Have you ever wondered what freight tech has enabled trucking to go greener? It's not just on Earth Day where sustainability leads the conversation. Environmental concerns are at the forefront of global discussions, sparking many industries to join the race to reduce their carbon footprint. The trucking industry, a vital component of global commerce, is no exception.

March is the month we celebrate Women's History, so here's a timeline of some major accomplishments and impactful inventions brought to you by women. These little known facts have shaped the trucking industry and paved the way for women in the industry today.

Discover the crucial responsibilities of a dispatcher and how they support truck drivers in their daily operations. Plus, why shippers should look at how dispatch teams operate across their network.

Organizational silos are a major obstacle that often lurk within the transportation sector, particularly in the trucking industry. But what exactly are these "silos"? 🤔

What are Organizational Silos? 

Organizational silos refer to the isolation that occurs when employees or departments within an organization do not want to, or do not have the means to, share information or knowledge with each other.

Disadvantages of Silos in Trucking 🚫

Hint: It isn't some fancy new tracking tool.

Our most recent customer survey indicated that customers want more tracking visibility, yet few are diving into the details of tracking among their carrier network. About 70% of respondents do not look at the number of tracking updates or pings, and just over 80% don't look at the source of tracking (mobile device, TMS, v. GPS or ELD). Still, tracking compliance is commonly used to score carrier performance.

So, why aren't shippers doing a deep dive into tracking? We have some ideas.

Don't take shipping containers for granted. They are one of the top inventions to revolutionize the trucking industry. Shipping containers streamline transport between different modes by providing a standardized yet extremely versatile solution. These containers can be seamlessly transferred from ships to trucks to trains without the need for unloading and reloading cargo.

What would freight coordination be like without them?

Without the invention of shipping containers, the transportation and logistics industry would still rely on labor-intensive and inefficient methods of handling cargo. Goods would need to be individually loaded and unloaded. Imagine the amount of lumpers that would need to be paid on every load between the different modes of transportation. Think about that the next time you are pricing out drayage or planning imports/exports.

It's time we delve into the evolution of containerized shipping and the inventions that paved the way for the rise of shipping containers and their impact on trucking.

As consumer trends come and go, it can be challenging for shippers to know which ones hold the most weight and likely will impact how they run their business. Over time, sustainability has proven to be one trend that is here to stay. Yet, it can be challenging for shippers to gain traction on the agreed-to initiatives. 

Planning and managing efficient supply chain networks and transportation services requires careful attention to detail, especially when working on supply chain visibility. Maintaining high levels of ultimate logistics visibility and insight, backed by real-world data and statistics and founded on real-time customized data, is essential to keeping the industry moving forward in a post-pandemic world.