In an industry that makes up the backbone of American business, innovation and breaking news are common. There have been a lot of interesting stories in the last several months and we’ve gathered the ones that are the most interesting to us below.
Most people are familiar with UPS and FedEx, but there are plenty of regional carriers out there operating in the United States. Still, ever since news broke that LaserShip and OnTrac were joining forces, we’ve been waiting for news like this. While their network has some gaps that presumably will be filled in in the future, this is news that every savvy shipper should pay attention to. LaserShip and OnTrac are quickly becoming a more-and-more certain choice when diversifying your carrier mix.
It’s that time of year again: peak season. While UPS has yet to announce their peak season surcharges, you can rest assured that they’re coming soon. It’s important as a retailer to inspect these changes closely to determine how they are going to impact you at your busiest time of year. While it’s a little late to make any major changes for this year, knowing what to expect will only help you prepare for the holidays as well as for any shifts in your transportation strategy next year.
We’ve listed these articles together, because they point to a shared area in which both FedEx and UPS are facing challenges: labor. Retailers would do well to prepare for the worst-case scenarios for both carriers, namely, strikes and reduced capacity to transport your packages. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but it’s not impossible--both companies have faced strikes in the past. To avoid being hamstrung by a sudden loss or capacity in moving packages to your consumers, we recommend diversifying your carrier mix and continuing to watch for new developments for both FedEx and UPS.
Shopify Stock Sinks 14% After Company Says it Will Lay Off 10% of Workers
We’ve been watching what happens at Shopify for multiple reasons this year. They’ve made headlines plenty of times, whether for purchasing Deliverr or betting on their fulfillment network, and this headline says what many of those running a business or in supply chain already know: the growth of e-commerce is unpredictable and hasn’t continued accelerating at the same meteoric pace as at the beginning of the pandemic. The question becomes, how can retailers better equip themselves to compete to acquire precious new customers, and how can they keep their current customers happy?
If all these articles seem like a lot, that’s because they really are. We can only expect the pace of updates in the transportation and logistics industry to hold fast. If you’re left scratching your head and wondering how to create a successful strategy for your business, iDrive has you covered. Just reach out and we’re happy to help!
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