As an executive at a manufacturing company, I’ve always been focused on optimizing our operations to support growth. However, there was one area I had overlooked for too long—our inbound shipments. It wasn’t until I had a chance to take a closer look at the numbers that I realized something was seriously wrong. We had a dedicated load coming from another state, and despite the fact that it was carrying only a single pallet, we were paying the full cost of a dedicated shipment. This inefficiency was something we simply couldn’t afford, especially as our company was looking to scale. Exploring more efficient shipping options, such as leveraging a container ship for bulk transport, became essential to optimizing our logistics.
Initially, I turned to our traffic manager for an explanation. After all, he was responsible for managing our shipments and ensuring we were making the most cost-effective choices. However, his response was less than helpful. He immediately blamed the purchasing department, saying the issue was due to incorrect forecasting or mismanagement of the order quantities. When I spoke to purchasing, they, in turn, blamed the vendor, claiming that the vendor hadn’t provided the correct quantities or had failed to meet our packaging requirements. This back-and-forth between departments was incredibly frustrating, and it highlighted a major issue in how we were managing our freight. No one was taking responsibility, and the inefficiencies were piling up.
At that point, it was clear that we couldn’t solve this problem internally. We needed external expertise. So, I reached out to a freight audit expert, hoping that they could shed some light on our logistics challenges and provide a roadmap for improvement. That’s when I was introduced to ShipTLI, a service that offered exactly what we needed—multi-modal freight support. They didn’t just focus on one aspect of our shipping; they analyzed both inbound and outbound freight and helped us identify areas where we could significantly reduce costs.
One of the key advantages of working with ShipTLI was their ability to optimize mode types. We learned that by switching from dedicated loads to more flexible shipping options, we could drastically reduce our inbound transportation costs. For example, we discovered that many of our inbound shipments could be consolidated or moved via less expensive modes like LTL (Less-than-Truckload), rather than taking up an entire truck for just a single pallet. This was a huge revelation, and it immediately became clear that our previous shipping strategy was unsustainable.
But the benefits didn’t stop there. ShipTLI’s platform also provided a deep dive into our outbound shipments, which were just as inefficient. Using ViewPoint TMS, their transportation management system, we were able to easily compare different shipping modes—such as parcel vs. LTL and LTL vs. volume pricing—all in one place. This meant that we could choose the most cost-effective option for each shipment, depending on the specific needs of our business. The ability to make these comparisons was invaluable, as it allowed us to quickly adjust our strategy based on real-time data, ensuring that we weren’t overpaying for freight.
What impressed me most about the system was how seamlessly it integrated with our existing operations. ViewPoint TMS gave us the visibility and control we needed to manage our entire shipping process, from order creation to final delivery. With real-time tracking and accurate pricing comparisons, we no longer had to rely on gut feelings or memory to determine the best shipping options. Instead, we could make data-driven decisions that aligned with our overall business goals. The system even helped us avoid costly mistakes, like the single pallet dedicated load that had initially caused us so much frustration.
As our business continues to grow, the scalability of ShipTLI and ViewPoint TMS has been a game-changer. We’ve been able to handle an increased volume of shipments without the headaches that plagued our previous system. We no longer waste time or money on inefficient shipping methods, and the cross-departmental finger-pointing is a thing of the past. Now, everyone—from traffic management to purchasing—can work off the same platform, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned on shipping strategies and costs.
In conclusion, adopting ShipTLI’s multi-modal support and integrating ViewPoint TMS into our operations has transformed the way we approach shipping. What once seemed like an overwhelming and disjointed process is now streamlined, efficient, and, most importantly, scalable. With these solutions in place, we’re not just reacting to shipping issues as they arise; we’re proactively optimizing our freight strategy to support our long-term growth. This partnership has given us the tools we need to scale our business without compromising on efficiency, and I’m confident that it will continue to drive success as we expand.
