RoadLINX Inc Third Party Logistics Keeps Haulage Trucking | Page 10

GETTING CLOSER TO THE CUSTOMER
One of the major problems that ecommerce companies and manufacturers have when they are restricted to only a
local presence and a single distribution center is that they are often sub-optimally located. This means shipping
goods to many customers will require long haulage and the resulting lag in delivery times. However, companies
have become more aware of the critical nature of slow delivery and the importance of next day delivery, or even
same day delivery. However for businesses with only a centralized distribution center these goals are not feasible.
One solution however is to store popular and high turn-over goods closer to the customer in the trucking companies
regional hubs that are local or close to the customers. Many trucking companies do often warehouse storing but
companies also offering 3PL will be better placed to plan and manage the shipments and deliveries to the customer
from their local warehouses.
Trucking companies can also provide other 3PL services such as in planning and logistics for supply chain
functions such as just-in-time inventory for manufacturers. As these businesses wish to minimize inventory stock
held at their warehouse facilities it is often necessary to have extremely efficient deliveries and dispatches
synchronized. This is when cross docking can prove to be a huge benefit in keeping the lag between delivery of
goods from a supplier and dispatch to a customer to an absolute minimum. With cross-docking parts can be
unloaded at the depot from one truck and loaded onto another with no delay or storage requirements.