Surf and SUP industries NEW Tactics to further Economize, Automate, or Outsource Logistical Pain Points

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I have been surfing for almost 20 years now and its truly one of my favorite hobbies. I have also run a logistics management and warehousing company for the last 10 years. The obvious choice if you want to enjoy your career and business long term? You focus your business around helping companies that design and make all the stuff you love!

That is why my firm works with a nice chunk of the top surfboard and stand up paddle companies. Earning my humble logistical dude discounts on all my favorite toys while crafting unique , automated, and economical solutions. To help one of my favorite industry further streamline, automate, and economize freight shipping, parcel shipping, and regional warehousing and fulfillment services for the surf industries.

Currently RAD companies we work with include:

     Here is a list of our best new ideas to help you further economize, automate, simplify, or plain outsource more of your logistical pain points for Surf and Stand-up Paddle companies.   If you would like our help with any of these services, we would be happy to set up a short meeting to help you strategize.   This is my company, we are looking to grow, and we would be honored to help you with more of your logistical pain points this fall!

16 Tips
to help you Crush your Surf and Stand-up Paddle Logistical Pain Points!

  1. API
    automation for Freight Shipping and Parcel shipping
    to inject your rates
    into your Website, ERP business software, and even quick books in some cases.
    This can fully automate web sales and allow your client to pay for shipping at
    the same time saving tons of time and effort.
  2. Use
    a better more automated Transportation Management Software
    or TMS for both
    parcel and freight.   Most TMS systems
    can even import your carrier direct tariffs and allow you shop our bulk rates
    we have with our carriers, side by side. They can also allow you to import
    freight classes, nmfc, and general product shipping specs to greatly simplify
    booking and drastically reduce shipping errors.
  3. TMS
    that shops parcel rates side by side with freight rates:
    This can save you
    a lot of time and headaches and you will always know which mode of shipping is
    the best for all loads in real time!  We
    have few options in mind.
  4. Use
    a regional warehouse and fulfillment centers
    to cut ship times and overall
    cost down.  This can also drastically
    reduce transit related damages and provide you flexibility to cross pack and
    ship to consumer direct as well as retailers faster.  Amazon is coming for us all but we can get
    set up to compete.
  5. Try
    and consolidate shipments into larger truckload
    or partial truckload
    shipments if possible.  The more you ship
    at one time, the less it costs per unit generally.  Intermodal / Rail, Truckload, Partial
    truckload, LTL, and Ground is generally the order of Modes least expensive to
    most expensive per unit shipped.
  6.  Package your items better to reduce transit
    related damages
    . Heavy duty boxes, bubbled wrapping, palletized, shrink
    wrapped, corner protect everything, if your products lend themselves to
    it.  To further protect everything and
    reduce claim headaches and time and money.
  7. Buy
    a digital weight scale, that will print a receipt label
    you can attach to
    your pallet, bol, or packing slip to further reduce shipping price adjustments.
    https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/packaging/scales/pallet-truck/global-industrial-pallet-scale-48-x-48-5000-lb-capacity
  8. Get
    a Dimensioner that can also act as a scale. 
    Obviously, some of these solutions can be expensive but we believe the
    cost is coming down quickly.  And how many
    dreaded rebills does it take avoiding to pay for the system and then it’s
    earning you money! http://www.freightsnap.com/
  9. Get
    access to Class IT
    so that you make sure your freight class and nmfc codes
    are correct all the time to further reduce freight adjustments/ rebills.  https://classit.nmfta.org/all/Welcome.aspx
  10. Look
    at getting a customer specific pricing tariff with certain carriers
    .  This can help with getting class reductions,
    further rate reductions, and accessorial exemptions like liftgates, residential
    deliveries, overlength fees etc waived. 
    Magic number seems to be around $15,000 in freight spend per month to
    begin this process in most cases.
  11. For
    fedex, ups, dhl and parcel shipping services reduce your overall cost
    .  Focusing not solely on the discount level,
    but dimensional divisors, and accessorial exemptions like over-size surcharges,
    handling, and over-length fees, etc which can really bring down your overall
    cost.
  12. Stock
    Through Put Insurance
    to further insulate your goods from overall supply
    chain and shipping related damages both on international and domestics
    shipments.  Especially if you have a high
    cost, highly damageable product that some carrier’s normal insurance will not
    cover.
  13. Create
    a written streamlined load booking Standard Operating Procedure
    .   This will save time, confusion, and further
    eliminate shipping errors that can lead to rebills/adjustments. It can also
    help if you have to re-train new shipping department team members.
  14. Learn
    and know how to use new tracking features for freight and parcel TMS software
    .  Most freight TMS or FMS systems now offer
    email tracking pings for multiple email addresses at various points of the
    shipment life cycle.  Greatly reducing
    tracking communication and hassles with clients, sales teams, and logistical
    teams.
  15. Consider
    setting up a direct to consumer final mile/white glove delivery service to sell
    direct
    .  The costs of these programs
    can be higher but your margin and profitability in most cases will more than
    offset those costs. These programs can include inside delivery, setup/install,
    debris removal etc.
  16. Hire
    a low-cost Virtual Freight Assistant
    to do day to day load booking and
    other repetitive computer/phone-based tasks.
  17. Look
    at a Fully Managed Transportation Offering

    Generally, you need to be spending $1-2 million a year in shipping and
    freight.  However, companies will
    literally build a whole professional team around your logistical needs, so you
    can focus on your core growth tasks and get ahead faster!

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