If you are one of those who think that a logistics operator is someone who is only in charge of taking merchandise from one place to another, you are very wrong. Although transport is one of the most common logistics tasks, companies increasingly include more solutions to meet the needs of their customers. Today we will review some of the more traditional transport services and those complementary services that have been added over time to complete the logistics offer.
Traditional Transport Services
Full load
The use of a trailer loaded with the merchandise of a single client to take it directly to its destination. The full load is one of the most used services due to its simplicity and because it offers good prices for those companies capable of filling an entire truck for their shipments.
Groupage
Groupage is the little brother of the full load. Groupage is designed for those companies or shipments in which the load does not occupy an entire trailer, and groupage offers the possibility of improving the cost in exchange for sharing space with other merchandise.
Urgent pallet shop
The constant reduction in the size of the batches has generated a new market niche with the shipment of small pallets below what is generally known as groupage. This new service, which is experiencing tremendous growth in recent years, has served both large companies – which have increased the frequency of their shipments to minimize inventory costs – and small ones, which do not reach the volumes of the full charge.
The urgent shipment of pallets is also experiencing a great development in delivery times. With initiatives such as am (before noon) and TODAY (on the same day) services of our Palibex network, deadlines are being reduced to get closer to those of the courier.
Parcel
The parcel is another transport service that is experiencing a sweet moment. The explosion of electronic commerce has been an indispensable ally in the development of parcels. E-commerce has forced parcels to transform, and they have responded by providing new delivery forms and deadlines unimaginable until recently.
Storage
Between manufacture and distribution, the goods need to be housed somewhere. As we have already commented, firms want to reduce their stock levels since these represent an expense. However, reducing them does not mean that they can always be eliminated. The alternative that the company in charge of transport also stores the product is still a very common solution and one of the most used transportation services in Israel.
Intermodal
Despite the road’s reign, air and rail are claimed as alternatives for transport services. However, from certain distances, the plane is unbeatable in delivery speed. And the same happens with the boat when we talk about the price, even though we have to extend the delivery period. As a result, these methods of transport usually end up resorting to the road as a last resort. Still, the drive for intermodal logistics is a reality to be considered by all those in charge of designing a supply chain.
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Transport and logistics services to complement customer service.
Logistics operators have never stayed in the previous points but have always added products and services to complete their offer. Let’s see some of these activities that add value to customers:
Pallet preparation
If we want our pallet to arrive safely at its destination, we must prepare it carefully. Logistics operators are specialists in ensuring that the merchandise that passes through their hands comes out in the best conditions. The steps to prepare a pallet range from reviewing the pallet itself to fixing the merchandise on it and the order of placement of its components according to their weight and dimensions.
Inventory control
If storage was one of the traditional logistics services, its development implies a whole series of functions that add value to the user company. Among them is inventory control, which makes it easier for the client to know their stocks, the speed of rotation, the supply of demand, etc.
Depalletization
The need for door-to-door deliveries is growing in a market where deliveries to individuals continue to rise. It is often no longer enough to take the merchandise to an address; rather, the recipient requires that it be depalletized.
Packaging
Logistics operators can also get involved in the work of packaging. Both when it comes to preparing orders and conditioning pallets so that they travel safely, as well as acting as consultants with their clients, helping them decide the ideal way to pack their goods and make them travel more safely.