Freight Tracking: Keeping Track of your Shipment

Freight tracking is the process of keeping track of shipments throughout their journey from pickup to delivery.

If you have enlisted a freight company to ensure delivery on time, you may want to know exactly where your freight shipment is located in the supply chain at all times.

Efficient Shipment Tracking

If you're working with a freight company, they'll likely be using shipping tools, including online management, to provide real-time tracking status of freight shipments.

This applies whether you've enlisted them for residential delivery or have a large shipment of vehicles in transit and are concerned about container tracking.

In many instances, you'll also have access to an app that will provide GPS information about the journey and allow even more freight coordination. This way, you can ensure that deliveries arrive safely and on time, or you can track the progress of your shipment.

A good system will allow you to view all delivery instructions of a shipment, including:

• Origin location
• Destination location
• Date of departure
• Date of arrival
• Details about each stop along the way

The Importance of Tracking

Every day, freight shipping services move thousands of goods across the country and worldwide using various modes of transportation, including trains, trucks, ships, trains, and planes.

These shipments are tracked using specialized types of transportation management systems.

Although shipments could be recorded manually in the past, these processes can be much more efficiently managed when computers automatically control them.

Logistics software allows you to track and monitor the progress of your shipment efficiently. This means you can quickly check if it has been delayed or damaged en route.

You can also save time and money by reducing the paperwork required to manage your shipments and keeping track of shipping records.

Manage Freight Shipping Records

Freight shipping records are essential for many reasons. They provide proof of delivery, track shipments throughout their journey, and keep clients informed of shipment status.

Shipping documents are vital for any business that ships goods across borders.

A record of each shipment helps to ensure cross-border requirements and compliance with regulations such as the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) International Cargo Code and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

These codes specify customs requirements for documentation and reporting of international shipments.

Without monitoring your freight's shipping records, you risk incurring hefty fines if paperwork is mislaid or incomplete.

In addition, shipping records are necessary for customs clearance and import/export purposes. Customs officials use shipping records to verify the contents of a container.

Once cleared, the cargo can be exported or imported across borders, either by ocean freight, air freight, or freight trains as part of the shipping cycle.

Save Money with Instant Information

It's no secret that accuracy matters, whether it's in the production process or when transporting freight. Regardless of your shipping, you want to get it to its delivery address safely and on time. But getting it there correctly requires accurate information to provide control of deliveries.

That means having the correct delivery address, the right phone number, and the correct contact person. But, of course, none of this has value if the information isn't correctly stored and monitored.

A reliable freight tracking program minimizes the risk of time-consuming issues by keeping all relevant data in one place. These programs also provide detailed information about each step of a shipment.

They can tell you where your shipment is and which location it was delivered to on arrival. They can even give you the exact date and time of delivery.

If you need to know more about your shipment, you'll be able to check the status online. Since you're not forced to sit waiting for your carrier to update you, you have peace of mind from having more control over the process.

Avoid Delays by Knowing Where Your Shipment Is

It's important to know where your consignment is at all times. Sometimes things go wrong, and you may not realize it until too late. The last thing you want to discover is that your vehicle has been sent to the incorrect delivery address or perhaps had gotten stuck in transit somewhere.

Either way, if you're not aware of what's going on, you could end up paying the price. This could translate to unhappy clients waiting for vehicles or delays in production if you're anticipating the arrival of valuable construction equipment, for instance.

Fortunately, using freight tracking systems, you can monitor your shipments 24/7. So you'll always know where your vehicle is. And if anything goes wrong, you'll be notified immediately.

Adjust Planning to Account for Problems

Sometimes, things don't go smoothly during shipping. For example, maybe your vehicle gets waylaid, or worse yet, even damaged. In either case, you'll need to take action immediately. Otherwise, you risk losing valuable inventory or compromising customer satisfaction.

With a good freight tracking app offered by your chosen freight forwarding business, you can easily manage any problems that might arise. You can set notification alerts to let you know whenever an issue occurs. Then you can adjust your schedule accordingly. This lets you avoid costly surprises.

Proactive Customer Service

Freight tracking is a good way of ensuring customer satisfaction, whether you're waiting for your own new vehicle, guaranteeing delivery for a client, or planning a construction schedule relying on heavy equipment's arrival. A delayed shipment can impact the delivery of consignments.

Your customer service team can inform clients of delays and manage customer expectations by having up-to-the-minute information on your shipment. This can be particularly valuable in cases where expedited freight has been requested, and you need to offer solutions for customers.

Conclusion

Shipment tracking is an essential tool in the transport process that allows you to plan around shipment schedules and anticipate potential problems and adjust to accommodate them.

We offer a host of freight transportation solutions, whether it's oversize freight, ground freight, or long-distance delivery.

Give A-1 Auto Transport a call today to find out more about how we can assist in getting your shipment to its destination safely and on time.