Shipping managers know how important reliable transloading and warehouse services are to maintaining the integrity of their supply chains. These facilities are critical infrastructures that shippers and transportation service providers use every day to help connect global manufacturers to their customers. We already wrote about the different kinds of 3PL warehouse and distribution services available for shippers. We described some of the value-added services that shippers should look for when partnering with a transportation provider that owns its facilities.
The logistics industry as a whole is currently experiencing a critical shortage of workers who help fulfill customer orders in warehouses and distribution centers. This lack of personnel contributes to supply chain disruptions, longer loading and unloading times, and increased detention and demurrage costs. As a result of these labor shortages, shipping managers across North America are investing in technologies to help automate areas directly related to warehouse inventory and network optimization.
Shippers who do not have the financial capital required to invest in brick-and-mortar facilities are turning to a hassle-free approach to help mitigate risks to their supply chain. And that approach involves partnering with a single source logistics provider that can effectively manage every operational requirement needed within the lifecycle of a shipment. Single-source providers are experienced logistics companies that own and operate multiple transloading and warehouse facilities. Companies like PortCity are helping shipping managers streamline some of their operations, helping to improve efficiencies, productivity, and long-term profitability. This article takes a closer look at some of the ways that 3PL warehouses are managed services that can strengthen supply chain durability throughout the year.
What Services Do 3PL Warehouses Provide Shippers?
When it comes to transloading and warehousing needs, freight forwarders and shipping managers prefer to partner with 3PLs that own and operate multiple facilities strategically located near major ports and shipping terminals in the United States. One of the busiest U.S. ports is the Port of Savannah, which in 2022 accounted for more than 22% of all container shipping along the U.S. east coast. PortCity operates one of the largest warehouse facilities in Georgia, with a state-of-the-art facility offering over 4 million square feet of space for long-term or short-term storage, cross-docking, and transloading services. In 2022, PortCity handled over 90,000 container shipments out of the Port of Savannah alone. They service every major North American port in the United States and Canada, making them one of the largest drayage providers in the U.S. Many shippers turn to PortCity specifically because the 3PL offers a variety of warehouse services that include:
- WMS Digital Inventory Management
- Vendor Management
- EDI & Barcoding Equipment
- Pick and Pack Services
- Wrap and Palletizing Services
- Labeling Services
- Cross-docking
- Transloading
- Crating Services
- DOT/IMDG Hazmat Certification
- 24-Hour Security
How Do 3PL Managed Warehouses Help Shippers Optimize their Supply Chain?
When shippers and freight forwarders silo their transportation providers into specific roles, they end up running into problems with communication, tracking, tracing, and guaranteeing customer satisfaction. The better approach to logistics is to partner with a single source logistics provider. Companies such as PortCity help streamline supply chains by utilizing a proactive approach to understanding their customers’ unique operational requirements to succeed. Their dedicated team of logistics experts starts by creating a blueprint to help develop scalable growth that benefits both parties. Their data analytics and pricing experts will generate reports based on your current operations that locate specific areas that need improvement.
Most shippers and freight forwarders depend on a team of coordinators to manually input internal Excel sheets and other databases with load notifications and tracking updates. This time-consuming task is necessary each day to clear the desks of current customer orders. However, with the help of a single source provider, shippers can reallocate labor to positions that advance customer success and explore other revenue streams that build beyond your current customer base. With the power of technology, PortCity helps shippers automate certain tasks and collapse communication into a single source of contact. This reduces the number of phone calls, emails, and time spent locating trucks and ensuring on-time delivery. Whether your company needs a single pallet pulled off a truck to haul LTL, or a port-to-door oversized flatbed load going cross-border into Canada, PortCity handles their customers’diverse and unique transportation needs. Single source logistics providers also drastically reduce companies’ spending on transportation costs and accessorial fees. PortCity offers full-service transportation solutions that provide year-round dedicated capacity when your company needs it most.
Shippers Improve The Strength of Their Supply Chains When They Partner with PortCity
When shippers and freight forwarders partner with a single source logistics provider, they gain the comfort of knowing that their supply chains will run smoothly. PortCity owns and operates its own warehouse and transloading facilities, owns and maintains a vast fleet of trucks and equipment to run local and regional middle-mile and final-mile shipments, and provides fully-dedicated drayage and OTR transportation service through every major port and intermodal facility found in North America. That’s why PortCity is the trusted provider and the perfect logistics fit for thousands of customers. If your company is looking to improve its supply chain resiliency, streamline operations, and reduce transportation costs, it’s time to contact an expert at PortCity today!