The residents of Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana know firsthand how dangerous and destructive hurricanes may be. Hurricanes are huge storms. They can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds which are spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane may last for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean.
The 2021 season of hurricanes is not over yet. It means a freight forwarding process may become a real challenge for both shippers and carriers. It’s of prime importance to be ready for natural disasters to be ready to minimize potential losses and fulfill all the orders.
The following tips are to help you to survive this period and even make your business keep working:
- Choose only reliable freight forwarders.
If you are a business owner, it’s up to you to choose your 3PL partners. You have to consider the different peculiarities of the services you are going to work with. A good and reliable transportation broker is able to make the shipping process as smooth and trouble-free as possible even if it takes place during the hurricane season.
Moreover, it’s not a good idea to pay attention only to the price feature when selecting a logistics broker. Although all the clients like cheap freight shipping when it comes to top-quality delivery, it’s better to hire real pros even if they may be more expensive.
- Wise time management is a must.
If you cooperate with a cool shipping company, the specialists have all the needed knowledge and skills to plan the transportation process down to the last detail. It’s better to complete all urgent orders before the hurricanes. Moreover, it’s also necessary to find partners who can backstop in urgent cases.
- Think about an effective backup plan.
No matter how carefully and precisely you are preparing for adverse weather conditions, it’s impossible to predict everything. If something goes wrong, you should know how to act.
- Evaluate your commodity type and capacity needs.
You should realize that if the weather is extra dangerous, it will impossible to get on time extra tools, equipment, or products. It’s up to you to check inventory before the season and purchase the needed elements. Moreover, it’s a cool idea to get some equipment that will help you to cope with shipping even under bad weather circumstances.
There are some things to be mentioned about a proper choice of mode of transportation. Air and ocean shipping is affected by storms. Thus, it’s better to look for alternatives if possible. The next crucial moment is expedite transportation. You should keep in mind that this option will be limited. If the weather is bad, you are not to count on extra fast delivery. Thus, it’s better to stock all the needed supplies and materials in advance.
So, although hurricane season is a rather bitter experience, it’s not the reason to give up your plans and desires. You should just be ready to face possible difficulties and respond to them.
