The freight industry aims toward incorporating many advanced technologies to remove the deadhead trucking in cargo transportation. Deadhead miles in trucking is a dreadful aspect that takes a toll on both the freight companies and shippers in the form of high shipping costs. Therefore, the million-dollar question is how to reduce deadhead miles. Deadhead miles of empty miles in trucking implies the distance travelled by truck with unused space. When a carrier travels with unutilised space, it attracts more operating costs without generating sufficient revenue to cover the expenses. In other words, the company and the shippers have to bear the expenditure on fuel, tolls and parking. 

1. Digital Freight Matching Platforms 

Finding a solution to reduce deadhead miles help freight companies curtail the expenses and make more revenue. It also opens opportunities for shippers by tapping into the existing capacity with the help of digital freight matching platforms coupled with the transport management system. Digital freight matching platforms help match the shipper demands with truck capacities through digital solutions such as apps and reduce deadhead trucking. These platforms or apps use GPS-based notifications for the loads nearby, eliminating the need for collaboration with third parties, facilitating automaton of tasks, document storage via digital means, calculating costs through dynamic pricing algorithms and so on. 

Today, every freight company is keen on tapping the ability of such a service for matching shipment precisely with that of the truck capacity. Many such platforms facilitate the matching of loads with available trucks that seek to fill capacity on-the-go to help both parties involved in transportation. Digital freight matching services connect shippers with the drivers by using technology more efficiently. Automation plays a significant role in reducing deadhead trucking through load search, load matching, confirming and scheduling loads which further helps shippers save time. These digital freight matching platforms facilitate shipment flow by helping to connect both parties- the shippers and the carriers. 

2. Load Consolidation 

Apart from digital freight matching platforms, there are several other ways to avoid deadhead trucking. Not many freight companies can adopt digital freight matching solutions. Under such instances, load consolidation is another way for reducing the impact of deadhead miles. Typically, combining partial loads is a common practice in freight delivery to wholesalers and distribution centres. More often, it becomes applicable for retail delivery as well. Freight consolidation was in place for many years and is considered very effective for reducing transportation costs. 

Consolidation involves combining smaller freight to convert it into larger shipments. As opposed to unconsolidated cargo, the consolidation allows reducing shipping costs by twenty-five per cent where freight from other shippers gets consolidated and thus minimise the expenses on shipment transportation. The advantage is that a freight forwarding company can reduce the time required for handling shipments, which further help lower down labour costs. Again, it has many other benefits, apart from avoiding deadhead trucking. Consolidation implies that the amount of time spent on roads is much less, and thus the fuel required also, thereby allowing shipping companies to reduce their carbon footprint. 

3. Integrated Communications 

Communicating the demand (load) with the supply (truck capacity) becomes crucial for ensuring that the payment bills reflect the estimated freight quotes. An integrated freight communications platform reduces the reliance on human labour for quoting the freight and further minimises the time lost in the process. It further helps in cargo planning, carrier space management and route optimisation while alleviating carbon emissions. The intuitive technology keeps communication intact that employees need not follow up with drivers or estimate freight rates. Indeed, they can utilise these time savings for providing outstanding customer service. 

The integrated technology creates a link between freight forwarding platforms and carrier systems to ensure the flow of communication and thus reduce unnecessary processes that consume time and cost. Moreover, freight forwarders can provide real-time freight quotes while using integrated freight communications platforms on all available modes of transportation to the benefit of their customers. Information travels very fast between shippers and freight forwarders, finally facilitating the pickup and delivery of shipments as per the schedule, at reasonable costs without any hassle by preventing deadhead trucking. The shipping companies can stay competitive by optimising the freight costs while ensuring operational efficiency. 

Move your freight through Ianis Cargo! 

With plenty of opportunities for shippers to move cargo at affordable rates, Ianis Cargo aims at offering cost-effective ground transportation and air shipping. Coming to ground transportation, Ianis Cargo specialises in express transport, full truckload (FTL) and less than truckload (FTL/ groupage) services. Under express transport services, customers can move their goods from pick up to delivery destination without any halt at reasonable rates. Ianis cargo uses a live shipping calculator to arrive at the estimated freight quotes.

Ianis Cargo curtails the elements that contribute to the unnecessary cost burden in cargo shipping using the technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced algorithm to keep deadhead trucking at bay. Customers get real-time freight quotes. The packaging, route optimisation, vehicle maintenance, driver efficiency gets optimised with the help of technology, that a single resource involved in the transportation of goods seldom underperform. 

Air shipping facilitates express delivery such as same-day and next-day delivery services for time-sensitive cargo, parcels, envelopes and documents. Ianis Cargo has partnered with several reputed couriers to provide the lowest shipping quotes. Customers get the lowest shipping rates from courier companies since they get the best rates after courier rate comparisons. Ianis Courier, the fast courier service, lets quick movement of parcels, documents and envelope delivery.

Apart from express transportation, FTL, LTL cargo delivery services and air shipping, Ianis cargo also provides eCommerce delivery solutions for both B2B as well as B2C businesses. Ianis Cargo is one of the leading eCommerce delivery specialists that operate with 100% efficiency by reducing freight costs by optimising packaging, routes and last-mile delivery. The AI and the advanced algorithm keep a check on shipping rates. All the processes get aimed towards achieving maximum operational efficiency to avoid deadhead trucking while also helping to reduce the shipping costs for the benefit of its customers.