Pickup of a product is one of the basic and important aspects of Freight shipping. While the concept may feel simple, but the process and logistics involved in making it successful will impose serious challenges. If you fail to ensure smooth logistics management, then there are high chances that you will not have a reliable supply chain. Keep reading below to know more about important aspects that are needed for a successful shipping schedule.
What are the things to be done while you schedule a pickup of your shipment?
Below is the shipping guide that will aid you in knowing the steps involved while scheduling the pickup:
- Preparing Your shipment:
It is important to pack the shipment properly to prevent any damage. All the freights should be safeguarded as per the regulations and requirements.
- Labeling the shipment:
All the names, addresses must be seen properly on every piece to make sure that the shipment has a safe pickup, transit, and delivery. It should contain all the legitimate information matching the bill of Lading accurately.
- Bill of Lading.
The Bill of Lading is a legal agreement between the shipper and the freight shipping company. The Bill of Lading is the receipt for products consisting of details such as type of the product, address of starting and ending point, accurate data about the product, and all other details related to it. It is important to accurately fill out the details of the Bill of Lading. Points present in the Bill of Lading are as below:
- Names and addresses: Consist of full legal names of both shipper and receiver for an important reason that if a shipment is not successful, misplaced, or any unexpected circumstances, this will be the only help for making it reach the legitimate person.
- Date: The pickup day date should be entered on the Bill of Lading the moment it is picked up from the shipper. It will be employed for setting up invoices and tracking freight shipments.
- Details of the product: There should be a mention of all the details regarding the shipment including the dimensions, total number of units, weight, type of content, and all others.
- Packaging type: It has to define the which is the type of packaging employed in your shipment among available options for freight shipments including drums, pallets, crates, and cartons.
- NMFC freight class: The NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) has defined 18 various freight classes to define the cost of every shipment. Again, they are classified depending on various aspects like weight, physical dimensions, density, ease of handling, liability, storage ability, etc. It will also consider the health risks due to the nature of contents and other influencing factors.
- Department of Transportation (DOT) dangerous materials designation: Risky or hazardous products must be handled correctly which is not only mentioned in the label but also about its handling. While this type of shipment must be mentioned in the Bill of Lading but even the shipping company should follow all the precise guidelines during transit.
- Purchase orders: These are the unique numbers that are assigned are generally employed by shippers for releasing orders for scheduled pickup or at the time of delivery.
- Actual pickup:
Once you have fixed your shipping partner, you can request or schedule the pickup. They will arrive at the pickup destination and accept the product if you submit them properly filled Bill of Lading.
- Track your freight:
Once the pickup is done, you can track the freight as it is in the process of transit to the final destination. The complete shipment traverses through the system as per the mode of packaging and shipment (pallets, drums, etc). A reliable shipping partner will ensure to provide timely information about the freight movement at all stages until it reaches the destination.
Why is it important to choose the best freight shipping company?
- As various kinds of products are picked up and shipped to the final destination there will be multiple types of courses for safely delivering the goods to the intended person. Due to this, it is ideal to choose the best freight shipping company that has access to a wide type of logistics modes. This lets them efficiently link services between various transport types like road, rail, sea, and air. They must have a good relationship with all the important services in key areas for ensuring smooth transit and delivery. Freight shippers can perform an efficient process by understanding the supply chain if he is associated for the long term. This will make them know the type of service for contact that is needed for your business which will help them to match the business levels. Being a business owner you have to ensure that they possess the right tools/resources to meet your needs.
- An expert and trusted freight shipping firm will begin by closely calculating the transit time and the number of transfers needed to be done between the pickup and destination. It is important for describing the level of care and steps to be taken to handle the shipment. While some of the shipments are hazardous requiring safe care and some others may have products that need to be refrigerated. Some unique requirements need to be catered to by the shipping company for a successful sales process. Analyze the previous clients of the shipment partner by taking their feedbacks. Know about the kind of service provided by the company during pickup, transit, and delivery. They should be able to guide you throughout the process and ensure that you are having a smooth and easy time with this part of the supply chain.
Final thoughts:
Partner with a trusted logistics management company like Corlett express that assures us to provide a safe and reliable service to even the highly remote areas of Utah. Every employee knows the ins and outs of freight shipment and delivery and always strives to meet specific business requirements.
