it helps cross docking work.
Dock doors are elevated entrances on the building’s sides that serve as docking terminals, facilitating the unloading of trucks from their trailers. When not in use, the openings can be concealed by rolling doors or shutters. Dock doors are raised to facilitate loading and unloading by bringing the truck’s bed level with the floor. There are occasions when a vehicle won’t fit through the door of the warehouse, and when that happens, ramps are employed to level the ground.
The trucks unload on the clearly indicated inbound side of the center. Goods, which are frequently palletized, are sorted in a specific manner once they enter the warehouse so that they are loaded into the appropriate truck on the outbound side of the facility. The process may be as simple as moving the pallet on a pallet jack or forklift across the street and loading it onto the vehicle heading away. Sometimes it’s necessary to disassemble a pallet and rearrange its contents so that it may be loaded into a new truck.
Trucks waiting to be loaded may be seen parked at the exit. Even when trucks are waiting, the freight is occasionally moved to the outbound side so that it may be loaded swiftly and accurately once the truck comes.
Comparing Intermodal Shipping vs Transloading
The phrase “intermodal shipping” refers to a process when more than one mode of transportation was used to deliver a single shipment. This may sound identical to transloading; nevertheless, the differences are distinct.
Intermodal shipping is characterized by the use of special containers called intermodal containers, which allow for the smooth movement of cargo between different modes of transportation such as trains, trucks, and cargo ships. Shipping goods today typically involves more than one means of transport. In reality, intermodal shipping is on the rise because of the present truck driver scarcity.
The loading and unloading processes are the most noticeable differences. When commodities are transloaded, they are transferred from one vehicle or container to another, with the original container no longer carrying the cargo. When using intermodal shipping, the entire container is transferred from one location to another, so cargo is never unloaded until it reaches a distribution hub or its final destination.
Intermodal shipping, like transloading, can help expedite the movement of goods along the supply chain. Transloading is another viable alternative to consider if cargo transportation is required, and it can be used to great success.
Better Understanding Intermodal
Transloading, in the broadest sense, is also a type of intermodal shipping because it involves the use of more than one method of transportation. Hence, transload shipping is equivalent to intermodal transport in its most fundamental form. On the other hand, there is one key distinction between the two. That is how cargo is shifted from one mode of conveyance to another.
Cargo in an intermodal shipment remains inside containers throughout the whole trip. It is not unloaded from the containers until the very end of the journey, despite the fact that the containers can be transferred freely between trucks, planes, and trains.
Transloading makes use of more than one mode of transit. Yet, it does not travel in the same container throughout its whole journey. Both modes of transportation can complement one another to some extent.
Rail to Truck Transloading
Transloading in this way is common since it allows you to take advantage of both the low costs of shipping by rail and the convenience of having your goods delivered straight to the doorstep.
Each company has its own unique transloading requirements, however, this serves as an excellent illustration of how transloading is implemented in practice for many shipments. The actual procedure for transloading remains unchanged from what was previously explained. The freight is transported by train to a transloading facility, where it is loaded by hand or by machine into the back of an 18-wheeler. The truck will then transport it the final distance.
What is Drayage
Freight transport across small distances, typically inside the same region as the port it arrives via, is known as drayage, a term used only in supply chain and logistics. Transport through drayage is typically limited to short distances and serves as something of a link within the supply chain.
The cost of drayage may be separate from the overall cost of shipping your freight. Since its main function is to serve as the “initial mile” of the entire journey, it is never provided on its own. Drayage, however, is not necessarily a quick trip from a harbor. A shipment may start its journey at the port but end up in a yard or warehouse first.
In some situations, drayage isn’t a luxury but a requirement. This is because it often serves as the starting point for goods entering the United States, reducing congestion at the border. When compared to demurrage penalties, which are levied against the importer when the ship’s cargo is not unloaded within the agreed-upon time, drayage can wind up being more cost-effective.
Drayage is an option that can save you money and time as you transport goods to their final destination.
Why use Transloading Services
It’s likely that transloading services will be crucial in ensuring that your cargo makes it from its origin to its destination, and this is a primary reason why they are required rather than merely preferred.
The idea of loading and unloading cargo in the middle of a trip wouldn’t have been conceived unless there was some kind of practical benefit to doing so. There are bounds to what can be accomplished by even the most fundamental forms of transportation, such as trains, ships, planes, and trucks. Let’s look at each briefly.
Sea Transport
In many cases, ship transport is the most cost-effective and sensible means of acquiring products from abroad. However, if speed is an issue, this is the slowest method of transporting products, and once they reach the port, they must still be delivered by train or truck.
Air Transport
A plane can only land at an airport or airfield, so you’ll need another mode of transportation to get the package to its final destination. Air travel is almost always going to be the most expensive choice.
Rail Transport
In most cases, traveling by train is the most eco-friendly and cost-effective choice. Trucks may compete with rail in terms of cost for shorter distances, but rail still relies on trucks to complete the freight-hauling process because so few factories and warehouses have direct access to train tracks.
Truck Transport
As long as your delivery is within a contiguous region, truck transport is impossible to beat for simplicity of booking and level of convenience. After your cargo is on dry land, it can be transported by truck to any destination in the country.
