As the midpoint of 2023 approaches, companies in multiple sectors are still trying to figure out how to deal with the global logistics slowdown that began in the early months of 2020 with the arrival of the COVID pandemic from China. April marks the first month of the turbulent second quarter of 2023, and most business leaders are coming to grips with the fact that the international supply chain crisis has not gone away.
In the transport sector, owners are doing all they can to focus on meeting delivery deadlines by relying on tactics like smart routing. Buying in bulk, near shoring, and other creative approaches are standard during the first half of 2023. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has served to prolong the worst effects of international logistics problems, which is more reason for corporate leaders to use every trick in the book to meet the challenge head-on.
Fleet managers in the transportation sector play a pivotal role in the international logistics puzzle. The professionals must coordinate thousands of shipments non-stop amid unpredictable supply shortages, erratic cross-ocean transit times, massive labor shortages in developed nations, and more. Not only that, but the supervisors who oversee huge truck fleets must keep driver safety and profits as chief priorities.
In addition to keeping a close watch on computerized routing, transport professionals rely on go-to technology like Samsara’s GPS-based solutions to monitor truck locations in real time. Even though GPS devices and systems have existed for many years, users continue to find fresh, creative ways to boost safety, savings, efficiency, and other everyday challenges fleets face. To stay on top of developments in GPS-related usage, fleet managers use informative guides to see how similar companies in the niche leverage the power of GPS to minimize inefficiencies and resolve problems that are common in the logistics chain.
Since the middle of 2021, when the effects of the pandemic were in full swing, corporate purchasing agents have been offsetting slow delivery times with bulk buying. Even when that means paying more for storage space, insurance, and delivery, there is wisdom in the concept. Particularly with respect to overseas transportation, bulk buying can prevent major headaches for manufacturers who need raw materials and supplies to get finished products out the door and on the way to customers.
Whenever companies switch suppliers by substituting a closer one for one in a faraway place, they engage in near shoring. Since 2020, large numbers of businesses have used the practice to resolve their supply dilemmas. While there’s plenty of talk in the media about an end to the supply chain backlog on a global basis, as inflation continues to rise most companies are not seeing a return to pre-pandemic shipping times, prices, or industry confidence.
In fact, there’s a widespread fear among both suppliers and manufacturers that the ongoing war in Ukraine and a global shortage of skilled labor could contribute to a longish continuation of logistics problems. While the scenario is not as dire as it was pre-2020, there are no solid indications that things are going to return to normal anytime soon.