The trucking industry is very important to the Canadian economy. According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, this industry has been valued at more than $65 billion. More than 400,000 people are employed by it, including over 260,000 drivers. If your business relies on moving your products by truck, you may be looking at container trucking companies. More than 80% of the goods that are exported from the United States to Canada are shipped via this method. Many companies benefit from using third-party logistics companies, also called 3PL businesses. Here are some of the reasons they do this:
1. Third-party logistics firm have the benefit of years of training and experience. The people who work at these container trucking companies know the ins and outs of the best practices in the industry. They keep up to date on the newest technologies, software, and other tools that are needed to efficiently move goods and products from one place to another. They are capable of using software to more carefully manage commercial logistics, such as inventory control and management, techniques to monitor and report on the inventory and find ways to make the process work smoother and more effectively and efficiently. They can also track the progress of products through the transportation process.
This can help you do what you do best, which may not be dealing with reverse logistics. This also gives you more peace of mind knowing that your products are in good hands with a competent 3PL company.
2. Your business can benefit from their network of resources. Many businesses go to independent hiring firms when they need to hire new staff. Not only are these professionals experienced at hiring the right people, but they also have access to a larger network of clients and other resources for hiring than they may have on their own. The very same thing can be said of 3PL companies. This means the process of transporting your products can be streamlined. By taking advantage of their network of resources, they use the relationships they have built to save money for their clients. This can do a lot to grow your own bottom line.
3. These can give you more money and time to grow your business. There are a lot of areas you will have to build up in your business to do your shipping on your own. There are trucks to buy, drivers to train and hire, warehouse software and space, and more people to manage all of that. When you outsource to one of the container trucking companies in your area, you will no longer have to add new departments to your company. This means all of that money and time can be spent on growing your business.
4. Most container trucking companies offer services that can be scalable. When dealing with 3PL companies, there is no “one size fits all” approach. You can take your requirements for inventory management and pay for only the services you will actually need and use. This makes even more sense for businesses with seasonal needs. If your big thing is selling items for the summer, you have different needs at different times of the year. Good container trucking companies will work with you to get you what you need when you need it without paying for services you do not need. They can also help you as your business grows as it is more and more successful.
5. These companies can help you keep optimizing and improving your supply chain. By outsourcing this part of your business, you are bringing on a partner that will make changes all of the time to improve each part along your supply chain. They can take advantage of their network to get you better deals at each step along the way.
Many businesses assume that they can do things cheaper by handling tasks internally but that is often just not true. If your business depends on a reliable way to get your goods into markets or shopping centers, you can do very well by talking to container trucking companies. By relying on their expertise and experience, you can save money, increase profits, and generally improve your business.