Dock scheduling problems can lead to severe implications for shipping spend.
As reported by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Foundation’s “2020 Detention Time Survey,” delays on the dock will amount to a greater risk for detention surcharges.
According to the survey results, “47% of the respondents indicated that they always attempt to receive compensation for detention compared to 52% in 2019, representing a 10% decrease. The remaining 53% vary between usually, occasionally, and never attempting to receive detention time pay. The percentage of those who never attempt to receive compensation has steadily grown from 7% in 2018 to 10% in 2020. The two biggest reasons why members do not make the attempt is either due to the belief that they will not receive it anyway (44%), or because they do not have much waiting time (24%).”
With the chances for more detention time charges growing, shippers need to have a thorough list of dos and don’ts for managing the dock and ensuring the dock schedule flows uninterrupted.
Don’t: Waste Time With Phone Calls and Emails
Manual check calls lead to lost oversight and challenges in keeping your dock scheduling system operational.
Do: Streamline the Dock Scheduling Process With an Integrated Portal
An integrated portal helps shippers strategically provide available appointments and avoid ambiguity when scheduling carrier arrivals. Furthermore, this streamlined process makes it easier to prevent warehouse backlogs and helps teams facilitate cross-docking and other alternate fulfillment models.
Don’t: Delay Planning Until Trucks Arrive
Leaving your dock space subject to the traditional first-come, first-served basis creates bottlenecks which can drive shipping costs higher across both inbound and outbound freight.
Do: Account for Trucks Before They Ever Head to Your Warehouse
Don’t: Require Carriers Contact Your Team to Schedule Arrivals
Do: Give Carriers a Means of Self-Scheduling
Rather than relying on a slow, sub-standard communication process, shippers can give carriers the authority to self-schedule their appointments. Advanced dock scheduling software is a powerful piece in the technology suite for retailers and manufacturers.
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Create More Value With Integrated Dock Scheduling Features in Your Tech Stack
Integrated dock scheduling is the future of yard and dock management.
There are too many risks for higher freight spend already in the world. Lost time in dock scheduling or management promises to drive up landed freight costs. It’s time to force dock inefficiencies into retreat by leveraging a world-class, high-visibility transportation management solution.
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