Shipping your goods and products from one location to another safely and promptly is a big deal for your business. It is best to ensure everything arrives on time to keep your customers happy. Understanding the causes and consequences of shipping delays can help you find solutions to avoid them.

Causes for Delays

Mechanical Issues

One reason for shipping delays is often mechanical issues with the delivery vehicle. Truck drivers average 75 to 100 miles daily or around 30,000 miles yearly, which can put a lot of wear and tear on the delivery vehicle. Unfortunately, mechanical issues can lead to shipment delays.

Inclement Weather

Bad weather is another common reason behind shipment delays. Wet or snowy roads and natural weather phenomena like hurricanes can cause delays. Although a freight worker's goal is to deliver your products on time, they must put their safety first, including traveling under safe conditions.

Traffic Conditions

Traffic conditions are rarely avoidable. Delays caused by traffic may be the result of the time of day, road construction, and roadway accidents. If your freight gets stuck in the middle of traffic, it can push back the delivery time of your goods and products.

Consequences of Delays

Drop in Customer Retention

Customers expect timely delivery. If a delivery is late, they are more likely to look for a different supplier next time, which causes a drop in customer retention. While acquiring new customers may seem like a good solution, it isn't. It is more cost-effective to retain your current customers rather than try to acquire new ones.

Increase in Cost

Shipment delays can translate into increased costs for your business. Unfortunately, if your product has yet to make it to the customer, it is unlikely that you can collect money until the sale is complete. As such, your overhead costs go up while customer satisfaction drops.

Solutions for Delays

Vet Your Chosen Freight Company Carefully

It is wise to properly vet your chosen freight company carefully before hiring them. Ask what plans and insurance they have in place for a mechanical breakdown. Feel free to ask how extensive the freight company's fleet is and how well they maintain their delivery vehicles.

Ship Ahead of Time

If you know that inclement weather is likely, do not hesitate to ship your products ahead of schedule. For example, expect winter to cause shipping delays because of snow and ice. Talk to the person or company receiving your products about early shipment options to ensure your freight arrives on time or earlier than expected.

Discuss Delivery Route Options

Although delivery drivers cannot always avoid traffic jams, it is best to discuss viable delivery route options in the event of a traffic jam. For instance, does the driver have a different route planned if there is construction, an accident, or other traffic causes? If not, discuss route options with your driver before they head out with your freight.

Contact a reliable freight company like JB Shipments to learn more.