The Transportation Challenges of a Booming Economy
Remember the good old bad days when you could call any shipper and arrange for exactly the transportation you needed when you needed it? In some ways, doing business might have been easier before the economic boom many are experiencing now. Why? Simply put, there was less competition for limited resources. Now that the economy is expanding, many businesses are finding that it is more challenging to arrange the transportation they need.
Of course, the challenges are not just limited to transportation. For example, you may find it more difficult or more expensive to obtain the raw materials your company needs. Or, with new customers demanding supplies or old customers increasing their orders, you may find that your need for skilled manpower increases at the same time the supply of available qualified employees diminishes.
Demands of a Booming Economy
A booming economy may increase orders but place additional demands on your available capital and you may find that you are incurring more debt than ever before.
So, while everyone appreciates the new business the economy may generate for your organization, there are suddenly new demands and problems to be solved. One of the areas where problems may show up for your business is in the area of transportation. If your company has relied on a shipper for the use of flatbed trucks for example, you may find that competition makes scheduling more difficult. You may even have difficulty finding an available fleet.
Here are some suggestions that may help eliminate problems:
- Extend you’re planning further into the future. Remember, you are not the only one facing limitations. Your customers maybe dealing with similar problems. Therefore, it is reasonable to engage them in a conversation regarding future plans. If you explain that this conversation is necessary to better meet their needs in a booming economy, you will typically find they will be eager to discuss future plans with you.
- Act with confidence. If you are clearer about what your customer will want in the future, you can move ahead with your own plans. This will include scheduling for transportation that you’ll need to satisfy your customers needs.
- Place bigger orders. This is the business version of the squeaky wheel gets the oil. If your business is growing and you can anticipate your customer’s future needs, you can proceed with placing bigger orders. This applies to many areas of your business including transportation. Not only can you become a more valuable customer to your shipper or other supplier, you may be able to negotiate better terms.
Call Nationwide. Nationwide welcomes your inquiry and will be happy to help you plan for your company’s transportation needs as you take advantage of this growth opportunity.