Transportation Tuesday: Why Outsource Logistics to a 3PL?
Struggling to stay on top of your company’s domestic logistics needs? It’s time to outsource logistics and transportation management to a 3PL.
It’s time to adopt an outsourced transportation and logistics management strategy.
Logistics is the engine that keeps any company operating. But as essential as transportation is, managing it all on your own can end up detracting from other important responsibilities. An easy fix? Offload transportation management to a 3PL with resources and expertise.
Doing so frees you and your team to focus on core competencies, allows for strategic cost containment, and takes advantage of innovative transportation data analytics.
Embrace Your Core Competencies
Think of what your business does best. Whether it’s a service, product, technology, or a mix of the three, it probably doesn’t specialize in managing domestic logistics. So, why allocate the personnel and resources for it? Use that energy on the things at which your business excels – its core competencies.
Outsourcing transportation management allows you to do just that. Rather than spending time tracking shipments, shopping carriers, or booking drayage, your team can put its weight into fine-tuning internal operations or workshopping product lines. Meanwhile, your 3PL partner shoulders the logistics workload.
Curb Costs
It’s no secret that shipping costs have ballooned since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic transportation rates are no exception. The stateside rates landscape is as competitive and complex as ever. Keen eyes and strong relationships are necessary to contain costs effectively.
If you’re managing transportation on your own, you may not have the resources or time to properly shop rates and find lean solutions. It’s a major reason many have switched to fully managed transportation strategies with 3PLs. Logistics specialists can explore diverse transportation and rate options to find cost-effective solutions – even as cost volatility persists.
Leverage Data and Technology
Data and information steer the logistics industry. Without it, decision-making becomes much more difficult and much less precise.
The last decade has seen an explosion of logistics technology designed to track and catalog innumerable data points. These tools can do anything from track shipments in real-time to forecast modal and cost trends.
Unfortunately, businesses that manage their domestic transportation operations independently seldom have access to these proprietary technologies. They’re left to make decisions without the benefit of hard data for reinforcement.
A good logistics provider will be able to offer data insights and analytics. Hiring out a 3PL can help get access to the information technology that your business needs to optimize its transportation strategy.
Find Your Custom-Fit Managed Transportation Solution
Professional logistics providers know how to blend these factors to create a bespoke managed transportation strategy for your exact needs. That’s exactly what you’ll get with Scarbrough Transportation – Scarbrough Global’s domestic logistics management specialists.
Managed transportation with Scarbrough is designed to help you maximize your core competencies, find cost containment opportunities, and unlock data analytics. Reach out to our logistics experts to learn more or request a consultation.
