Three Reasons to Move Your Inventory from the Coast to an Inland Warehouse
Don’t be afraid of leaving the coast — moving to a warehouse further inland can add versatility and efficiency to your fulfillment and distribution processes.
Storing inventory at a port-adjacent warehouse may seem sensible on the surface. But there are some challenges to keep in mind. From growing costs to geographic limitations, the challenges of coastal warehousing have convinced many to move goods to facilities further inland.
Costs and Regulations
Coastal warehouse facilities are seeing growing costs. Ballooning real estate values, competitive labor markets, and other factors are hiking up prices. Plus, regions like California have implemented new state regulations that are likely to further increase costs.
Moving inland can sometimes help to avoid the higher costs of warehouse facilities near coastal ports.
Port Volume and Volatility
To say that US ports have been busy this year would be an understatement. A continuous flow of import volume has bombarded the coasts, hitting western US west coast ports especially hard. Historic throughput at ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach have created capacity crunches at many California warehouses spaces throughout the past year. Many businesses are pushing inventories further from the Pacific coast to find warehouse accommodations as a result.
Geography and Versatility
Coastal warehouses may offer the convenience of a quick drayage to the facility. But their geography can come at a cost when it comes to fulfillment and distribution. Namely, coastal positioning limits access to the U.S. mainland’s far-flung and varying regions. That can be an issue in a time when consumers expect prompt delivery across the board.
The more centrally located a warehouse, the more agility and versatility your fulfillment process will have. You’ll be able to more reliably disperse your inventory to customers across a broad swath of the country. This strategy is especially helpful for businesses that can’t invest in multiple region-specific facilities.
Leverage a Network of Continental Warehouse Facilities
Ready to transition inventory from the port to the plains? Scarbrough Warehousing can help with our network of inland facilities.
Reno: Located just east of major Bay Area ports, our Reno warehouse bypasses California red tape and congestion while providing a convenient launch pad for western region distribution and fulfillment.
Kansas City: Positioned near the geographic center of the United States, our Kansas City warehouse operation offers quick access to most of the nation’s population and proximity to Scarbrough’s corporate headquarters.
Chicago: With access to one of the country’s largest intermodal hubs, our Chicago warehouse can add an efficient asset to your distribution network.
Laredo: This warehouse sits near the busiest trans-border truck corridor between the U.S. and Mexico. It’s an excellent springboard for stateside distribution.
Contact Scarbrough Warehousing today to learn more about the advantages of our inland facilities.
