Supply chain disruption is testing relationships between shippers and their core trucking carriers.
INFORMATION FLOW
Proactive communication is the key.
In other words, sharing information about expectations, forecasts, capacities, changes in shipment status, and performance results is the best way to improve performance.
A clear example would be the Ryder company. It uses a process called customer due diligence to start your relationship with a sender. Then performance is measured. Conderar that the flow of information also plays a fundamental role while shipments are made.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN A SCREEN
It is recognized that in the COVID-19 era we currently live in, meeting face to face can be a risky proposition.
But carriers and carriers have found other ways to keep their conversations going.
ODFL sometimes ships food to a customer’s location, so the customer and an account representative can have lunch together while meeting digital platforms, such as Zoom.
Technology helps to communicate more frequently than it used to be before the pandemic.
The relationships are very important in a situation when clients or employers need help through any crisis.
ADJUST TO VOLATILE DEMAND
The economic effects of the pandemic have strained partnerships by altering shipping patterns – closing factories, boosting demand for some products, and dramatically reducing demand for others.
Transport capacity was reduced and prices rose. Creating instability in the supply chain. To keep products flowing, shippers and carriers have had to make major adjustments.
ADVICE FOR THE LONG HAUL
Shippers working to maintain good relationships with major carriers, during the pandemic and into the future, can begin by using data to assess the quality of current partnerships.
Some shippers go straight out and ask how important they are to the carrier’s business and if the carrier plans to offer more services in key geographic regions.
Source: InboundLogistics