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As much as we pride ourselves on the efficiency of our global operations, sometimes companies, including Ideoli, experience delays transporting freight because of some factors beyond most people’s control. Since we also pride ourselves on being honest with clients, we want to share some of these setbacks, which you might also face when dealing with freight. Some examples of hinderances include:

1. Tariffs: Traffic isn’t just a problem on Southern California freeways or Manhattan city streets. The US has recently had backlogs at ports of entry due to companies trying to get shipments into the US before tariffs increase.  Large ports such as those in Savannah, GA and Long Beach, CA hit record cargo highs in 2018, which contributed to delays in getting shipments to their final destinations.

2. Government Shutdowns: When the US government shuts down, the resulting shortage of government workers causes freight delays. For example, Ideoli recently had a shipment arrive at the Port of Long Beach that then needed to get delivered by truck to St. Louis. Yet because of the government shutdown that lasted for most of January 2019, fewer government employees were working at checkpoints along the route, thereby delaying delivery by approximately two weeks.

3. Weather: Even when weather forecasts are accurate, it’s difficult to get around the fact that storms can slow down shipments and throw off schedules across supply chains. For example, a freight company had to reroute a shipment for one of our clients due to a series of hurricanes rocking the southern US. Along the way, the freight company accidentally damaged the shipments, but we worked hard to quickly remedy the situation. We sent our top personnel for the job to visit the client’s warehouse, assess the damaged shipments, test all of the products on site and replace defective ones.

4. Worker Shortages: In addition to temporary shortages caused by government shutdowns, prolonged shortages in labor pools also cause delays. For instance, the US faces a gap between the supply and demand for truck drivers needed to move freight across the country. The American Trucking Association estimates a shortage of over 50,000 truck drivers as of 2017, and this factor has been at play for the past several years. If the shortage worsens or other areas of the supply chain face worker shortages, freight could be further delayed.

Even though there are some factors beyond most companies’ control, it’s important to maintain clear lines of communication and set delivery expectations accordingly. Doing so can help clients adjust accordingly, rather than getting frustrated and confused about why their orders are delayed.