While the verdict is still not clear as to how big of a peak season we are heading for, early indications are that consumers are still willing to open their wallets for the holidays. eMarketer anticipates a 4.8% increase in retail sales in November and December compared to last year.
Whatever the outcome, it still means many shippers will be dealing with volume surges and operating at max capacity. To help you get through it, we’ve compiled some of the top HAQM Freight shipping experts to give their guidance.
1. Sweat the details
The fate of loads running smoothly oftentimes lives and dies on the small things, says Abel Guillen, Head of the HAQM Freight Inbound Account Management Team. Guillen, a former U.S. Marine, manages a team of HAQM Freight transportation consultants and says dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s is essential.
“In my time in the military, before jumping out of the plane, we liked to say one safety check was none and two was one,” says Guillen. “In freight this means verifying all your information and, if it can be edited or modified, give it another pass.”
When he works with shippers, he always tells them to make sure all their contact and facility information is correct. “That’s because the most critical touchpoint between a carrier and shipper is that moment of pickup.” The driver needs to know everything: where the facility is, what time it opens, directions to get into the yard, and who to contact.
For instance, Guillen has a customer who has a very unique yard with a turnoff that is difficult to see off the main highway. “My team works with this customer to make sure they clearly communicate the instructions to find it and get in.”
While you’re looking at your location details, consider adjusting your facility hours, says Guillen. One way to get shipments out during busy times is to change your hours to off-peak times. Most shippers schedule their pickups and deliveries at standard days and times: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you can open an hour earlier or later or for a shift during the weekend, you have a better chance of getting an appointment.
2. Keep employees engaged in the warehouse
Bobby Bailey, a transportation consultant at HAQM Freight, has worked in retail and warehouses and gone through his fair share of peak seasons managing teams. His advice for success: start with your employees.
“While working at a warehouse can be taxing in preparation for the busy seasons, I have always enjoyed the people I’ve worked with and looking out for my team,” he says. “You want to monitor and track employee performance and deliver constant coaching and training.”
To get there, Bailey recommends you make sure your supervisors on the line are having one-on-one conversations with employees. These are critical touchpoints and every level up should level down and make the conversations happen.
It’s also the season to have a little fun, says Bailey. “I always liked to bring in snacks and play games to keep the mood light.” There are so many engaging things you can do. “In the warehouse, the customer isn’t staring you in the face, so you have a little flexibility to maybe ‘over engage’ the employees and keep things light.”
3. Have a plan B in your back pocket
And finally, says Guillen, have a contingency plan. “Transportation can be a messy thing. No matter how smooth everything may seem to be going, there is so much that is out of your control and the inevitable can happen.”
That means, you want to develop a bench strength of carriers and brokers that you can always rely on. Guillen has worked with some shippers who even have a small parcel carrier on their emergency list if they get in trouble. “They might pay more with small parcel delivery for their freight, but it will get there and customers will be happy.”
Then there is the forecasting and inventory perspective. You always want to have enough stock to cover your customer orders and then some. Some shippers call it “safety stock” and it gives you a buffer of inventory that is always available if a trailer gets disabled on the road or a blizzard cripples the interstate in the Midwest.
Get shipping
A final tip? During crunch time, you need to know your shipping deadlines and cut-offs for all the carriers and transportation methods you use and partners you work with. If you’re shipping goods inbound to HAQM Fulfillment Centers, your inventory must arrive by October 19, 2024. This guarantees it will be Prime badge-ready by Black Friday.
Regardless of the level of holiday shopping this season, this is the critical time for shippers to make their year. If you’re interested in seeing how HAQM Freight can help you get through it, create your shipper account to get started.
