The logistics industry is vast. It covers a wide range of services that all have an impact how a product gets from the maker to the recipient. No matter where your business fits in the production and shipment line, it’s always a good idea to get a feel for how a product gets from Point A to Point B. Here we will explore different types of logistics services and how they may impact your business or customers.
Warehousing Services
Before a product is shipped, it is typically held at a warehouse or transported between a series of warehouses. While some companies choose to have their own independent warehouses, many work with third party logistics providers like Overflo. We receive, store, and ship out items our client’s behalf, eliminating the need to pay for a complete warehouse your own.
Warehousing is a very flexible part of the field. Your storage needs will determine how much space you require for your products, how long you need that space, how easily accessible your products need to be, and more. For instance, a company selling Christmas trees may require long-term storage for their products during the first half of the year, followed by quick inventory changes as it gets closer to Christmas. Warehousing is a fundamental component of logistics, and it is a service that we are proud to offer here at Overflo.
Freight Shipping
Large orders and large items are often shipped through freight services. This may involve a combination of vehicles – trucks, trains, cargo ships, and more. Freight shipping may also require drayage services, which transport an order from a port to a warehouse for storage. Much like warehousing, freight shipping is a complex and ever-changing field with constant fluctuations in demand, labor shortages, shipping times, etc. It’s our job at Overflo to make sure that items are shipped in a timely manner no matter what is happening in the industry so our clients and their customers can receive their products as needed.
Courier Shipping
Courier shipping is what most people think of when they picture a “shipping company” (FedEx, UPS, and other local couriers). Courier shipping is reserved for small orders or those that require a high level of care. Courier shipping is faster than freight shipping because it focuses small orders, not large sets of items, but it is also more expensive if you are trying to ship large, freight-worthy inventory. Most retailers reserve courier shipping for the very last step in logistics, where the product goes directly from the warehouse to the buyer.
Making It All Work
Our role as a third party logistics provider is to ensure that all of these services and others associated with logistics seamlessly flow together. This requires a great deal of coordination, organization, and time management, but it is something that we have perfected over the years. If you are looking for a 3PL provider for your business, feel free to reach out to Overflo for more information about what we can do for you.