E-Commerce Archives - GlobalTranz

Simplify Your Logistics With Our Shipping Technology

James Greenlaw — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 19:28:26 +0000

In the shipping industry, a truck, airplane or train might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the movement of products. Those modes of transport are essential, but they accomplish little today without the use and implementation of shipping technology.

Platforms like a transportation management system (TMS), warehouse management system and e-commerce shipping software allow you to make informed decisions and seamlessly make transactions for greater profitability. 3pl technology solutions can also keep your customers happy and turn them into return customers.

But not all technology platforms are equal. Some are based upon antiquated logic and processes, leaving you to do a lot of guesswork that ends up negatively impacting your bottom line.

At GlobalTranz, we provide logistics technology solutions and follow technology trends that make your job easier. We have decades of shipping expertise and keep an eye on the future to help you remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven world.

Transportation Management System

GlobalTranz has its own proprietary transportation management system (TMS). Our platforms provide end-to-end transportation management that enables a greater supply chain transparency than our competitors. Our transportation management system offers:

Immediate access to carriers — Select the appropriate carrier for your shipments at a cost that fits your budget. With more than 85,000 full truckload (FTL) carriers and 75+ less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers , we can help you find trucks with capacity, no matter what you're shipping.
Connection to multiple modes — From LTL and FTL to rail and air, GlobalTranz gives you maximum opportunities to choose the best method to ship your products at the speed and price you need — all through our TMS. You can choose a single transportation mode for your shipment or mix them for the best value.
Track-and-trace capabilities and notifications — Get real-time insight into your shipments and resolve any issues as soon as they happen. This allows you to communicate with your customer and plan for potential disruptions. Communication of this kind can help you develop trust with your customers.
Documentation management — Keep all of your online paperwork in one place — from freight quotes to bills of lading, invoices, claim information and shipping labels.
Claims management — Make filing and settling claims with carriers easy with our TMS software. All shipping data is in one place. Plus, you're given step-by-step filing instructions on claims and have access to our support staff to help with the process.
Analytics and business intelligence — Use data from your selections and transform them into a high-level dashboard you can use to discover insights and opportunities for greater efficiencies and cost-savings.

Warehouse Management System

The GlobalTranz warehouse management system (WMS) allows you to organize, control and optimize operations in your warehouses. A WMS helps reduce human error from manual data entry. They can also improve productivity, enable flexibility and reduce operating costs. Some functions of a WMS include:

Warehouse design — Organize products into a workable space with WMS data. This allows you to optimize inventory management and enable an efficient picking process.
Inventory tracking — A WMS provides insight that can help you make better decisions on the supply and demand of goods and allows you to forecast better inventory control — whether you work with a lean or agile system.
Picking and shipping — A WMS indicates where products are stored and updates the inventory count in real-time as activity occurs for greater productivity and accuracy.
Labor management — Get intelligence on inventory levels and order demands by using a sophisticated WMS. You can also plan for needed labor force, assign tasks and improve productivity.
Analytics — Utilize WMS data to make better decisions when balancing inventory levels and storage costs.

E-commerce Shipping Software

Using an application programming interface (API) with a TMS, WMS and order management system provides businesses with a single source of truth. This e-commerce shipping integration software helps companies ensure their online customers get the product they need when they need it. For you (the shipper), the logistics API integration gives you assurance that your shipping operations are running at an optimal level. Our transportation management software and warehouse management system integrates with leading e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento, providing you with:

Seamless online shopping experience — Shipping costs are generated in your e-commerce cart so customers can see charges up front and complete their purchase.
Customers get several shipping methods — Customers get the option to choose freight rates and transit times based upon budget and deadlines.
Create administrative rules for greater control — Customize your customer experience by offering free shipping or the lowest priced carriers.

GlobalTranz Is a Leader In Providing Shipping & Logistics Technology Solutions

As a shipper, you have access to an enormous number of shipping and logistics solutions to help you face today's challenges. But not all solutions are created equal. That's why it's important to team up with a shipper partner, like GlobalTranz that you can trust for a full suite of proven transportation management services. That includes a TMS, a warehouse management system and e-commerce integration solution that can increase profitability and efficiency while keeping your customer happy. Get a quote to learn how we can help you stay competitive and profitable in the face of an ever-changing supply chain.

The post Simplify Your Logistics With Our Shipping Technology appeared first on GlobalTranz.

