eCommerce in August sets a high bar for the rest of 2021

eCommerce in August sets a high bar for the rest of 2021

eCommerce numbers in Australia were 24% higher in August 2021 than August 2020 and aligned with the Christmas volumes that were experienced last year.  

Ongoing lockdowns, material shortages and reduced accessibility throughout the pandemic has changed consumer behaviour and driven phenomenal growth in online shopping. Businesses are being forced to be fluid by rethinking their supply chains, materials, and how their products are made and accessed.

November and December is the busiest time of the year in Logistics. Businesses ramp up production to have inventory moved out by the Christmas break, and consumer purchases increase as November cyber sales and Christmas shopping begin.

In preparation for this, Carriers are hiring now more than ever, with AusPost recruiting 1600 additional permanent roles and 3300 casual roles to keep up with demand.

Planning ahead and having a multi-carrier solution to keep your freight moving will be some key components for businesses navigating their freight throughout a pandemic and the peak trading period.

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Navigating B2C freight – arming your business with the right tools

Navigating B2C freight – arming your business with the right tools

The current global environment has been challenging for businesses that have needed to adapt their business model and service offerings to continue to trade throughout the pandemic. Many businesses have introduced eCommerce platforms – as a way to combat lockdowns and restrictions – which has allowed them to continue trading and to stay connected with consumers.

One of the most significant areas that sees change when moving to an eCommerce platform is the business’s logistics. Businesses start needing to manage B2C freight on top of their existing B2B freight. This change presents challenges like shop integration, managing residential deliveries, product returns, packaging, and maintaining customer service satisfaction.

When businesses move to B2C deliveries, one of the biggest priorities is finding Carriers that are structured (and priced) to suit their freight profile – including servicing residential addresses.

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Planning your freight leading into Christmas

Planning your freight leading into Christmas

November and December is the busiest time of the year in Logistics. Businesses ramp up production in preparation for having inventory moved out by the Christmas break. Consumer purchases also increase as November cyber sales and Christmas shopping begins.

Since the COVID pandemic peaked in Australia in March, the demand in freight has been consistently at the same level that carriers see over November and December each year. Transport giant AusPost has seen a 170% growth in Victoria as well as an 80% growth nationally.

This sudden and consistent increase for freight services has put significant strain on the logistics industry. Usually, carriers have months to prepare leading into a peak freight period to ensure they have the workforce and facilities to handle this increase in demand, whilst also maintaining the service levels expected of them. In 2020, there was almost no notice at all. On top of this demand for services, Victorian depots have been instructed to decrease their workforce by 33% to adhere to operational restrictions put forward by the government.
Melbourne is home to the biggest container port in Australia which is a vital link to our National Supply Chain. As businesses rely heavily on the transport industry to navigate their products both nationally and internationally, freight and logistics services are recognized as essential to the Australian economy and will continue to trade under tighter restrictions.

During a press conference on Monday the 3rd of August, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that “significantly different conditions” would be introduced for essential services to adhere to strict guidelines whilst operating during Stage Four.

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What do Stage 4 restrictions in Victoria mean for the freight industry?

What do Stage 4 restrictions in Victoria mean for the freight industry?

The Victorian Governments enforcement of Stage Four restrictions coming into effect from midnight Wednesday the 5th of August for a minimum of 6 weeks has raised questions as to what this means for the Freight Industry.

Melbourne is home to the biggest container port in Australia which is a vital link to our National Supply Chain. As businesses rely heavily on the transport industry to navigate their products both nationally and internationally, freight and logistics services are recognized as essential to the Australian economy and will continue to trade under tighter restrictions.

During a press conference on Monday the 3rd of August, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that “significantly different conditions” would be introduced for essential services to adhere to strict guidelines whilst operating during Stage Four.

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Navigating your freight through a pandemic

Navigating your freight through a pandemic

The last 5 months have brought turbulent changes to Australian businesses and the way that we operate through an ever-changing and evolving pandemic.

With many working from home and a lot of businesses moving to e-commerce platforms to stay afloat, it has meant that all businesses have needed to become (if not already) quick-thinking, resourceful and fluid.

One industry which as a whole has remained consistent (albeit increased regulations to uphold and hurdles to contend with) is the Freight Industry.  The demand for freight has never been higher which has seen major freight powerhouses struggle at times trying to process the sheer volume of freight that is currently travelling throughout the country.

It’s hard to not feel frustrated when you are on the receiving end of delays in service by businesses that you heavily depend upon, but, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges all are currently facing and analysing if there is anything that you can do from your side to relieve the pressure off your team when navigating your freight through a pandemic.

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Technology in Transport

Technology in Transport

When your despatch manager is trying to get the cheapest quotes or the quickest possible ETA to book that parcel to get to one of your major clients, do you ever wonder “I wish there was a quicker way”?

Chances are your despatch manager is having to go onto various carriers’ websites or portals to enter the same details over and over to then have to write down the price they have been given. Only to have to go back into the selected website once they have determined the best option and then enter all the details. In some cases, having to start all over again. I’m guessing you’ve just lost about 10 minutes following that process.

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Ensuring that your freight travels

Ensuring that your freight travels

Competition in business looks very different from industry to industry, business to business. Everyone is trying to have a point of difference to have an advantage over their competitors. One such way, especially in the auto parts industry, is allowing their customers to have later cut off times in ordering their parts for same day or the next AM delivery. However, these businesses don’t consider how they will be able to fulfil that delivery window.

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