A 3PL Sheds Manual Processes to Streamline Communications With UPS Drivers - Supply Chain Brain
Given the surge in consumer demand over the past year, and the resulting pressure on carriers to deliver product in a timely manner, one might be excused for thinking that the old notion of a “peak season” is defunct.
What does “peak” mean when congested ports, a severe shortage of trucks and overflowing warehouses become the status quo? For a big third-party logistics provider like Coyote Logistics, there’s no let-up.
Coyote is doubly challenged to live up to customer expectations because of its commercial relationship with United Parcel Service, one of the dominant players on the front line of the e-commerce boom. It provides UPS with real-time communications and shipment visibility, by interacting directly with UPS drivers and employees as well as physically staffing most of the parcel giant’s nationwide hubs. “That’s a lot of e-mail communication, and a ton of organization,” says Emily Lockhart, Coyote’s strategic planning manager. Business has exploded over the past year and a half, she adds, due to a massive increase in the number of people shopping from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the surge in consumer demand over the past year, and the resulting pressure on carriers to deliver product in a timely manner, one might be excused for thinking that the old notion of a “peak season” is defunct.
What does “peak” mean when congested ports, a severe shortage of trucks and overflowing warehouses become the status quo? For a big third-party logistics provider like Coyote Logistics, there’s no let-up.
Coyote is doubly challenged to live up to customer expectations because of its commercial relationship with United Parcel Service, one of the dominant players on the front line of the e-commerce boom. It provides UPS with real-time communications and shipment visibility, by interacting directly with UPS drivers and employees as well as physically staffing most of the parcel giant’s nationwide hubs. “That’s a lot of e-mail communication, and a ton of organization,” says Emily Lockhart, Coyote’s strategic planning manager. Business has exploded over the past year and a half, she adds, due to a massive increase in the number of people shopping from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.