Tag: tenaxx logistics

Flatbeds vs. Heavy Haul Trucking

There are many transport options available when it comes to shipping heavy construction equipment. Flatbed trucking and heavy haul trucking are the two popular methods to ship heavy machineries such as cranes, excavators, and bulldozers. Let’s see which one is better and how.

FLATBED TRUCKING

Flatbed trailers are used to carry loads that are wide, over length, oversized, overweight, or any combination of these load types with great flexibility.
Flatbeds are suitable for transporting heavy loads and equipment that are not sensitive or vulnerable to precipitation such as construction equipment. Sometimes, goods will be covered with a tarp to prevent weather from damaging the freight. The unloading process in easier in the flatbed trailers as it may be unloaded from the sides, from the top, or from behind.

HEAVY HAUL TRUCKING

If your shipment is too wide, tall, or let say heavy, then it’s best to choose a heavy haul trucking option. A heavy haul truck consists of a truck tractor with an attached trailer. When using a heavy haul truck for transportation, the load will need permits (in terms of length, weight, height, and width) set for a particular state. The time period for getting the permit for hauling a heavy haul load could take a few hours or a few days depending on the state.

FLATBED or HEAVY HAUL TRUCKING

What to Choose?

It all depends on your shipping requirements. If you have construction equipment that is heavier, taller, longer, or wider, a heavy haul truck is ideal. But if you just have equipment that meets the routine permit limits, a flatbed truck should be enough for you.

Tenaxx Logistics

Here at Tenaxx Logistics, we have an experienced team that has the knowledge and access to the required equipment necessary to meet your heavy haul trucking needs. We also provide flatbed trucking with a variety of trailer types that are designed to fit the many needs required by different shipments.
Need your construction equipment transported? Contact us for a quote today.

Why FTL Shipping is Right for your Freight

FTL shipping

Full truckload commonly referred to as FTL. FTL shipping can mean either two things; either the shipment will take up an entire truck by itself, so the name full truckload or you have a partial load but you prefer a dedicated truck. Full truckload is often chosen when the business has 10 pallets or more to ship and needs fast delivery.

Full truckload costs more than LTL but the shipments get delivered faster, as the truck is making no other pickups or drop-offs along the way. Shipment remains in the same truck from origin to destination, point A to point B.

How does FTL Shipping Benefit Me?

Shipping freight may seem like a very complex process due to the number of options available in the market. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the difference between FTL and another type of loading which involves Less Than Truckload (LTL). While considered one of the shipping method, various factors are considered such as:

1. Size
2. Price
3. Time
4. Handling

READ MORE-
Tips to Manage Inventory for Multiple Warehouses

When selecting to ship a truckload or less than truckload you need to consider things such as the size of your shipment, your shipping budget, how fast it needed to be delivered, how good of handling your product required.

Size

The first thing you need to consider while choosing a shipper for you is the size of shipment if you think the size of your shipment is big enough to occupy a truck then you should go for a full truckload(FTL), which ranges from 42,000 pounds to sometimes 44,000 pounds and often weighs 45,000 pounds.

If your shipment isn’t big enough for FTL but you all your shipment needs two of less than truckload (LTL), then you should opt Full truckload(FTL) which is why they are referred to as partial TL shipments, as it would not only make sure that the shipment reaches in time but it would also be in your price range. Shipment delivered in quick time and save some bucks, what else do you need?

Price

FTL shipping requires an entire truck by itself and costs more than but while choosing LTL you only pay for the space that you use. If your shipment is large enough and it can’t fit inside multiple LTLs, then the cost for shipping the shipment would be more in LTL instead of FTL as FTL is capable of shipping large shipments around 45,000 pounds.

Time

Even if it is a deadline or not, the shipment must reach with the time interval provided by you, FTL is always the way to go. FTL shipping does not stop between the origin point and destination point. There are no drop-offs and pickups in between, so FTL is the way to go if you give importance to time it reaches your customer doorsteps.

Shipment Handling

Some Shipments are fragile while some are not, you must consider how delicate or high-risk the shipment is. With FTL shipping your shipment will always stay on the same truck and will not be transferred anywhere else. While on the other hand, the LTL shipments may switch trucks or be transferred multiple times before delivery, increasing the risk or damaged or missing items.

