The Biggest Obstacle in the Final Mile: Carrier Compliance

Time and time again, the biggest complaint we hear from our logistics partners is that they’re struggling with final mile carrier compliance. Carriers aren’t delivering packages on time, they’re not obtaining the signatures needed, or they’re not providing adequate updates on the shipment’s progress.All of this information is vital to you, the shipper, to make sure your product is safe and your customer’s experience is top notch. You’re responsible for that product arriving with the end-user, and you need your agent, the final-mile carrier to comply.Here are steps to ensure 100% compliance with your final mile carriers:

Require Each Final Mile Carrier to Use and Electric System

Final mile carriers are typically slow to convert to electronic systems for their operations. Some final-mile carriers do not see the value in investing in such a system, and they’ve grown accustomed to using pen and paper to do everything from dispatching to billing.Using carriers that have the ability to send information electronically allows you to see in real time where each package is, when it should arrive, and where it delivered, enabling you to answer any concerns your customer may have. This data also provides valuable insight when a package goes missing.

EXAMINING CARRIER DATA REGULARLY

Once all of your carriers are managing their operations electronically, you can aggregate the data in your system and track any non-compliant occurrences with your carriers. You will be able to see how many carriers are not receiving signatures, delivering products on time, or are not delivering them to the correct coordinates.Using data, you will have the ammunition needed to approach your carriers about their non-compliance.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

After regularly examining the data, you will also have the needed information to determine if you want to continue working with final mile carriers that continue to score low with compliance. The data allows you to easily make decisions that serve your customers and your business well.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

At eTrac, we give you the tools you need for 100% compliance. If they do not currently have an electronic system in place, we provide them with one –  from electronically receiving orders or mobile apps for their drivers.We also aggregate the data received from your final mile carriers, to highlight any issues they may have with compliance. You’ll be able to see precisely which carriers are not complying, and any other data that is important to your business.If you’re struggling to get your old carriers to comply, and it’s time to search for new carriers, we have a database of over 1500 carriers nationwide who are easily accessible through the eTrac gateway.Give us a call so we can help you overcome the biggest obstacle in getting to the final mile.