Did you know that trucking and logistics are responsible for moving about 72.5% of the nation’s freight? This includes everything from raw materials to finished goods and produce. Most people don’t realize it, but the logistics and freight trucking industry influence several areas of their lives.
If you own a business, learning about freight logistics is even more important. It’s the industry that will help you take your business from small and local to multi-state or international.
This guide will give you a great start to understanding the importance of the trucking industry and how it influences our daily lives.
Trucking Company vs. Parcel Service
When you need to send a letter or package, you think about mailing it. This works well when the package is smaller. However, once the package reaches a certain weight or size, parcel shipping no longer makes sense.
This is when trucking or freight steps in. You’ll find that rates and services are better with freight services when the package is 100-150 pounds or greater. If your shipment fits on a pallet, then its size is large enough to warrant freight shipping.
Trucking Logistics Helps Businesses Grow
When you have a business, you’ll quickly learn that working with a logistics trucking company is essential. The logistic industry is what will streamline your supply chain and distribution channels.
You can use trucking logistics software to book shipments of raw materials and supplies. You can also use the same network for distributing finished products to retail locations. Look online for trucking companies for more info.
It’s an Innovative Industry
The freight logistics industry hasn’t changed much over the decades in the sense that vehicles get driven across the country while carrying large amounts of cargo. However, companies in the industry have embraced technological innovations.
Truck engines have become more efficient, reducing the use of fuel. This has led to the use of electric vehicles and testing out autonomous vehicles.
Another innovation is the use of sophisticated software for fleet management, shipment management, and route optimization. With the better management of data and communication, you can easily integrate logistics software with other business management software.
There Are Plenty of Jobs
The biggest dilemma that the trucking industry faces is a lack of personnel. If more people were driving trucks, companies could have more trucks on the road and move more shipments. The long-haul truckers, the ones who drive across several states, are the biggest shortage.
For every ten long-haul drivers that a large trucking company hires, nine will leave within a year. This creates a turnover rate of over 90%. The positive side of this is that there’s plenty of opportunity for career growth.
Appreciating Trucking and Logistics
As you can see, the trucking and logistics industry is essential to the stability of our economy. It’s what ensures we get the goods we need when we head to the local store. If you own a business, trucking logistics is what you need to expand and grow.
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