Post-holiday downtime done right: Shipping tips to get ahead

Slow seasons can vary depending on the type of products you ship, but, for many, demand drops after the holiday rush.

“Downtime can be a welcome break,” says Abel Guillen, who leads the Account Management team that serves Amazon Freight’s inbound shippers. “It is also the best time to prepare for the inevitable bumps in the road.”

Here are some tips for strategically using slowdowns, whether in your yard, warehouse, or office. Some you can do at your desk with a hot cup of coffee, while others will have you digging in and donning a pair of work gloves. The one thing they all have in common is that they will help you get ahead.

We recently asked a group of shippers about strategies they’ve used to improve efficiency and cut costs, and one word rose to the top—optimization. From workforce utilization at the warehouse to maximizing every inch of trailer space, it can all help eliminate waste.

“We have been leaning on analytics much more in terms of understanding what areas of operations can provide much greater levels of optimization,” one shipper told us. Historical data, load plans, and front-line employees can all be valuable sources of information.

Optimization extends to trucking routes as well. You can start by looking over the current routes. Review your performance metrics and use route optimization software to find the best paths and ideal sequence of stops. Also, look over business rules, such as delivery window requirements, to see if even slight changes could create opportunities to combine loads or transition from less-than-truckload to truckload shipments.

After you dig into your analytics, it’s time to head into your warehouse and yard. Maintaining equipment and ensuring an organized workspace help keep things moving.

When tools like your forklift go down, it can have a ripple effect throughout the supply chain, which can be disruptive in an industry that relies on schedules, federally mandated hours-of-service, and pre-set departure and arrival times. Think about the dock—if just one of a dock’s ten positions isn’t working, it can only function at 90%. Proactively servicing dock doors, forklifts, conveyors, and other equipment mitigates potential downstream delays.

The same philosophy applies to yards at distribution centers and warehouses. Look around to see if you need to add directional arrows, repaint parking lines and safety markings, or repair potholes. There may also be opportunities to review and redesign traffic patterns to minimize congestion and reduce travel time.

“If there’s one issue we see consistently, it’s yards with unclear directional finding,” says Guillen. “Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has never driven on your property and think how you would guide them to safely find your dock.”

It’s no surprise that surge periods mean a lot of packaging is coming and going, and waste can accumulate quickly and get in the way. The post-holiday breather is a chance to do your spring cleaning a few months earlier. Take time to tidy up from the rush and, more importantly, think through how to manage it even better with smartly placed recycling bins and trash containers.

You want to avoid tackling contingency planning when you’re already swamped. Lulls in business are the best time to assess not only what has happened in the past but also what could go wrong so you can react quickly. Being prepared can keep problems from becoming worse. Communication and access to capacity are two of the most important parts of a backup plan.

Savvy shippers hold periodic meetings with their transportation providers to discuss anticipated demand and any shifts in business. They also develop standardized communication protocols to prevent miscommunications and enhance coordination. This includes defining communication channels, frequency of updates, and the proper points of contact.

If business surges or an existing carrier suddenly isn’t available, you may need to find new sources of capacity. Freight brokers tap you into a vast carrier network to find trucking capacity.

If you’d like to work with Amazon Freight, our dedicated transportation consultants, and our 24/7/365 operations team support, create a shipper account and get started.