Find out how to improve transport management in your company and which tools are essential.
Transport management is no easy task. If your company works with several carriers – DHL, CTT, UPS and a handful of other partners – you know how stressful it can be to manage everything at the same time. Requesting quotes on different platforms, monitoring the status of shipments and keeping everything under control can easily become chaos. No wonder most managers find their job highly stressful.
After all, what does transport management consist of? And how do you do it in a practical way? Whether you have 1 or 50 carriers under management, there are good practices, processes and tools that can help.
What is transportation management?
Transport management is the process of coordinating, monitoring and optimizing the logistics flow so that each shipment arrives where it should, on time and within budget.
This process means negotiating prices, choosing the ideal carrier for each shipment and keeping track of everything down to the minute. It also means avoiding the dreaded “where is my package?” with efficient tracking systems and knowing how to react when something goes wrong.
Done right, it saves time, money and headaches. Done the wrong way? Unexpected phone calls, missed deliveries and dissatisfied customers.
Why good transport management is important
Good transport management has a direct impact on costs, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
1. Reduced operating costs
Without an organized system, you can pay more for transport than you really need to. Good management allows you to compare prices, negotiate better conditions with carriers and avoid unnecessary expenses, such as penalties for delays or extra storage costs.
2. Visibility and control over shipments
Tracking orders in real time and having access to all the information in one place makes all the difference. Efficient management eliminates uncertainty about where shipments are, when they will be delivered and whether there are any problems to resolve before they become a major obstacle.
3. Greater efficiency and less time wasted
Requesting quotes manually, accessing multiple carrier platforms or dealing with miscommunication between teams can consume precious hours. With well-structured management, everything is more agile.
4. Better customer experience
Delays, misplacements or miscommunications with carriers have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. Ensuring that deliveries arrive on time, with clear information and effective follow-up, improves trust in the brand and reduces complaints.
5. Ability to anticipate and resolve problems quickly
A shipping error can generate a domino effect of delays and extra costs. Good transport management allows you to react quickly when something goes wrong, minimizing negative impacts for the company and the customer.
How to do good transportation management?
Good transport management requires strategy, technology and an uncompromising approach to cutting waste and increasing efficiency.
1. Centralize carrier management
If you work with several carriers, the ideal is to concentrate everything in a single system. This avoids the chaos of dealing with multiple platforms, makes it easier to compare prices and guarantees more efficient tracking of shipments.
2. Negotiate better shipping conditions
Transportation costs can be a significant part of operating expenses. Having visibility of shipping prices and volumes allows you to negotiate more advantageous rates and conditions that are tailored to your reality.
3. Track shipments in real time
Knowing exactly where your shipments are and when they will be delivered avoids unpleasant surprises. Good management includes real-time monitoring, allowing you to anticipate problems and act quickly if something goes wrong.
4. Automate processes wherever possible
From budget requests to sending notifications to customers, automating tasks reduces the time spent on bureaucracy and minimizes manual errors.
5. Analyze data and optimize continuously
The best way to improve transport management is to base decisions on data. Evaluate delivery times, average costs per carrier and the incidence of problems to identify areas for improvement and optimize processes.
6. Have a plan for unforeseen events
Delays, strikes or losses happen. Having defined strategies for dealing with unforeseen events – whether through alternative carriers or reshipment policies – helps to minimize the impact on the operation and the customer experience.
How to choose good transportation management software
Transport management involves a surprising number of variables. These are the main criteria to consider.
1. Compatibility with multiple carriers
The software must allow integration with all the carriers you work with, so that you can manage quotes, shipments and tracking in one place. The greater the compatibility, the greater the flexibility in choosing the best partner for each shipment.
2. Ease of use
If the tools are complex and difficult to use, they end up hindering productivity. Good software should have an intuitive interface and simplified processes so that any user can manage it without difficulty.
3. Essential features
Before deciding, check that the software covers all your needs. Some indispensable features include:
- Comparison of rates between carriers
- Real-time shipment monitoring
- Automated label and document management
- Performance and cost reports
4. Process automation
The ability to automate tasks, such as quote requests or shipping notifications, reduces the time spent on manual operations and minimizes errors. The more automation, the greater your team’s efficiency.
5. Integration with other tools
If you already use an ERP, an e-commerce platform or a warehouse management system, the transport software must be compatible to ensure a seamless workflow.
6. Support and regular updates
Good software is not just software that works well today, but software that evolves to keep up with market demands. Choose a solution with efficient support and frequent updates.
7. Scalability
Your volume of mailings may grow in the future. The software must be able to keep up with this evolution without losing efficiency or requiring drastic changes in operation.
CTM: Softingal’s transportation management software that puts your shipments on the right track
Companies that sell products – from car parts to medicines or building materials – deal daily with the challenge of managing their own transportation and that of several carriers at the same time. Jumping between platforms to request quotes, track shipments and ensure that everything runs smoothly can be a real puzzle.
CTM (Cloud Transportation Management) solves all this by centralizing all carriers on a single platform. Here you can manage shipments, compare prices, monitor deliveries and ensure an agile and efficient workflow.
But CTM goes beyond centralization: with a native mobile app, drivers track their routes, communicate in real time and record kilometers travelled. The management of trips and services simplifies the assignment of drivers, cost control, income and document organization.
Need an overview? The interactive dashboard allows you to follow the evolution of the business, analyzing data by driver, vehicle and customer. For companies operating as a group, the Multi Company feature allows you to manage resources in an integrated way.
Customers also benefit: via the dedicated portal, they can access shipment status, receipts and Track&Trace. What’s more, you can automate email or SMS notifications and define pricing tables to calculate service values without complications.
Want to try it out? Book a demo now.
