5 Ways Dispatch Tech Can Reduce Your Freight Cost Today
Innovations in freight technology and dispatch automation are powering companies to cut costs and protect margins even as customers demand faster shipping.
The world is quickly viewing same-day freight shipping as the industry standard. But when that typically means higher costs, how can companies adapt?
The secret sauce is a mix of simplifying processes, reducing waste, and employing freight technology. There are powerful tools available to optimize every level of the supply chain while protecting your margins.
Here are five ways freight dispatch and automation can empower profitable operations.
1. Transparency via freight management software
Visibility makes it easier for any business to manage their freight. Mothership combines freight quoting, tracking, and billing into a single dashboard so any relevant team member can see exactly what they need at the moment they need it. That means fewer emails and calls answering customer questions or providing updates.
This high level of visibility reduces hours spent managing freight the moment starting the moment a business onboards with Mothership. When companies are able to simplify freight management, documentation, and scheduling, they can effectively scale sales and freight volume with the same headcount.
Switching to Mothership helped Alanic Sportswear save 15% on overall shipping costs and eliminated five hours worth of phone calls per week.
2. Freight pooling for fewer deadhead miles
One of the biggest inefficiencies in the freight industry is deadhead miles, or miles driven with an empty trailer after finishing a job. Instead of generating revenue, this increases fuel and time expenses for the driver that are reflected in higher shipping costs for businesses.
Mothership eliminates deadhead miles by automatically looking for trucks with empty space and assigning return-trip freight. Tracking the location of partner carriers as well as their current available capacity enables Mothership to identify shipments near the carrier and pool freight as carriers move along their route. By reducing deadhead miles, operator costs shrink and cost-per-order declines too.
Mothership’s freight pooling technology helped Happy Returns cut their shipping and logistics costs by 50%.
3. Automation for freight dispatch
One of the most labor-intensive tasks for any shipping company or dispatcher is scheduling freight. Dispatchers are almost always multitasking, making it challenging to optimize freight moves or troubleshoot issues for drivers and customers.
Automated dispatch answers this by being able to reassign freight orders to avoid delays caused by inclement weather, loading dock issues, and more. By powering navigation routes, systems also help drivers save time and avoid problem areas.
These tools protect fleet margins by ensuring freight is moved efficiently and delivered on-time. This helps businesses save by eliminating the need to spend money expediting moves or reallocating freight from a carrier if they can no longer get a job done. This flexibility is also what powers Mothership to ensure same-day delivery, which is available at no additional cost in many regions across the U.S.
“Things can change on the fly, like show cancellations, and we sometimes need a truck to drop freight off and have another truck pick it up. The ease of booking a dedicated truck with Mothership is great when I occasionally have to deal with changes of address or pick-up and delivery windows.” — Chris Hayslett, Director of Sales and Production at Killer Merch
4. Controlling freight compliance costs with digital records
Automation and digital records make it easier for businesses to move freight, but they also play a role in managing freight compliance costs and risks. Using a single platform to manage a fleet or handle all the loads for a business is an effective way to cut down on labor costs.
Fleet monitoring dashboards that include contract requirements can ensure your carrier has the right equipment and certifications for specialty freight. For example, it verifies hazmat compliance before order confirmation, and you know the driver has the training to move it safely. Dashboards and reporting tools can make it easier to understand every requirement associated with your freight, allowing automated dispatch technology to find you the best possible service provider.
For fleet operators, Mothership’s smart route planning helps trucks avoid weight violations and street restrictions as well as hours-of-service and non-recordkeeping violations — all of which can cost businesses thousands per violation.
Real-time tracking dashboards give precise freight locations to clothing wholesaler Beimar. Easy sharing of this data with customers saves Beimar at least five hours per week in reduced call and email time.
5. Smart partnerships to control local freight pricing
Fast shipping times allow companies to meet customer deadlines and earn repeat business. However, local freight rates for same-day moves are often cost-prohibitive.
Mothership tackles that problem with an automated freight dispatch service and real-time tracking. This saves partner carriers time and money by reducing compliance costs, eliminating deadhead, and automatically sending each load to the perfect carrier for the job. This allows businesses to ship with Mothership same-day at a lower cost than other carriers.
“Not a single product has been damaged working with Mothership, and we’ve consistently doubled our shipments month-over-month. This makes us way more profitable.” — Myles Alexander, GM of Door Destination.
Mothership has the most advanced freight technology, making it more affordable for businesses to meet customer demands for faster delivery.
Ready to boost your margins? Schedule a Demo to see how Mothership can work for you.