FTL transport combines extremely specialized equipment built to carry big and heavy shipments with specialists in logistical support for shipments of big size.

Tenaxx Logistics is top Logistics Company in Cambridge, Ontario

The team at Tenaxx Logistics is very experienced in finding cost-effective packaging options, so call them to find out why so many people trust us with their logistics needs. Contact us today on +1(437)2200463 to know more about our services.

Tenaxx Logistics Makes Third-Party Logistics Easy

Third-Party Logistics

A 3PL or Third-Party Logistics is outsourcing all or much of a company’s logistics operations to a specialized company. The term 3PL was first introduced in the early 1970s to identify intermodal marketing companies or IMC’s in transportation contracts. A 3PL allows you to focus on other parts of your business as it allows you to outsource operational logistics from warehousing. This includes transportation, warehousing, picking and packing, inventory forecasting, order fulfillment, packaging, and freight forwarding.

Why Choose 3PL?

When the company grows, the need for warehouse space increases beyond that business’s ability to manage it. 3PL warehousing is always a good option for companies facing storage capacity issues. 3PL also provides more value including challenges with customer service, order fulfillment, returns, order tracking, technical services, inventory management and much more.

Types of 3PL

Depending on the services required there are particularly three types of 3PLs:

Warehousing:

This type of 3PL store, ship and handle returns.

Transportation:

This type of 3PL are specialized in the transportation between locations, transportation 3PLs include DHL, FedEx, UPS including the USPS.

Distribution:

This type of 3PL includes shipping and receiving the goods from one point to another.

Benefits of 3PL

3PL provides a great deal of value to the companies dealing with challenges such as rapid growth and changing market conditions. 3PL has several benefits:

1. 3PLs providers have a vast network of resources across countries, which includes warehousing space, trucking, and transportation fleets. This provides cost-saving options, as the company themselves will have to give in extra effort and double or triple the money.

2. As the 3PLs have a vast network across countries, the company can also expand its market outside its country and manage internationalization.

3. Leasing warehouse space and hiring a team of workers increases the overhead, instead of working with a 3PL can minimize the costs so capital can be directed toward return generating endeavors.

4. Customers can expect to achieve faster and more reliable delivery times, tracking systems have improved and customers can thus have order status, there are reduced chances of damage or incorrect product delivery. 3PL got it covered for you, all you have to do is select one Third-party logistics for your company and they will take care of the rest.

How to choose your 3PL provider?

The right 3PL provider can make or break your company’s logistics, customer service, company’s reputation and repeat purchase rate. If you are about to select a 3PL provider for your company trust someone with sales, inventory and other information at significant risk. Choosing the right provider is a balance between quantitative and relationship building.

1. Make sure that the 3PL can handle your current volume but also the forecast stock of volume, you want to choose a 3PL that can handle your business now and when you are at your full speed.

2. Check the provider’s terms and conditions and get a report on the company’s performance over the last few years. Seek references and information about on-time deliveries and delays. Your main focus should be on how the provider deals when there are problems.

3. Make sure your 3PL provider is using the latest technology.

Tenaxx Logistics is top Logistics Company in Cambridge, Ontario

We offer full-service 3PL – we’ll manage everything so you can focus on growing your business. Find out why so many people trust us with their third party logistics needs. Call our Tenaxx Logistics expert team today on +1(437)2200463 to know more about our services.

Prepare your Supply Chain for Peak Holiday Season

Experts say that most companies make more than 20 percent of their annual revenue during the peak holiday season- but when service failures occur during peak season, it can cost you a great amount in terms of delayed in customer shipments as well as stock-outs due to poor inventory management.

How retailers can address supply chain challenges?

Stock-outs put a great impact on your brand reputation and future business activities. Forcing your customers to buy a product – which is out of stock in your warehouse – from a competitor diminishes their faithfulness. The other challenge comes up when consumers who buy online and return the item in-store, called Omni-Channel consumers, put the pressure on retailers to have products both at the store and in the warehouse, in the right quantity and at the right time.
To address these challenges, retailers are trying modern distribution strategies that not only improve forecasts but also facilitate inventory movement across multiple shopping channels. Retailers may need the services of a third-party logistics provider on the basis of the distance between your store and the warehouse. Here are some tips that will help ensure good relations with your suppliers, 3PL provider, and customers:

1. Inform your 3PL vendor about new changes and purchase orders

As a retailer, you should keep constant communication with your third party logistics vendors and suppliers and inform them of any changes in purchase orders and keep them updated. For instance, informing them of advance shipping notices, or any other changes regarding receipt items, quantities, or dates on purchase orders, will give the 3PL provider enough time to prepare and deliver the item as per your needs.

