Freight businesses don’t hibernate through the winter season. They’re even busier than usual.
It might feel a little late to start planning for Christmas, but these dark, cold months bring with them quite a few factors to consider to make sure your freight logistics run smoothly.
Here’s everything you’ll need to bear in mind as we enter into the festive season.
Stock Up
What did last year’s Q4 look like? Were stock levels sufficient? What was demand like?
Use the trends of years gone by to forecast your customers’ needs this time around the sun.
During the festive months in particular, customers value speedy delivery. Whether it’s huge grocery orders or last-minute gift purchases, retail companies see a huge hike in custom in the run-up to Christmas. This time of year can also be one of the busiest times of year for many freight and logistics companies as they respond to the global, sky-high demand for goods.
Being unprepared, without enough stock on your shelves, will leave customers high, dry and disappointed, and your reputation significantly dented.
Import stock from other parts of the UK or abroad? They’ll likely be busy too. Get ahead of the game and formulate a tight plan that coordinates all necessary parts to reach you in good time.
Watch The Weather
Winter weather can be treacherous.
Snowfall, hurricane winds and icy roads are just some of the conditions that could bring a halt to your shipments and get in the way of full shelves and smooth supply chains.
Dangerous weather conditions often mean delays and interruptions to the flow of freight through the UK for several reasons:
Road And Port Closures
Road and port closures mean trucks and other vehicles can’t deliver their goods at all or are significantly delayed.
Fewer Trucks
There’s a lack of available vehicles because many aren’t suited to managing wintery driving conditions, meaning it’s safer for everyone if they don’t attempt to drive.
Lead Times Are Vulnerable
Changes to routes and modes of transport can play havoc with accurate shipping lead times. Pad lead times out where possible to accommodate potential disruption and keep customers in the loop at all times.
And it’s not over come the change of season. The knock-on effect from a bad winter spreads far into the spring, with the gap between increased seasonal demand and successful deliveries increasing transportation costs.
Changing Schedules
With the increase in demand felt across the whole freight industry, time is tight in the run-up to Christmas, and it can be tricky to satisfy customers trying to book last-minute slots.
Businesses requiring transport for their goods should plan way ahead and book your services in advance to have a much better chance of their consignment getting to its destination on time. Release your Christmas and New Year shipping schedule, and check your supply chains’, way ahead of time to stay transparent and avoid confused or disappointed customers.
Stressed Out Customers
We all feel it, don’t we?
Winter can be one of the most tiring and stressful times of year for many of us, especially when we’re responsible for getting our Christmas stock to where they need to be. There’s a lot at stake, and a lot of potential money and sales to miss out on if things don’t go to plan.
There’s a good chance you’ll come into contact with customers who are at the end of their tether, especially if adverse weather conditions are affecting their shipments. Try to keep calm and maintain good customer service at every available opportunity to keep clients on your side; they’ll notice any missteps and will be sure to tell you about them.
Key contacts in your supply chain will also be overworked and under strain, so keep them close, too. Good relationships can often help to speed things up a bit.
Increased Shipping Costs
High demand for freight services combined with lower levels of availability due to winter weather means shipping goods at this time of year can be more expensive. And that’s on top of the global container shortage still hitting the industry following the effects of the pandemic. (Read more about why freight prices have rocketed in this recent blog).
Everyone will be feeling the pinch. If possible, increase your own shipping budget to help you execute successful deliveries and maintain reliable coverage.
Starting To Plan For Christmas?
It might feel premature, but it’s worth getting ahead of the game and organising your imports and exports before the season is fully upon us.
Need a bit of help working out your logistics in the run-up? Call Millennium today and shelve your stress.