Ari Ashe/TT
LAS VEGAS — As technology makes communication easier and provides real-time data quickly, third-party logistics providers are emphasizing the need to use the information to build stronger relationships with shippers and motor carriers, according to panelists at the 2017 Transportation Intermediaries Association Capital Ideas Conference.
Technology can save shippers, carriers and 3PL companies money and time, and also improve the relationship among the three critical cogs in the supply chain, panelists said.
Bob Biesterfield, president of North America surface transportation at C.H. Robinson Worldwide, said technology allows shippers, 3PLs and carriers to eliminate unnecessary phone calls, faxes and e-mails through automated processes. C.H. Robinson ranks No. 5 on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest logistics companies in North America.
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“The expectation is around efficiency: efficiency in communication, efficiency in problem resolution, efficiency in billing, efficiency in back-office function,” Biesterfield said.
Smartphones, tablets and reliable mobile networks make it easier to give 3PLs updates on the location and status of the truck driver hauling a load, a concept known as “track and trace.”
“Customers are expecting visibility; customers are expecting updates in 15-minute increments. … It’s taken on a bit of a life of its own,” Biesterfield said.
Scott Joseph, managing director of Reserve Management Group, added that technology makes honesty more important than ever when events cause delays on the road. Reserve Management Group is a medium-size shipper specializing in recycling.
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