The Benefits of Transloading
If you want to minimize potential shipping delays, transloading is a good option to consider. Transloading will not speed up the customs clearance process for merchandise coming from abroad. Transloading, however, can significantly speed up the domestic shipping procedure once customs clearance has been achieved.
Nevertheless, transloading can be less expensive than using long-distance trucks or trains in some cases. This can be achieved by combining many modes of transport into a single trip, or simply by preventing freight from sitting idle and thus incurring storage costs.
Finally, from the standpoint of the journey freight must undergo to reach its final destination, transloading can sometimes be the best alternative. It could be far more efficient than either taking a rail the full distance or driving a truck.
The Cost of Transloading
Because the majority of the journey may be made via less expensive transportation, transloading is an easy way to cut costs. When the train can no longer carry your products, you must transload them onto a truck to continue the journey. Another way it can help you save money is by preventing your goods from lying idle in a port or a warehouse. The cost of self-storage can build up rapidly. The good news is that transloading can help you save money on these charges.
Ideally, shipping costs would decrease with decreased transit times for cargo. Drayage was mentioned earlier as a means to avoid demurrage fees by keeping your freight in motion. The same logic applies to the efficacy of transload in avoiding unnecessary costs.
Consolidating shipments during transloading is yet another cost-effective strategy. As an illustration, the contents of six 40-foot ocean containers can be stored in just four 53-foot containers used commonly in the United States. Transloading allows for the transfer of goods into fewer containers, which should reduce shipping costs for a company.
Major Transloading Challenges
Freight transloading presents a number of significant difficulties. Nevertheless, there is one that stands out above the rest: the possibility that your cargo will be damaged during transloading.
There’s no way around the fact that increasing the number of people and machines touching cargo increases the odds that some of it will be damaged. Even so, the odds of harm grow whenever it is moved, which is not to suggest that it is guaranteed to be damaged in any given instance.
Ensuring your cargo makes it to the transloading facility and determining which facility is closest to the final destination are both factors to take into account. Transloading facilities are typically situated next to train tracks or in open areas close to main thoroughfares. This may or may not be a problem, depending on the 3PL business you work with. If you work with a 3PL brokerage services provider that has expertise and insight in this field, they should be able to plot the most efficient track for your cargo and avoid this problem altogether.
Overcome Transloading Challenges
Freight insurance is an additional layer of protection against lost or damaged goods that may occur during transloading.
Making sure your cargo is packaged securely will minimize the risk of damage during this type of shipment. Your products have a better chance of surviving shipping if you invest more in durable, complete packaging, and may prove to be worthwhile.
Teaming up with a seasoned 3PL provider can alleviate a lot of stress when dealing with the pressure of the narrow time frame in which everything must go right for a transload to go smoothly.
Integrating Transloading Into Your Business
If you want to figure out if transloading fits into your transportation plan economically and logistically, the best way to do it is to work with a third-party logistics provider. If your company lacks extensive experience, you will benefit from a logistics company’s expert assistance in planning the complexities of putting together the tight windows required to pull off a transload with optimal efficiency.
You probably won’t be the one deciding if your shipment gets transloaded. When you tell the 3PL where the freight is coming from and going, they will likely advise this route. The benefits of transloading will become clear at that time.
Your priority should always be the secure, efficient, and economical transport of your goods. Choosing the least expensive delivery option isn’t always the best option; knowing which option provides the best value is more important.
While transloading can enhance overall freight transportation efficiencies, it is not a process that can simply be put on autopilot. Like many other supply chain-related factors, it’s most effective when used as a strategic tool.
If you’re using a 3PL logistics solutions company, they should be as concerned about efficiency as you are. Along with cross docking, it might be your go-to for order fulfillment. Transloading can be a viable solution within the constraints of getting your cargo where it needs to go.
Choosing a Transloading Company
Finding a reliable transloading service could seem like a challenge at first. There area few characteristics you can look for in any provider of these services to help you make the best possible choice.
To successfully complete the transloading process, your warehousing and logistics provider should have access to high-quality machinery. Transloading usually necessitates the use of specialized staging areas at convenient locations due to the nature of the equipment required. This includes train tracks or stations situated near interstate highways, allowing trucks to rapidly load up and return to the road.
The 3PL you’re searching for should function as a true business partner. Choose a reputable company with prior transloading experience. The third-party logistics provider should also be versatile. If a truck isn’t available when your shipment reaches the transloading site, you may need to temporarily hold it. In this scenario, your partner’s ability to help you with warehousing is crucial.
Finding a reliable transloading partner is typically straightforward. Nonetheless, you can approach this crucial choice in a few different ways:
- People you know and trust are the ones most able to inform your decision about the pros and cons of a 3PL because they have firsthand experience with the company. This can be a great help in eliminating uncertainty and making decisions more confidently.
- These days, customers can look up information on a business on the internet, no matter what field it operates in, and get a rating for it online. If you are going to depend on such an important decision in part on the reviews, it is necessary that you verify their authenticity to the best of your ability.
- Directly contacting 3rd-party logistics suppliers is another, more basic option. Using this approach will be different from the other two options, but it will provide you with invaluable insight into the nature of their work, the prices they charge, and the timelines within which you can expect to see results. Consider how these considerations will affect your final choice.
Contact Murphy Logistics when you’re ready to learn more about how transloading can benefit your freight handling operations.