5 Shipping Logistics Essentials You Can't Ignore

When you run a small business, a time is going to come when you outgrow local postal services and have to start shipping large volumes of stock to suppliers and clients across the country yourself. This transition can be relatively intimidating. After all, there’s a whole host of different factors you have to bear in mind in order to make a success of shifting goods from A to B. But not to worry. We’re here to help you along the way! Here are a few factors you might want to bear in mind in regards to shipping logistics.

Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By newroadboy

Investing in a Truck

First things first, you’re going to have to invest in some sort of truck. This isn’t going to be cheap. But consider it an investment. The work that it carries out will ensure that it quickly pays for itself and then you only have to consider fuel expenses, maintenance expenses, and staffing expenses when it comes to getting products from you to consumers. Generally speaking, it’s best to invest in a new vehicle, as this will be in top quality and will come with some sort of guarantee.

Hiring Drivers

You’re likely to need more than one driver. After all, you can’t put responsibility for all of your shipping on one person. They need breaks, rest, and time off. Hiring multiple drivers will ensure that shifts can be rotated without anyone becoming excessively tired or overexerted. Make sure drivers are qualified. Check for relevant licenses to drive the type of truck you have invested in, as different sizes of vehicle may require different licenses.

Be Legally Prepared

No matter how well maintained your vehicle may be, or how competent your drivers may be, you do need to be legally prepared for incidents and accidents. Otherwise someone could bring an injury claim for a truck accident against you.

Weight

When you have a truck, you need to bear in mind its weight capacity. You cannot overload it, as this could prove extremely dangerous for the driver, other road users, and pedestrians. Trucks have weight limits for a reason. Calculate the weight of the products that you are loading and ensure that the total weight falls below the truck’s overall weight limit.

Methods of Loading

When you load stock, you need to consider how it will all fit together. Generally, you are best off investing in wooden pallets and loading products into these pallets. When it comes to arranging these pallets, you might want to consider pinwheeling. This involves alternating the direction of pallets, which helps to ensure that they move as little as possible during transit. Alternatively, standard loading is always an option. This involves simply loading palettes side by side. They are easier to get in and out of the truck, increasing speed and productivity, but you do run a higher chance of items moving around and potentially becoming damaged during transit.