Your Chemical Manufacturing Company Should Partner with a 3PL

1. Too Many Lost or Late Deliveries
   Inefficient tracking is one of the biggest challenges with internal or manual logistics management and for chemical shipping, there are real hazards tied to late or lost shipments. A 3PL can take over, ensuring shipments get where they need to go on time and on budget from start to finish. A 3PL can also deal with the added safety requirements and flexibility that chemical transport brings to a logistics situation.
2. Frequent Shipping Rate Changes
   If shipping rates are consistently rising and poor contracts are in place, you need to start making some changes in the way you negotiate contracts and hold carriers accountable. A logistics solution provider can negotiate on your behalf and secure the least cost provider that can handle all of your capacity and chemical shipping service quality needs so you can be sure you’re getting the best deal.
3. Limited Shipping Capabilities
   Are you unable to transport your products due to the limited capabilities of your current carriers? Products transported throughout the chemical supply chain require specific conditions dictated by regulations that control all aspects of shipping and handling. A 3PL will create a customized solution for your industry’s specific shipping requirements so you can maximize your logistics potential and safely transport your product to new places and people.
4. Lacking Customer Service
   Does it seem like your customer service team is unable to handle simple tracking tasks and solve everyday logistics problems? It could be because they’re not equipped with shipment information at the ready and are forced to chase down carriers with communication issues. A 3PL will gather around-the-clock details so your customer service team and company have the ability to excel in the chemical industry.
5. Insufficient Information Records
   A messy records system not only impacts your customer service team, but can also inhibit the feasibility of auditing for your company’s financial department. It can become difficult to corroborate bills from your carriers if your financial team is unable to match external and internal shipment reference information. Let a logistics partner worry about cleaning up your information records so you can focus on what you do best.
6. Reliability on Manual Operations
   Manually obtaining quotes, negotiating agreements, scheduling shipments, maintaining tracking information and scrubbing invoices is the way of the past. A transportation management software (TMS) and trusted 3PL partner will help your business step into the future and start running smoothly and more productively. Using technology will also give you the added convenience of regular reporting and analytics to continuously improve all operations.
7. Too Much Time Spent on Logistics
   Are other departments of your organization suffering because too much time and resources are being allotted to shipping management? Outsourcing the dirty work will free up your team’s precious time so you can effectively manage other departments and work on growing your business.

If you find yourself relating to any of these common logistics challenges, now may be the time to make a change in the way you handle your entire logistics operation.