The global supply chain might seem like it’s pretty unchangeable. Really, how much can the transportation of cargo advance at this point? Well, there’s always some sort of transformation that can occur with how the industry deals with logistics.
There are plenty of companies out there that are entirely dedicated to improving the productivity and logistics of how we load and unload cargo at harbors and key transfer points. Their efforts include advanced AI capabilities, loT devices, and big data. The technological innovations of the last two decades have finally reached the shipping industry, and in 2021, people are looking for new ways to perform drayage services.
Communication and Connectivity For Drayage Shipping
In 2021, communication and connectivity are made incredibly accessible and incredibly important for any job and even just for day to day life. Within the shipping industry, communication and connectivity is key.
Technology seems to be the key to communication and connectivity amongst drayage drivers, and smart containers are just the beginning of filling data gaps. The drayage industry is beginning to see some strong connectivity between drivers, portside stakeholders, and shipping companies alike.
For instance, in ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach, they’ve employed a “gray pool” drayage model. The “gray pool” method is a freeform system that assigns drayage drivers a stack based upon availability and predetermined mileage bands. This way, drayage shipment responsibilities don’t fall upon one single driver.
Of course, this system allows drivers to take more loads and for cargo to leave the port faster. The efficiency of the system is what makes strong connection and communication valuable in this industry. Without it, scheduling can become an absolute nightmare.
Tech Fluency For Drayage Loads
It’s difficult to talk about logistics trends if you’re not talking about technology. Even so, only about a decade ago, all the work of drayage shipping documentation was done using a piece of paper, clipboard, and pen. Now, it’s important to be literate in a lot of different technologies as a portside partner.
As stated above, increased communication and connection means increased productivity. Of course, in any industry, productivity increases revenue. Technology in recent years has been the key to communication and connection. This means that technology is going to help the drayage industry increase revenue. Companies that don’t embrace the technological advances of the 21st century will be eaten up by the ones that do.
The old way of doing business has gone out the window. Any shipping company that doesn’t invest in newer technology won’t be around for much longer. Billion dollar firms are investing in new technology for a reason.
All of this technology helps companies speed along the process of shipping. The old way of doing things now seems slow, costly, and inefficient. Fluency in the right software programs, as well as the intuition needed to problem solve based on data, will be incredibly important in the coming years.
Idealized Transfers For Drayage Trucking
For years now, intermodal transport has been leading the charge for supply chain innovation. Intermodal transport solutions have also been incredibly successful in managing portside drayage and operations.
Firms will need to keep an eye on intermodal transport technology in order to keep up with competitors. This means that firms need to be investing in paperless customs, digitized loading schedules, and advanced cargo tracking services. All of this technology and new innovations for transport services can fix unacknowledged issues in the industry and increase efficiency.
For example, a software maker in Southern California developed an algorithm that quickly determines load rates for drivers. This innovation addressed a problem that had previously been overlooked. In the future, we look forward to tech companies developing seamless ways to transport loads faster and more efficiently.
Cyber Security For The Future Of Drayage
Of course, we’ve discussed that increased use of technology for tracking, scheduling, and more logistics jobs is a trend that is only becoming more popular within the shipping industry. As a result of the increased use of technology, there are more dangers associated with these services than you might think.
It’s important for any company to protect their data. Any industry that relies heavily on technology for their workload is at risk of cyber attacks. And for shippers, a cyber attack can potentially be apocalyptic for a company.
An example of a firm that has suffered the repercussions of using unsecured technology is back in 2017 when Maersk’s database was attacked. In just 7 minutes, within the whole company, 3,500 servers were permanently destroyed. In addition to that, almost 50,000 laptops were taken offline and over 1,000 applications became inaccessible.
Maersk had to rebuild nearly all of their systems, including anything running Microsoft and the landline phone system. It’s incredibly important for your company not to cut corners when it comes to cyber security. The attack on Maersk shows that the future of your firm is more important than saving money on the protection of your online systems.
The Future Of Drayage Trucking
If you’ve gleaned anything from this article, the most important takeaway might be that a company’s adaptability is what keeps it thriving. The future of drayage looks pretty clear cut today, but in 10 years, who knows if the technology we’re using now will be obsolete, replaced with something even better.
Especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, firms have become more and more adapted to physical distancing and touchless processes. Adaptability gives any company an edge against the competitors, especially if your employees act quickly and thoughtfully. In fact, your willingness to adapt to new technology and challenges helps you find creative solutions to getting goods where they need to go.
If you have any questions concerning drayage, the shipping and logistics industry, or other services such as warehousing and transloading, contact us today at Heavy Weight Transport. We have a dedicated team that supports our customers’ goals, objectives, and concerns.
