Area experts offer tips on global-delivery solutions.
Q: What factors should one consider when choosing a global-transportation
service?
A: 'With most people, the overwhelming factor in the decision on whom to use
would be speed,' says Jarvis McWilliams, president of Courier One LLC. 'And
that would depend on how urgent the freight is. Obviously, if the freight were
very urgent, the biggest factor would be how soon the shipper or freight company
could get it picked up and delivered. That's a reason they would be calling
me. Otherwise, they would use another source that would be a lot less expensive
to do the same thing. There are many companies that do what I do, so another
consideration is going to be cost.'
Q: How are transportation services using the Web to help customers ship products
to foreign countries?
A: 'The most progressive companies out there are investing dollars in business-to-business
Web sites that assist in tracking and tracing capabilities,' says Greg Quast,
branch manager for C.H. Robinson World Wide Inc. 'It also benefits the customer
in that there are [numerous] services that all of a sudden become available
when you come to the Web site looking for your package. Some of the services
might include your accounts-receivable and accounts-payable function. Or ...
how to optimize your load when, for example, you have [products] going to several
different locations. There is even deeper software out there that can tell you
exactly where your order is. Is it in the dock? Is it half full, or three-quarters
full? Do you want an email notification that it's been loaded? That's the kind
of stuff ... that's the extra gravy that can be had at a relatively inexpensive
cost.'
Q: What provisions must be made in preparing to ship a product outside the
United States?
A: 'The main thing for any type of product that has to be transported, whether
it be domestic or foreign, is the paperwork,' says Glenda Jemison, vice president
of Flame-J&L Courier Inc. 'The paperwork would include the bill of lading
and all the necessary paperwork for customs. That must be in order. What a shipper
can transport depends on authority, that is, what it is the shipper is authorized
to haul. The customer must make certain that their product is packaged properly,
and our responsibility before any product is loaded onto our equipment is to
make sure that it is packaged properly and according to standards. There are
requirements for any shipment. It has to be stated, for instance, whether you're
shipping hazardous material. With that type of material, of course, there's
a different procedure that must be followed.'
Q: What is fueling the demand for quick and efficient global delivery services?
A: 'The larger companies no longer want to carry lots of inventory in their
warehouses, and they prefer to fill a client's order as quickly as possible,'
says Fred Hitti, president of Caravan Packaging Inc. 'This has been a growing
trend we've noticed over the last three to four years, and it's fast becoming
a permanent facet of doing business in the modern global economy. So companies
are looking to the shipping and delivery industry to follow their lead and provide
their customers the services they need in an efficient and timely manner. In
the near future, the time between when a product is produced and when it needs
to get to a customer will actually continue to shorten, which will challenge
[companies within the shipping and delivery] industry to meet these new needs
head-on.'
Q: What qualities should a company examine when choosing a delivery service
to manage its expedient delivery needs?
A: 'Most important is finding a company that has a proven track record and
knows the ins and outs of this business,' says Jack Medlik, president of Jack's
Delivery Service Inc. 'Being on time is another big thing. You're paying for
an immediate service, and you don't want someone who'll hold onto your package
for a half day and then deliver it. Appearance is another important consideration.
The delivery service is an extension of your business, so you want a company
with uniformed drivers and professional-looking vehicles. Also, the size of
the delivery company is a major consideration. Oftentimes, bigger isn't better,
because delivery services will push for volume that they can't handle. Look
for a company staffed with enough drivers and vehicles to get your documents,
packages or freight delivered on time.'
Q: How are trucking services and their customers coping with rising fuel costs?
A: 'Rising fuel costs started about a year ago, and fuel surcharges have risen
about 2 to 3 percent in partial truckloads and upward of 7 percent in full truckloads,'
says Timothy Watson, president of T&T Chapin Trucking Inc. 'We try to help
defray the costs by addressing the fuel-mileage issues on every vehicle, including
tire pressure, idling time and managing the fuel-per-mile ratio. One of the
biggest things the customer can do is hold a partial load and consolidate it
into a single truckload. This will result in a considerable cost-savings for
the customer. On the flip side, we are in a just in time' society, so freight
has to move. For the customer, it's finding a happy medium between what has
to be shipped now and what can wait until later.'
Q: What issues are often overlooked when preparing to ship a product to another
country?
A: 'The issues overlooked most often involve documentation
required for customs,' says Bryan Plonski, Northern Ohio district marketing
manager for United Parcel Service. 'A commercial invoice is the primary document
used for importation control, valuation and duty determination. It identifies
the products being shipped, name and address information for both the shipper
and consignee and shipper's signature.'