2. Make room for flexibility with your carrier

You cannot always plan your project sales accurately using data from previous years. Make sure your 3PL provider takes the responsibility for last-minute, just-in-time deliveries to your store to avoid any stock-outs of certain items. To face such unforeseen incidents, you should develop a relationship with your 3PL vendor that allows for flexibility and can adequately handle last-minute changes.

3. Accurate Forecasting

Make realistic projections for order volumes and calls by hour, day, week or month in advance to ensure your orders are always available in the right quantities and at the right time and to give your 3PL provider enough time to prepare for it.

Final Thoughts

With these wonderful tips, you can get prepare for the peak holiday season and manage your inventory more efficiently. If you’re looking for 3PL warehousing services, look no further than Tenaxx Logistics. We have the space, services, modern equipment, and commitment to customer satisfaction needed to make your transition to the world of warehousing a smooth one. To know more about our warehousing services, contact us today.

Essential Guidelines for Warehouse Inventory Management

Managing inventory operations can make all the difference to productivity within your supply chain. By organizing your warehouse operations effectively, you can get benefit such as
• Maximize the use of storage space
• Save time
• Keep the record of stocks
• Fewer Overheads and increased cost-benefit

You can get all these benefits by implementing some very simple steps within your workflow. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways of achieving a more managed warehouse inventory.

• Arrange the warehouse properly

There are certain stocks which used more frequently than other stock, plan your warehouse space with these stock in mind. Always put the most commonly used items in an easy to access location. By making all these necessary arrangements, you can save the time it takes to load and unload such items.

• Demand forecasting

Some times of year will be busier than other times, especially the peak season, so plan ahead and accordingly for your business seasonal demands. Forecast the demand based on past sale records and ensure that you have enough stock for that time period to avoid any delay.

• Be Flexible to the change

Business demand change over time, what may have worked for your business earlier may not work in later years. Examine how your warehouse operations carry out every year, check your stock records and new changes in your business throughout the past few years. Evaluate every area very carefully to make the necessary changes to run it more effectively.

• Implement Cross Docking

Cross-docking is a form of supply chain management process in which the products from a supplier or manufacturing unit are shipped directly to a customer or retail chain without any requirement for the storage of goods in the warehouse in between. That means a quick turnaround for your business, saving time and money. It is not ideal for all needs, but it saves cost and time for a certain stock.

• Give the right training to your staff

A staff that understands warehouse inventory operations will keep it better and manage the business more efficiently. By having knowledgeable staff, you can ensure that your workforce maintains a properly organized warehouse inventory.

• Label your items

Put SKU(stock keeping unit) numbers on every item in your stock in the warehouse. It clear labels ensures that it’s easy to identify products, before moving or transporting them. A barcode system can also be used, depending on the needs and size of your business. Whatever you use, ensure it’s up to date and that no numbers are re-used inappropriately.

The Benefits of Shared Warehousing during Peak Season

Outsourcing your order to a 3PL company can benefit your company in many ways and support you especially in peak season. Let’s see how you can benefit from shared warehousing.

Shared Warehousing

In a shared warehouse, you only pay for the space and resources you utilize for your goods. The main benefits come from the fact that the availability of space and resources are flexible- gives you complete freedom for your volume and operational needs of goods, especially during peak season. Let’s see how shared or public warehouse is the best option during peak season:

Flexible Space Requirement-

Suppose you need 10,000 sq feet of warehousing space in the holiday season. But as the peak season approach and your estimation went a little wrong with increasing order volumes, and now you need to expand that space to 15000 sq. feet. Your 3PL company will help you to easily expand as much space you need. And if your space requirements go back down to 10,000 sq feet again after the holiday season, your 3PL will scale downward as per your need.
Shared warehousing is also a good option for companies with their own warehouse but needs space and resources during the peak time of months.

