If moving freight across Australia forms a large part of your business operations, then you’ll be familiar with some of the challenges that go along with it.
But there are some simple things you can put in place to help make your freight experience more seamless.
These are our top 7 things you can do to improve your freight experience.
Things To Consider When Moving Freight
From understanding carton freight limits to making sure that you’ve got plenty of detail on your paperwork, here’s our top 7 things you can do to improve your freight experience.
#1 Document Everything on Your Freight
You can never put too much information on your freight paperwork. Period.
Your documentation should always include:
- A name and phone number for the sender AND the receiver.
Then if the driver can’t find the location for any reason, they can call for more information and you save yourself redelivery fees, or worse, lost freight.
- Special instructions
If the warehouse is at the rear, if there’s a particular place the driver should park, if there’s a bell they need to press or any other special instructions that will help your freight get to where it needs to go, make sure it’s on the documentation.
- Location open hours
The carrier isn’t going to know that the delivery address closes at 4pm on Friday, or that they need to call to make sure someone will be there first – unless you put it on the paperwork.
#2 Dangerous Goods Safety Information
If you’re shipping dangerous goods, it’s not always enough to declare the goods are dangerous on the consignment note.
Dangerous goods freight often requires a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that includes detailed information about the consequences of mishandling the goods, and important transport information such as if it cannot travel with food or cannot travel by air.
Making sure you’ve included an MSDS with your shipment will stop it from being delayed, or refused by a carrier.
#3 Include the Invoice on the Shipment
If the receiver requires an invoice with the goods, make sure one is securely fixed to the outside of the shipment in a clear plastic window.
Don’t give it to the driver and assume it will arrive with your freight. The driver making the collection, might not be the same as the driver making the delivery. If the invoice or sales order isn’t on the freight, it can easily go missing. And if it does, the receiver might refuse to accept the goods and your shipment will be returned to you.
#4 Carton Freight Limits and Palletised Freight
When you’re sending things via Carton Freight, don’t send more than five cartons at a time. Any more than that and you should be looking at a Palletised Freight option.
While you might think you’ll be saving some money, if you send too many cartons in a shipment, they are more likely to get damaged or go missing. Then your customer ends up with three cartons delivered, and the rest delayed and it becomes time-consuming to locate all the individual cartons to find out where they are.
Don’t create a false economy. Palletise the shipment instead to use less packaging (better for the environment) and improve efficiency (better for your bottom line).
#5 Wrap Your Pallet Shipping in the Right Plastic
If you send your freight all over Australia, there’s a good chance you’re using palletised shipping to move large shipments from state to state.
If everything on the pallet is for one customer, your pallet should be wrapped in black plastic.
If the pallet is mixed and needs to be broken down into smaller shipments once it reaches the transfer warehouse, your pallet should be wrapped in clear plastic. It should also include labelling on the outside clearly showing it’s a mixed pallet, along with the destination state.
Whether it’s a single or mixed pallet, make sure all the shipping information is on the outside of the pallet, as well as on the individual boxes inside the pallet so everything finds its way to where it’s meant to go.
#6 Help Your Customers to Self-Serve
One of the best ways to improve your freight experience, is to improve the freight experience of your customers.
The best way to do this, is to help your customers to self-serve by giving them the ability to track their consignments.
At Freight People, we have a branded tracking page our customers can use so that their customers can track their freight. Our software also has the power to send advanced shipping notices via email or SMS for all delivery events.
Giving your customers direct access to information about their shipment stops them from needing to pick up the phone and call customer service to find out where it is. It’s a win/win situation.
#7 Use a Freight Forwarder
If you really want to improve your freight experience, then using a freight forwarder like Freight People is something you should consider.
Partnering with the right freight broker has many advantages for your business. We manage all your freight requirements and do the work for you. One number to call, one system to use, one consolidated invoice - regardless of how many carriers you use, or types of freight you send each month.
What Is Freight Forwarding?
A freight forwarder acts as a middleman for your freight by consolidating your shipping to make it a more seamless experience.
If you find freight a time-consuming and frustrating part of your business, then using a freight forwarder like Freight People is an excellent solution.
How Freight Forwarding Works
When you partner with a freight forwarder, they take on the responsibility of ensuring all your freight gets to where it needs to go, using the best available shipping solution for your needs.
Sometimes that might be cost driven, other times you might need your freight to get somewhere quickly, no matter the cost, and sometimes you might need a specialist freight mover to move sensitive or dangerous goods.
Using a centralised freight management system, your freight forwarder will work with you to get the best solution to your freight needs, help you manage booking though a range of carriers and deliver you with a consolidated freight invoice along with independent advice that will turn freight from a necessary hassle, into a competitive advantage for your business.
How Freight People’s Freight Management System Can Help
At Freight People, we’re working to transform the way organisations work with freight, turning it into a competitive differentiator for your business.
Our experience means we’re able to take the frustration out of your business freight, while our dedicated team and home-grown technology support hundreds of Australian businesses with their logistics and supply chain management.
With leading technology enabling you to manage multiple freight carrier options through one portal, we can deliver real-time reporting that allows you to use data to make better freight decisions and your customers to self-serve.
Key Takeaways
There are many ways you can help yourself to improve your freight experience. From helping customers to self-serve, to ensuring you supply detailed freight with shipments, choosing the right freight option for your needs and even working with a freight forwarder who will help streamline your freight management.
If you’re looking for a freight broker to partner with your business, get in touch with us today and find out how Freight People’s experience can be your competitive advantage.