Freight forwarding is a key part of logistics. Recently, all of logistics and shipments have endured a trying period as the pandemic rages across the world. Even recently, with the unprecedented delays in shipping through the USPS, you can see the effects the pandemic’s disruption has had on the world of shipping and logistics. Overcoming it is not easy, but it has been achieved by many companies.
The answer is technology, such as freight forwarding software.
We live in an age of technological connection and progress unlike anything before. We can store and share data and media across channels as wide as the entire planet and connect to each other and into information in a minute. While that doesn’t mean shipping suddenly has become instantaneous, it does mean freight forwarders have become smarter about how they respond to a quickly changing landscape.
Below are some of the ways the pandemic has affected the freight forwarding business and how freight forwarding software technology can help.
Shifts in the Supply Chain
One of the most evident things quickly was the bottleneck in the supply chain. The majority of the US’s retail exports come from China. Unfortunately, when the virus hit, increased demand for certain products (mainly medical equipment and at-home fitness equipment went through the roof just as China’s exports were stopped at the borders of many countries out of fear of biological contamination.
Rising Prices
Not many people outside the business realize the vast majority of air freight travels in passenger airplanes in the cargo hold. With the sudden drop in travel as international travel was suspended across the world, competition for the resources available in freight travel drove the prices up. This was also met with the rise in demand for certain bulk medical products caused a reduction in already strained cargo space.
The Rise of Road Freight
With the severe reduction of cargo space in air freight, cargo on the road became the key way to send freight. With more manufacturing moving back into the domestic sphere, road freight has become the way to move cargo across the country to its destinations. With the reduction of local travel as businesses closed, this opened the roadways to road freight without many delays.
Related Questions
How can software help prevent supply chain problems?
Freight forwarder software can streamline your back-office operations which reduces burdens in other areas such as compliance and trade flow analysis. The kinks in the system can be easily worked out through software.
Can software help in essential operations?
Yes, one of the biggest benefits of the software is the way it allows freight forwarders to deliver essential medical supplies and other material to essential personnel on the front lines of grocery stores or hospital floors. Meaning essential operations can continue without being interrupted. It will increase efficiencies, improve communication, and reduce labor costs laying the groundwork to taking your freight business to the next level.
Questions about how freight forwarding software can help your freight business tackle the effects of the pandemic and future shifts in our global norm? Call CSA Software for more information.
For over 35 years, CSA Software has been offering full-service software solutions around the world. We offer a full suite of software products including Transportation Management, Warehouse Management, Ocean Freight Management, Air Freight Management and more. Call for a Free Software Demo today!