More Staff for More Workload

Just as the need for space and resources tends to increase during the holiday season, so does the labor demand increases to support customers and workload. Most of the 3PL company hires new staff for a temporary period of time for everything from pick and pack to handling resources and customer service. It is very important to ensure that the hiring staff is right for your operation. You must discuss the qualifications and vetting processes with your 3PL to make sure that your supply chain quality is preserved.

Check Your Expenses

Let’s say that you have an e-commerce business that nearly doubles its sale around the holiday time. If you are handling all the operation both peak and non-peak season yourself, you would have to buy your own warehouse or rent a space for your own fulfillment. Space can be fully utilized in the peak time but during the non-peak periods, space will not be used to its capacity. The costs of finding resources, training temporary workers, and other handling costs can put a large strain on your finances. Shared warehousing is a better option for saving costs, you simply pay for what you need when you need it.

Tenaxx Logistics

At Tenaxx, we offer a wide range of services including transloading, cross-docking, and shared warehousing. Contact Tenaxx Logistics today to learn how our expert staff and facilities can support you in the time of peak season.

Best Order Fulfillment Strategies for E-Commerce Businesses

Order fulfillment Process

Order fulfillment is an important phase in a successful e-commerce business, first you fulfill then it is the time you meet your customers and finish the transaction, and if you are new to the business then you might have not enough idea about how an order placed online reaches your doorstep. In the phase of order fulfillment, you create a lifelong relationship with the customer.

Order fulfillment services are third-party vendors such as online sellers which fulfill an order for other companies. Third-party vendor’s involvement reduces infrastructure and cost as well improve the efficiency, Your order fulfillment strategy determines how quickly and easily you can scale your business. As technology is evolving customer is expecting better and faster deliveries, the idea of waiting for a package for days is gone to the oblivion now.

Before knowing the popular order fulfillment strategies let’s look at the stages involved in order fulfillment.

1. Receiving- To fulfill the orders you must need an inventory and if you are filling orders-in hose, you’ll be manufacturing the products yourself.

2. Inventory Storage – Proper inventory storage is the key, employees must be able to find the products, pick and pack them, and get products ready for shipping as quickly as possible.

3. Processing- Order processing involves order being submitted and then process of picking and packing as quickly and efficiently as possible.

4. Picking and Packing- Once the order is submitted the order is packed and ready to be shipped.

5. Shipping- Order is packed and ready to send, it shipped to the customer.

6. Returns- If the customer pulls up a return request all the steps will be done in reverse order, from picking and packing to storing it into inventory.

Popular order fulfillment strategies.

Thanks to the ever-evolving technology, there are multiple options to choose from, all you have to do is just choose the right strategy, which depends upon your order volume, products and if you can do all that or want someone else to do it for you.

Direct Fulfillment

Direct/Self or In-house order fulfillment also known as self-fulfillment, this strategy is the starting point in small businesses, thought large corporations also use it.
This type of fulfillment occurs when the trader has complete control over the order fulfillment process, trader completes each step of the fulfillment process by going door to door himself, this demands effort and lots of attention.

Advantages for Direct Fulfilment

1. Offers total control over order fulfillment processes.
2. While starting small when you don’t have a budget for third party vendors you can rely on this because you are only paying for shipping.
3. You don’t need much knowledge to complete this order fulfillment process.
Np negotiations as large corporations shipping through third-party vendors can become a competitive advantage.

Disadvantages of Direct Fulfillment

1. It takes lots of time and energy and requires constant attention.
2. Limited options for shipping to customers.
3. Packaging of all the products will take the time that you can direct toward other things.

Dropshipping

When a customer places an order you pay for fulfillment as the order comes, merchant purchases a specific item their customers order from manufactures who send it to the customer, after shipping you are charged for the product.
You don’t need to have a warehouse for this type of strategy, this works if you are planning to sell products from numerous brands.

Advantages of Dropshipping

1. Easy to scale.
2. No need for a warehouse.
3. Easily affordable.
4. More products and faster.

Disadvantages of Dropshipping

1. No option for customization.
2. No control over warehouse-like direct fulfillment.
3. You can only buy from companies with drop-ship capability.

