Lately people and industry professionals are susceptible to believing the most common myths about the shipping and transport industry. From old rumors about high costs to more modern falsehoods concerning fleet management, there are plenty of wrong-headed ideas to go around. What’s the solution? For starters, begin by checking out a list of the four most prevalent shipping misconceptions. Some are more dangerous than others, but all are equally incorrect in their own special way. In no specific order, here are shipping myths that you’ve likely encountered at one time or another.
Errors are Uncommon
Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, or a blind faith in modern business operations, but many people assume, incorrectly, that transportation errors are uncommon events. The reality is that every day of the year, many different shipments end up somewhere other than their proper destination. The reasons are varied and are often not the fault of the shipper. But the fact remains, shipment mistakes can and do happen, more than most people think they do.
Fleet Management is Only for Large Companies
For unknown reasons, even industry insiders don’t always understand the latest developments in vehicle fleet management programs, systems, and software products. For example, it’s often assumed that using these kinds of programs is the exclusive province of large corporations. In fact, even small startups and tiny local enterprises often use fleet management systems to move merchandise from Point A to Point B. All over the world, entrepreneurs use things like GPS fleet tracking to stay on top if issues related to safety, customer service, legal compliance, and efficiency. Making the decision to utilize smart fleet solutions is one of the least costly, simplest ways to differentiate your business from those that don’t use them.
Service Providers are Pretty Much the Same
This myth will cause you problems is you choose to outsource your organization’s shipping and transportation tasks, as many new businesses do. So, if you’re not yet able to afford a fleet of your own, spend time finding an excellent provider who has solid, verifiable references. Stand-alone fleet for hire companies are not all the same. A few come under the fly by night heading. In other words, they pop up in a single location to take advantage of temporarily high demand, secure a few contracts, perform poorly, and then move on to the next city. Screen your choices carefully to avoid falling prey to a low-quality provider.
On-Time Delivery is All That Counts
There’s nothing wrong with working hard to achieve 100 percent on-time delivery. Many organizations prioritize that goal and get good results from making it happen. However, be careful to avoid the trap of thinking that customers value nothing more than timely delivery. The truth is that there are dozens of factors that go into the customer satisfaction equation, and on-time arrival of goods is just one, though a very important element. Others include responsive service agents, undamaged goods, delivery of the correct items, and efficient avenues for returning unwanted or damaged products.
