Freight Tech solutions for small business

If your business sends and receives freight of any kind, you’ll know how it feels when all you want to do is place and order and get on with running your business.

At One World Courier, our customers continually tell us, they just want a system that is easy-to-use and makes it simple manage the entire freight and shipping process. In short, everyone is looking for smarter ways of doing things, especially when it comes to freight.

How One World Courier tech is reshaping businesses freight tasks.

For us, one of our main drivers is developing new ways of bringing convenience and speed to the often arduous task of booking, tracking and managing freight transactions. We know our customers also expect up-to-date information as to where their items are along the delivery journey, giving them additional peace of mind that their items will be delivered on time and in the same condition it left their care.

Some of our carriers, such as FedEx, adopted smart sensor technology which provides everything from freight location data to location updates, and even the condition of the package. One of the main challenges with sending and receiving boxes, cartons etc, is whilst in transit the items can be bundled with other freight of varying weights and shapes. This can affect the shape of the carton/box and therefore alter the dimensions, which when scanned can alter the original dims (dimensions). When this occurs, certain carriers can raise a query and add further costs to the sender/receiver – which in the end can create frustration and extra work for all involved in the transaction.

Improving the customer experience

Another very good benefit of technology-powered freight operations is how it improves our customer’s experience. Freight technology innovations means more visibility and such issues like bottlenecks and slowdowns can be identified and communicated back to the customer in real time. As with most things in life, at some point a human must interact and assure the process is working at its optimal best. On the other hand, the human aspect of freight also means there could be longer lead times to delivery due to delays, shortage of staff in warehouses, weather conditions and health issues (think Coronavirus). With this in mind, the smart freight tracking system (which are built into One World Courier’s freight technology platform) allows customers to be alerted and even calculated alternative delivery routes to help get the freight to its destination on time.

FedEx Surround

FedEx (a One World Courier freight partner) Surround, enables data-driven freight monitoring and intervention controls. It monitors risks to packages and parcels along the delivery route.As we said earlier, such as weather disruptions and traffic delays can severely delay the progress of freight. The FedEx Surround system provides real-time information and data shared across its API, with direct integration to our very own freight management platform.

When paired with other FedEx ‘Internet of Things’ technologies, like SenseAware, businesses can track the precise location of a package as well as sensitive environmental conditions like the temperature inside the package and whether it has been exposed to light. This means temperature-sensitive Covid-19 vaccines, can be transported at the correct climate with their integrity protected.

Self-serve digital tools – making shipping faster and easier.

At One World Courier, we developed our own freight platform to form a self-serving digital tool to help businesses to manage their shipments easily and more conveniently. One of the reasons we did this is to help free-up operations staff from doing repetitive research comparing freight costs on multiple websites. When everything you need is right there in front of you on one platform, it’s easier to spend more time on what’s important – growing the business.

Again, let’s look at how FedEx is helping small business find more time by automating their freight process. As we all know, FedEx is one of the world’s top global freight service providers who are one of the driving forces behind the general freight and booming e-commerce sector. Thanks to its wide range of digital tools, FedEx is assisting companies to manage the entire shipping journey, from quoting freight prices and transit times, to scheduling pickups, uploading documents, managing customs and DG compliance, to online tracking and billing.

Consequently, the development of world-class freight tracking solutions through the FedEx Delivery Manager product has also allowed the redirection of shipments to be collected from more than 1200 retail locations across Australia. This allows businesses to pick up and drop off freight, knowing they are one step closer to the carrier, which can often expedite the shipping process.

Autonomous delivery vehicles and robots

FedEx is also experimenting with autonomous delivery vehicle. The self-driving, unmanned delivery vehicles create zero emissions as well as offering multiple safety features. With a maximum cargo weight of 500kg and a delivery range of 100km, these new delivery vehicles can deliver day or night, no matter the weather  conditions.

Take a look at Roxo, the SameDay freight delivery bot, is an autonomous delivery prototype designed to respond to the rapid growth of e-commerce and improving the last-mile delivery sequence. Add to this the advancements in autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial cargo systems, where shipments can be delivered and picked up by drones of all shapes and sizes. The pilot program aims to eventually integrate into the wider FedEx Express network.

Transparent freight delivery networks

Advanced freight pickup and delivery solutions such as these, help fuel the growth of Australian SME’s, whilst improving the customer experience and keeping the entire freight journey clearly visible. If there’s a problem with your freight, you should know about it. That’s why there must always be a focus on technology and innovation to thrive in a fast-evolving market.

Find out more about FedEx global freight options and how the One World Freight Technology Platform can help Australian businesses save money.

 

Subject: Benefits of FedEx International Air Courier.