How to avoid delays in the delivery of goods?

Properly organized company logistics are the basis of a modern enterprise. Timely deliveries increase customer satisfaction and minimize the risk of additional costs. Despite this, delays are still a common occurrence in transport. It is worth considering possible solutions to this common problem.

Reasons for delays in road transport

There can be many reasons for extending the delivery time due to the unpredictability of the transport industry. There are random factors, i.e. unfavorable weather conditions, accidents on the road, vehicle breakdowns on the route. Unfortunately, such cases are very difficult to predict and prevent. When planning transport, we can only assume additional time, thanks to which the driver will be able to drive the vehicle freely, even if, for example, an unexpected traffic jam occurs. The most common cause of delays in transport is the so-called the human factor that can slow down transport at every stage of the supply chain. An example may be a situation in which the employees of the warehouse where the semi-trailer is to be loaded or unloaded are not prepared for work at all. The reason may be inadequate communication between the forwarder, the driver and the warehouse. Some smaller companies lack employees to quickly and efficiently load or unload a vehicle. This factor is followed by another problem, which is too short opening hours of the warehouse. There are situations where the driver arrives a few minutes late and has to wait until the next day to unload or load, which generates huge delays. The human factor may also be the error of the forwarder or driver who incorrectly or imprecisely provides the address or loading/unloading times. Sometimes technology also fails and the reason for the delay in delivery may be an IT system failure.

How to minimize delivery delays?

There are many ways to reduce or limit delays, depending on their cause. If we want to avoid unexpected situations, i.e. vehicle breakdown on the route, we should take care of frequent and detailed technical inspections. During transport, it is also worth planning alternative routes in the event of an unexpected traffic jam. When planning the journey, the freight forwarder should take into account possible holidays in a given country and the related difficulties on the road. An important aspect is also the care for communication at each stage of delivery, between individual entities. This will also be helped by ensuring a transparent flow of information and appropriate IT systems and software. In addition, it is worth hiring the right number of employees in the warehouse so as to be prepared for any unexpected situations and thus extend the working time of the company's headquarters. A popular technique that allows you to eliminate delays in the delivery of goods is notification. It consists in notifying the forwarder of a specific time of loading or unloading the goods. Thanks to this, you can prepare the place for loading / unloading in advance, e.g. in the case of top loading, order a crane that will be ready to work immediately after the driver's arrival. However, in the case of goods that do not require proper storage or expiration date, the semi-trailer can be loaded in advance, and when the driver arrives, he takes it away without the need for warehouse intervention. However, this depends on the availability of semi-trailers and vehicles that enable such a solution. It is therefore necessary to combine modern technologies with the appropriate organization of employees and communication between individual entities to minimize the risk of delays in delivery. An example of this is proper planning of loading in advance with the help of the Smartload application.

Consequences of delays in delivery

Responsibility for failure to deliver the goods on time is usually borne by the carrier. In addition, he cannot refer to possible vehicle breakdowns as the reason for the delay. The reason beyond the carrier's control may be a defect in the goods or events that could not be prevented, therefore all situations are considered individually. In accordance with the CMR Convention and the provisions of the contract, the principal may impose a financial penalty on the entity. Usually in such cases, however, the parties reach an amicable agreement. There may be more consequences of delays, e.g. customer dissatisfaction, reduced credibility and trust in the company. Therefore, it is very important to properly plan transport and react quickly to any difficulties encountered on the route.

Also read: Devices for loading and unloading goods.