Gobble, Gobble—How Motor Carriers Can Utilize Technology to Prepare for Thanksgiving

Tis the season, for our yearly excuse to stuff ourselves with turkey and pumpkin pie. With Thanksgiving now only a week away, the supply chain industry is busy at work to ensure that the grocery stores are stocked with turkeys for your holiday meals.

In 2017, the United States produced 7.49 billion pounds of turkey, with a total of 44 million turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving alone. With turkey production being spread out across the country, motor carriers—who are the primary transporters of food­—are experiencing a peak season and need to ensure their operations are working efficiently to best serve their customers.

To guarantee that stores are well stocked for the rush of shoppers heading in to buy turkeys this week and next, motor carriers should leverage strong technology partners. Below are 3 ways motor carriers can utilize technology to be prepared and capitalize on business opportunities this Thanksgiving season:

Accurate Trend Forecasting

With artificial intelligence and machine learning powered solutions, purchase history from years prior can predict what the market will look like with greater accuracy. These predictions can then inform decision-makers within the supply chain to plan early for spikes in sales. For motor carriers, having insight into how many pounds of turkey will need to be transported in the upcoming season can help them to ensure they have enough drivers employed to meet the need.

Automating Manual Process

Currently, many motor carriers use a paper-based, manual process to accept and assign moves and loads­—as well as to create invoices and receive payments. These processes slow down the supply chain and limits the amount of freight carriers can move, reducing their profit.

To create greater operational efficiency, motor carriers can automate these processes. In turn, this will save them time and allow them to provide better and faster customer service, especially with the increase in business during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Spot Market Participation

Holiday seasons also present new opportunities for motor carriers to gain business. By leveraging a solution that allows them to participate in the spot market, motor carriers gain access to a machine learning driven, interactive marketplace to bid and accept offers with dynamic pricing. Motor carriers can then increase their revenue and gain new customers, giving them another reason to be thankful this season.

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays for those involved in the food supply chain in the U.S., with motor carriers playing an important role in transporting those turkeys. Learn more about how Blume Global fuels motor carrier businesses with valuable solutions here.