Finance

Useful Tips for Logistics Brokers: How to Avoid Empty Miles

When dealing with freight forwarding, both shippers and carriers have to face versatile difficulties and challenges. They have to find a common language with each other or deal with financial issues. It’s necessary to keep up with the time in order to apply only the most profitable and effective logistics solutions. And there is one thing that is able to drive crazy both shippers and carriers. It’s the problem of empty miles. 

In order to understand what actually empty miles are and why they are so terrifying, let’s imagine a typical procedure of expedited freight delivery, for instance. The shipper places an order for urgent delivery from point A to point B. The logistics broker finds an appropriate carrier who picks up the freight at point A and delivers it to point B. And here the problems come. Quite often, the driver is to return without any cargo. Or the carrier receives another order but it’s necessary to drive far away without any load.

It’s cool if it’s possible to arrange a road map of every driver in such a way so as to reduce the number of empty miles. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible. It’s clear that logistics brokers are not ready to bear all the expenses on their own. They are to share the expenses with clients. It affects the shipping costs -they become higher. 

No wonder all the parties of the freight services want to find a proper way out from the situation and get rid of the problem of empty miles. Unfortunately, at the moment, it’s impossible to solve the issue. Yet, there are some solutions that help to minimize losses.

The right choice of trucks and containers

Carriers should be ready for versatile orders. Of course, when it comes to specialized freight services, there is no place for variations. Yet, when it comes to standard orders, it’s possible to arrange LTL and FTL shipments. It’s only necessary to prepare all the needed means and systems to secure cargo if it comes to LTL delivery after FTL shipment. No matter what type of cargo drivers transport, they are to follow existing regulations and transportation legislation.    

Load optimization

Mileage can also be reduced by improving the cube utilization of loads. Some types of trucks can be securely stacked without voids to increase load height, resulting in fewer pallets required for retail or e-commerce delivery. At the same time, other packaging redesign efforts can lead to unit loads being built higher or more densely, again resulting in fewer unit loads and ultimately fewer trucks on the road. 

The use of innovative technologies

Nowadays, you may benefit from the use of innovative technologies. It’s enough to install special software and application, and artificial intelligence will create the most optimal driving directions to work and back with a minimum of “waste” miles.

So, it should be highlighted that the problem of empty miles is familiar to everyone who has ever dealt with freight services. If you want to save money, it’s necessary to pick up solutions with a minimum number of empty miles.            

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