I think we speak for everyone in the drayage services and logistics business when we say…2021 was quite a ride! And we’re still reeling from the chaos.
On the driver side, drivers are still experiencing a chassis shortage and incurring additional costs for repositioning their chassis at unforeseen locations or completing their shipments in two trips instead of one because of capacity restrictions.
Meanwhile, drayage providers like C & K Trucking are experiencing a record high for demand in a market that’s harder to service than ever before. We’re challenged daily to offer alternative, innovative solutions to bring our customers value, even as we’re squeezed by market conditions and things beyond our control, such as:
- Natural disasters such as hurricanes, snowstorms, or prolonged below 0o F temperatures
- Continuous bunching of freight due to vessel or rail delays or releases
- Prolonged poor port or rail productivity
- Strikes and labor slowdowns
- Changes in certain services, such as empty and chassis returns, or hours of operation
- Capacity constraints at distribution facilities
Now more than ever, drivers and drayage providers need to be agile and collaborative to pull together on behalf of customers. So how does C&K Trucking work to service our clients, despite these volatile conditions?
Here’s three major ways.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR PROMISE TO YOU
Our primary goal has always been to provide secure, on-time delivery and consistent service. In these uncertain economic times, our promise remains steadfast as we pivot and shift gears to service our customers. We always keep our primary goal in sight.
WE WILL KEEP YOU APPRAISED OF THE LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATES
You’ll always have a single point-of-contact with access to state-of-the-art EDI, geofencing, and API to provide real-time updates on container movements and milestones. You can also count on accurate and timely billing and alerts concerning supply chain disruptions, milestones, and metrics that will keep us accountable and boost your supply chain performance.
WE WILL FIND BEST POSSIBLE, CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS
Every customer has different needs and with more than 20 years of experience in business, we are adept at filling in the gaps for our customers. Some may involve additional fees up front that will save additional fees on the tail end; others prevent our customers from incurring additional charges. These solutions include:
- Pre-pulls to our yard, with storage of shipments in our yard or our partner yards in order to avoid demurrage fees
- Dedicated trucks for certain customers for a contracted period of time
- Shifting truck capacity in order to avoid delays in delivery
- Using bobtail charges to avoid per diem
These are just a few of the ways we are delivering value to our customers and providing efficient service in this very volatile market. At C&K Trucking, we’re doing all we can on our side to ease the pain of supply chain logistics for our clients. If we can help you with your drayage needs, please contact us today.