5 Ways to Mitigate Rising Fuel Surcharges

Thu, 19 May 2022 21:00:31 +0000

The cost of fuel is hitting record-breaking numbers. The average American is paying more every time they go to the pump, and the transportation industry has also been massively impacted. Carriers are paying more to fill up their trucks and this is reflected in the fuel surcharges being applied by major freight carriers to cool record-high levels of demand. These surcharges are additional fees (many of which can be found in our list of transportation terminology ) charged by carriers when the cost of fuel exceeds a certain threshold. This can make it incredibly difficult for shippers to execute shipping strategies and meet customer expectations — but there are ways to mitigate these added costs. Here, we detail five steps shippers can take — with the help of their 3PL — to navigate the effects of rising fuel surcharges.

1. Optimize mode selection and consolidate shipments

Shippers can alleviate some of the impacts of high fuel costs by taking a look at their current transportation strategies and finding areas for optimization. With higher fuel surcharges, consolidating your freight should be a top consideration. Shippers — especially those who primarily use less-than-truckload (LTL) — should look into delaying less time-sensitive shipments and consolidating freight into either larger LTL shipments or even full truckload shipments where possible.

This is where the reporting capabilities of your transportation management system are critical. By tapping into GlobalTranz’s TMS technology, you get a control tower view of your shipments across all modes of transportation. The insights you receive from our transportation management system paired with the insights from our expert teams can provide opportunities to optimize your processes, consolidate shipments and save money.

2. Work with carriers to plan efficient routes

When fuel costs are high, the route a carrier chooses to take is especially important. Work with your carriers to optimize routes — planning for the shortest mileage, avoiding common rush hour times and minimizing fuel usage. A 3PL, like GlobalTranz, can help with this, ensuring that your carriers are planning the most efficient route without negatively impacting on-time deliveries.

3. Work with a 3PL who prioritizes sustainability

Providers who already prioritize sustainability have experience optimizing fuel efficiency and limiting empty miles as part of their daily business practices. Reducing deadhead miles — when a truck is driving empty after delivering cargo — can be beneficial to shippers as carriers often pass on some of the costs of the empty miles to shippers. A 3PL can help you look for backhaul opportunities within your own network to avoid unnecessary costs for moving empty trucks.

GlobalTranz is a SmartWay Transport Partner, which allows us to partner with the EPA to measure, benchmark and improve our operations in order to reduce our environmental footprint. We were also recognized by Inbound Logistics as a Green Supply Chain Partner for 2021. GlobalTranz is committed to supply chain sustainability, and we work with carriers to prioritize environmental efficiency — leading to benefits for shippers especially given recent fuel costs.

4. Become a shipper of choice to limit fuel surcharges

Becoming a shipper of choice for carriers will go a long way in attracting quality transportation providers and keeping costs low. Taking care of drivers, helping shipments run smoothly and reducing loading and unloading times are all strategies to become a shipper of choice.

Additionally, when drivers must wait for long periods of time at the shipper or consignee, they will wait with their truck’s engine running. This adds to their fuel usage and can impact the rates paid by shippers. GlobalTranz can help you make adjustments to your operations so that you can become a shipper of choice for quality carriers by evaluating things like loading and unloading times to identify areas for improvement.

5. Consider onshoring or nearshoring

Rising labor and transportation costs as well as fuel surcharges have led many shippers to lose the savings that were typically associated with offshoring. While updating your warehousing and distribution strategy to utilize onshoring or nearshoring may not be a quick change you can make today, it is a long-term strategy to consider. Shortening the overall supply chain can help mitigate rising transportation costs, especially the recent fluctuations in fuel costs.

GlobalTranz offers a solution to manage your fulfillment, warehousing and distribution needs. We can work with you to create a strategy that takes into account the volatile market and recent trends stemming from rising fuel costs.

Partner with GlobalTranz to navigate rising fuel costs

The transportation industry has faced many challenges, especially in recent years. The current spike in fuel surcharges is just one issue that shippers must navigate — but you don’t have to do it alone. GlobalTranz offers a dense and quality carrier network, a leading transportation management system delivering data-driven insights and a team of industry experts available around the clock for support.

Reach out to speak with an expert today so you can lean on GlobalTranz to help you navigate rising fuel costs — and whatever else the industry has in store.

The post 5 Ways to Mitigate Rising Fuel Surcharges appeared first on GlobalTranz.