How to combat missed pickups and late deliveries
Late Shipments
One of the biggest clouds that hang over every logistics operation is the fight against missed pickups and late deliveries. These mishaps waste time and money for more parties than one: your business’s teams, vendors and carriers, shipping facilities and customers. Although carriers put great effort toward increasing efficiency and correcting issues along the way, there will always be variability and unpredictable conditions that bring down the percentage of delivery success – an industry-wide KPI just as unsteady as this constant cloud.
You always want to hold carriers and shippers to the highest standard possible so that you see progressive results. However, the general excuse for continued missed pickups and late deliveries is the idea that in conveying the possible negative outcome of a delivery, carriers set themselves up for extra work and more expenses and still cannot guarantee the shipment status will be amended.
So how can you work proactively against this ongoing issue? Start the search for a third-party logistics provider (3PL) and transportation management system (TMS) that work in unison with your supply chain team to take action today. Here’s how missed pickups and deliveries are tackled when you partner with a 3PL and advanced TMS:
Missed Pickups
- Talk with the dispatcher and develop a solution for an on-time pickup
- Are there different drivers returning to the terminal with trailer space?
- Are there drivers scheduled to deliver to the same destination?
- Find other carriers in the area capable of making the pickup
- What is the added cost of making the pickup?
- Determine whether the carrier has space for a partial pickup
- Contact 3PL customer service or supplier with possible solutions for input
- Make the best decision together and record shipment as a late pickup in the TMS
- Analyze all recorded information and KPIs to later determine carrier performance
- If it is a reoccurring carrier, have TLI setup exclusionary lanes
Prior day missed pickups (Inbound Vendor Routing)
- The 3PL tracking department alerts your team via email and provides reasoning
- The 3PL inputs detailed notes into the TMS
- The 3PL speaks with the dispatcher to reschedule and prioritize the shipment
- The 3PL follows up on the carrier at fault to ensure successful pickup
Late Deliveries
- If the delivery is one day late, the 3PL records information in the TMS
- If the delivery is two days late, the 3PL contacts the carrier to determine reasoning and next steps
- The 3PL emails you with all gathered information if delivery does not occur by 3pm on the second day
- You convey the importance of the delivery and select a delivery option
- Completed delivery information is recorded in the TMS for later carrier performance
Is your shipment held up at another location? Does your customer service team know what to do with frustrated customers? Get access to all the information you need to make the right decision ahead of time with a trusted 3PL partner and cutting-edge TMS.
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