Third part Outsourced fulfillment/3PL

Third-party Logistics involves the third-party providers, involving handling the detail over to third parties. Third parties provide solutions regarding warehouses, packing, and distribution.
When the customer places an order it goes to third-party provides which then handles the order form their location to shipping to customer. The third-party involves steps mentioned above such as receiving, picking, packing, return and quality control.

Advantages of 3PL

1. No investment required for warehouse space.
2. It provides data to track the shipment.
3. Includes manpower as more men are committed.

Disadvantages of 3PL

1. Reduced control over products is packed and shipped.
2. Additional costs for fulfilments, storage, etc.
3. You are not the only client, so your order can be shared with others at the warehouse.

Tenaxx Logistics provides you all warehousing and transportation management services. Contact us today for more information and updates.

FOB or EXW, Which One To Use?

FOB or EXW, Which one to use? International Commercial Terms or Incoterms can be confusing for any new importers, as things to be aware of include trust, picking the best option and the best solution to ship and import. With this article, we aim towards the common incoterms FOB or EXW, which are the basic essential terms to be familiar with when importing for outside your counter.

FOB:-

FOB is an acronym for ‘Free on Board’, it is a port to door shipment. It refers to a shipping arrangement where the seller or sender has ownership of the goods only until when the are loaded.

After the loading process supplier takes ownership at the point of departure from the seller’s shipping dock. The supplier is responsible for providing transportation of the goods sold to a main shipping origin point. The shipping origin point is a port as incoterms are used for international trade which in turn imports goods through the sea.

When a buyer or the receiver gets the ownership of goods then it is considered as a complete delivery or delivery is accomplished. If goods are damaged in transit, the buyer should file a complaint with the insurance carrier. The cost of delivering the product to you are included but further, all the costs will be handled by the buyer.

So, in short, FOB means that the first seller sends the product which with the help of the supplier, and then reaches to the buyer who later has to arrange and ship it to the desired location.

Advantages of FOB:

As a buyer, you don’t have to worry about documentation in the origin country except for clearance as this goes under the supplier’s responsibility. If a buyer is withdrawing the trade the seller can still recover the goods before the goods are loaded to port, similarly, the buyer doesn’t have to pay if he doesn’t get the desired quality or quantity.

Disadvantages:

FOB disadvantages include situations when the supplier refuses to pay the cost that has been agreed upon and similar scenarios related to charges.

EXW:

EXW stands for Ex Works and it is a Door to Door shipment, all the cost, and the responsibilities are with the buyer. In Ex Works shipping term the only responsibility that the seller has is to ensure that goods are available when the buyer needs them. Ex Works term is used while making an initial quotation for the sale of goods without mentioning costs.

Advantages:

Buyer is the only one in charge, cost, risk, and transport will have to be dealt with by the buyer with which he can get the prices of all their costs upfront, Suppliers don’t add any margin to shipping.

Disadvantages:

Buyer is responsible for all the risks included within shipping to delivering at the door, Customs have different cost in countries which might lead to extra costing and the first time buyers don’t have an idea about the cost upfront.

EXW or FOB? :

Both these terms have their benefits and risks it depends on your knowledge of goods and of International commercial terms, with FOB being the most commonly used as it eliminates or splits the buyer’s responsibility, whereas in Ex-Works all costs and responsibility is to the buyer. FOB and EX Works both be used to get an idea about the costs and then make the right decision.

An Ultimate Guide to Plan Your Warehouse

Warehouse planning and implementation should be as efficient as possible to compete in the daily growing market. Fundamentals of warehouse layout designs are such that it accounts for the efficiency of operations, from stocking and refilling to order fulfillment, your warehouse design can either streamline your business processes or can slow it down. The following tips on how to plan your warehouse can help you achieve more efficiency, which can help you grow your business.

1.Define and Understand the objectives.

Objectives can be defined depending on the business such as to reduce cost and providing maximum customer services. Some need more inventory while some need more pick and packing. However, your objective must be such that it can be acted upon immediately.

2.Requirements.

Stocking and fulfillments are two of the major tasks that can either eliminate your burden or does the exact opposite. Once you get an understanding of what’s happening inside your warehouse you can organize items according to requirements, more frequently ordered products must be kept near the exit door so it gets easy to pack and pack them. Stocking must be greater than the demand to meet the supply.

