To Transload, or Not to Transload? 

 

As holiday shipping ramps up, many BCO’s (beneficial cargo owners) are faced with fast approaching deadlines, urgently looking to gain back control of when their imports will arrive. The question that most often comes up in conversation is: “What are our options to get these here faster?”.   While options during the ocean transit are limited, the option of transloading once the container arrives at the destination port has gained popularity in recent years. In this article, we will outline the benefits of transloading import containers, to help determine if this is right for you.

First, what exactly is transloading?   Simply put, Transloading is the process by which we transfer goods from an import container to a different mode of transportation (full truck, LTL, etc) for the subsequent leg of the shipment. This is often completed at a transload or cross dock facility near the port or rail in which the container arrives and replaces the need to dray the import container directly to the delivery location. Transloads can be completed for nearly any shipment type and commodity, from pallets to floor loads, general dry goods to hazardous and refrigerated.

To Transload, or Not to Transload?   The ultimate question. Below, we outlined some of the key benefits of transloading to help determine if this is right for your situation.

  1.Improved Transit Times: As shippers look to regain control of when their imports will arrive, Transloading can provide a more accurate ETA by avoiding potential delays when utilizing the railroad, or direct drayage, to deliver the shipment to its destination. When the shipments in question have long drayage requirements or are intended on a rail routing that must interchange (switch from one rail provider to another) the improvements on transit time can be much greater.

  2.Cost Effectiveness: Contrary to popular belief, transloading can reduce the total cost of import shipments, as opposed to rail or direct drayage. Transloading may save shippers money when the destination is far from the port or inland rail in which the container arrives, as the cost of long-haul drayage or rail may be higher than transloading and truck transportation. Transloading also reduces exposure to costly accessorials like Per Diem, chassis days and layovers.

3.Flexibility of Distribution: Transloading also gives the BCO or shipper the ability to service multiple destinations from a single container. Transloads can be broken into multiple shipments, often saving time and money as opposed to sorting and reshipping from the end destination.

4.Additional services or requirements: Transloading gives shippers the ability to add value to each shipment prior to receiving the goods. Whether it be reworking from a floor load to clean pallets for easier receiving, or sorting, labeling, and storing the items for final customer delivery, transloading is an alternative to the time and cost of handling these processes in house.

Depending on your needs, transloading can be a highly beneficial strategy for handling and delivering imports within your supply chain.  From reduced cost, to improved flexibility and transit time, transloading may just be the solution to your holiday, or year-round import needs.

1st Choice Freight is an industry leader in Transloading, Drayage, and other methods of import transportation. With a dedicated team of experts, accompanied by best-in-class technology, you can rest assured that 1st Choice Freight is your best choice for Import transloading and Drayage.

Call us today at 800-659-9178 or email us at info@1stchoicefreight.com