3 Ways To Avoid Shipping Delays In Snowstorms

When the weather outside gets frightful, transportation becomes not so delightful. Winter logistics aims to deliver even on snowy roads, but if that snow turns into storms, truckers can’t drive, customers don’t receive their packages, and shippers can’t fulfill orders. At Emergency Management Logistics, we build an emergency logistics plan for you to avoid this headache and protect your cargo, customers, and carriers in snowy straits.

Key Takeaways:

• Depending on the type of product, customers are willing to wait up to three days for delivery. But delays can lead to miffed customers switching companies—and carriers can be left without their next load.
• Severe winter weather may prompt consumers to “panic buy” and shippers fall short on order fulfillment; or carriers risk their safety driving on icy roads. 
• Shippers can avoid transportation delays by stocking inventory, assigning an emergency response team, and partnering with an emergency logistics provider to cover the bases before and after a snowstorm.

Let’s break down how to stay ahead if you’re in the eye of the snowstorm.

Shipping Delays Lead to Unhappy Customers—And Truckers

When 69% of people abandon shopping with companies that deliver goods late, it makes sense that shippers strive to meet customer demand at any cost.

But a snowstorm demands shippers to rethink their transportation, especially when road operations are disrupted and carriers aren’t able to pick up loads.

Communication with your customers and carriers is key when weather emergencies interrupt shipping and delivery.

Keep your customers happy by keeping them informed. Notify them of shipping delays due to severe weather and walk them through the next steps to receive their delivery if the goods were damaged.

This process can include your reorder or refund policies, as well as updates on when to expect their shipment. Communication with your customers makes all the difference in protecting your business’s reputation.

Protecting your carriers is equally important. Make sure they know your emergency logistics protocol and the chain of communication to retrieve their loads or report changes in the weather and delivery times. 

Don’t promise specific delivery times even when the weather is bright and sunny. Strive to be clear with your customers and carriers about how you’re navigating the weather to serve them.

Related: How Disaster Relief Logistics Help Businesses and Communities

The Real Damage of Snowstorms

Studies show that people tend to “panic buy” to prepare for emergencies, like snowstorms. Panic buying is when the demand for essential items like food, water, and emergency supplies drastically increases—which can lead to a sharp decrease in your supply.

Order fulfillment has three major steps that can get blown away by the blizzard if you don’t have an emergency logistics plan in place.

Carriers might also experience stress if the increase in orders request expedited shipping, especially if the highways are covered in ice.

Taking the risk to ship during a snowstorm can lead to pricy repairs due to:

• Damaged Trucks: Frozen weather can wreak havoc on a truck’s mechanics, like solidifying the diesel, reducing the battery power, or wearing down its tires.
• Destroyed Cargo: If the trucks break down on the road, the goods and its packaging could be altered by the cold weather, which can spoil cargo containing food and beverages.
• Manufacturing Delays: If your trucks get held up in the snowstorm, the same can happen to your inventory supplier’s trucks and cause further shipping setbacks.

This is where emergency logistics can save the day. Preparing for an increase in orders and equipping your truckers with a plan to deliver goods safely—plus what to do if orders can’t be fulfilled—steers your business clear from costly blizzard damages.

3 Shipping Strategies to Prepare for Snowstorms

If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. This motto perfectly explains why when you create an emergency logistics plan, you set up your supply chain management for success.

Partnering with an expert logistics team ensures you’re prepared to not only brace the snowstorm, but sift through the aftermath for a swift recovery.

An emergency logistics partner will help you include the following three shipping strategies to navigate weather crises and avoid delays.

1. Stock and insure your inventory
2. Designate an emergency response team
3. Enlist an emergency logistics provider for recovery

Let’s take a closer look at how each strategy benefits your supply chain.

Stock and Insure Your Inventory

Running out of inventory at the height of a snowstorm can back up your supply chain for days to weeks—and order fulfillment suffers for it.

Stay on top of the weather predictions and dates for impending snowstorms to order any raw materials for manufacturing or goods for restocking ahead of time.

Once you have your shelves stocked, consider insuring your cargo in case of damages caused by the blizzard, like power outages and wind damage to your warehouse that could destroy your inventory.

Related: Why Do I Need Hurricane Cargo Insurance?

Designate an Emergency Response Team

From your yard manager to your carriers, coordinate a team that’s responsible for what happens during a weather crisis so everyone stays on the same page.

Create your team’s emergency logistics plan of action that includes:

• Operating a backup generator and other technology to keep your warehousing running smoothly should the power go out
• Purchasing cargo insurance to protect your inventory from damage or loss
• Staying current on the weather and road conditions for safe transportation

Your team can also consist of a third-party emergency logistics provider that acts as your supply chain management’s first line of defense during blizzards or any natural disaster.

Related: Supply Chain Continuity: Manage Disruptions and Alternatives

Enlist an Emergency Logistics Provider for Recovery

Working with an emergency logistics partner isn’t a last resort, but one of the first steps to guaranteeing your business will survive the storm.

No matter what type of business you run, emergency logistics protects your bottom line by securing inventory, warehouse, and assisting your carriers.

Emergency Management Logistics offers disaster recovery transport, emergency storage and 3PL warehousing, and more to seamlessly maintain your business operations when you need it most.

Avoid Shipping Disruptions With Emergency Management Logistics

The best time to prepare for a blizzard is before the snow settles. Get proactive with Emergency Management Logistics to keep your customers and carriers satisfied when the weather gets rocky.

Speak with our emergency freight experts by calling (855) 420-9447 or request a quote today.