3.Traffic Flow.

How great is the traffic, determines the design of the warehouse, if a warehouse with less traffic is built, it doesn’t need a large space and many employees while a place with great traffic will require much more space and employees. Traffic flow also controls the stocking and shipping from the warehouse, more traffic means more demand which needs greater space.

4.Space

How to utilize space, with a fixed length and width of your warehouse try to stack things vertically rather than organizing things horizontally. Keep similar things together and always have room for overstocking if occur, with some parts of the warehouse dedicated to office and some to working areas and empty pallet storage utilization of available space is done to increase the efficiency of the warehouse.

5.Implementation Plan

The focus should be on creating a clean and accurate warehouse, there is always a room for improvement, so Detail every step forward to create your warehouse layout design, Allocating suitable resources to tasks and projects in the plan. Checking what can be done to improve the design and when finished double-check everything.

6.What to do after planning?

Start implementing and try to manage inventory, a well planned and designed warehouse will surely help increase your efficiency and taking inventory management into factor you can deal with overstocking and stockouts. A planned warehouse will help you reduce pick, pack and shipping time and will eliminate any extra space and utilized it for other purposes.

How Tenaxx Logistics Can Help You

To know more about warehouse space utilization and optimizing your entire supply chain, go to Tenaxx Logistics and give us a call to find out which solution is right for you.

Tips to Manage Inventory for Multiple Warehouses

With great power comes great responsibility similar is the scenario with great business, a great business poses a number of challenges, inventory being one of them with multiple warehouses. Multiple warehouses are not just for multinational businesses but it is done to cover area geographically, some might have a smaller business and still have multiple warehouses, it helps to grow the business throughout the country.

Here are some tips about how you can manage multiple warehouses and get the best out of it.

Overstocking

Using effective management skills can be the boost that your warehouse requires. Inventories must be planned considering minimum level, maximum level, consumption rate at warehouses and turnover, Inventories must be planned considering these factors and an enlightened system will eliminate errors and it also ensures that warehouses have enough supply to meet their demands.

By considering geography as the main factor

While setting a new warehouse not taking geography into account will be a big blow. Look at consumption trough sales data and find out the regions and cities with a high aggregate of customers, factors such as rent cost and transport cost and the no. workers will vary while deciding the area for the warehouse. The area with a smaller population will have less consumption so no. of workers will be less but not the same case for the area with a larger population as they will need more workers, the transport cost will be less and the area required for the warehouse will be much more.

Warehouse layout

There’s always room for improvement, the process of packing and picking takes up most time which ends up making customers unhappy and even lost sales, an unorganized warehouse can confuse workers, while an organized one will eliminate the extra time for picking and packing. Warehouses must always be optimized for efficiency, which in turn is logical and easy for employees to navigate. Popular products must be kept near the exit door so employees can quickly send these orders out.

Using Secure and movable tracking options.

Mispicks happens when customers get the wrong item, this leads to nothing but wastage of time and labor, word gets around which is not good for the company’s reputation. A tracking option adds the trust that the right product will be delivered to customers, and also adds the feature of changing the destination with just a click. By tracking warehouse assets, destinations can be managed and assigned easily.

Keeping up with customer’s demand.

The best way to fulfill your stock levels is to identify what customer’s demand is at the moment and ensuring that the warehouse holds enough products to meet demands. Safety stock must be the minimum requirement and additional quantity will be according to the consumption of the product.

Little extra efforts.

Analyze the processes that can be done to cut personal costs and time for pick, pack and shipping and restocking the item. Always keep a similar team for product’s picking to restocking as they will have an idea about where they can find stuff, who to pack, why they have to ship and how to restock. This will not only save time but will be more efficient.

What more?

Managing multiple warehouses need a plan for working effectively, the plan must ensure that stocks must be available and don’t run out of supply. Customers are always the priority so make sure that the wrong item and damaged items do not get shipped, Effective skills are critical to managing and running an efficient business.

Tenaxx Logistics

If you’re looking for warehousing services, look no further than Tenaxx Logistics. We have the space, services, modern equipment, and commitment to customer satisfaction needed to make your transition to the world of warehousing a smooth one. To know more about our warehousing services, contact us today.