The freight shipping industry plays a vital role in helping businesses transport their supplies and goods across the country. However, these logistics operations are often riddled with delays that lead to deliveries taking longer than expected. Let’s look at some of the common reasons for these delays and how some freight carriers attempt to combat them.
1. Weather Conditions
Extreme weather conditions can be responsible for a large number of freight shipping delays in the country. A heavy storm or a tornado can shut down roads for several hours and force trucks and their drivers to wait out the conditions at rest stops. There is no way to control the weather, so freight carriers must simply wait for conditions to improve before resuming their deliveries.
Many carriers plan for weather conditions beforehand and let their clients know about such delays. In some cases, they may choose a different delivery route that bypasses the road closures.
2. Truck Problems
Freight delivery trucks do run into mechanical issues from time to time. This is an inevitable part of working with heavy machinery. A flat tire or an engine issue can stall a delivery anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
Freight carriers can minimize the risk of these issues occurring by performing rigorous truck inspections before and after each delivery. This helps them identify problems before they cause delays on the road.
3. Loading Delays
Some shipping delays occur during the loading stage at warehouses. Such problems occur if the freight has unusual dimensions or is heavier than ordinary cargo. Loading these items may require specialized equipment that may not be available at the time.
Carriers can reduce delays in this stage by booking such loading equipment beforehand and ensuring they are available on the scheduled shipping date.
4. Accidents
It’s not uncommon for delivery trucks to run into accidents from time to time. Minor accidents can leave trucks incapacitated for many hours or even days.
Freight carriers can minimize the risk of accidents by offering specialized training for their drivers. In addition to this, they can use their tracking systems to determine exactly where the truck is at the time of the accident, and send a replacement truck and driver to complete the delivery.
Why Choose Action Transport Inc?
At Action Transport Inc we understand that freight shipping delays can be incredibly costly for your business. We can help match you with a freight carrier that takes special precautions before and during deliveries. There is no way to completely eliminate delays during the freight shipping process. However it is possible to minimize them by working with the right freight broker and carrier.