Shippers throughout North America are trying to cope with the tight freight capacity that has been driven by Covid-19, truck and driver shortages, freight embargoes and the surge in eCommerce activity. While many manufacturers and distributors conduct annual and bi-annual freight bids, this methodology is proving to be too static and rigid for shippers experiencing truck capacity shortages on certain corridors. Companies that rely on the spot market for carriers are likely experiencing rate spikes and inconsistent truck availability on an ongoing basis.
There are several solutions to address this problem. First, it is important for shippers to lock in capacity, market pricing and service commitments as part of their annual bidding process. As I have mentioned in prior blogs, these are opportunities to have “heart to heart” discussions with one’s core carriers. Certain carriers may be willing to sign multi-year agreements that provide their customers with “peace of mind” on key traffic lanes.
Second, despite these assurances, some carriers will not provide the expected capacity. They may not be able to retain or hire enough drivers to meet their commitments. In other cases, carriers will identify higher paying freight and divert their capacity to other customers. In other cases, they may wish to allocate some capacity to high-paying spot market loads. In these cases, shippers should have a mini bid methodology which they can quickly deploy to find replacement carriers.
In order to expeditiously go to market, companies should:
...