No one project is the same, there are many different approaches to managing materials needed for a project. The size of the project itself can determine who will be responsible for transportation to a job site. In the often watered-down world of transportation, it is very important to select a transportation partner that understands the environment you work in.
So, what do I mean by “watered down”? Too often in our industry, we are our own worst enemy. We market to the masses, claiming we can transport anything, anywhere in the country or even the world. Far too many customers buy it and end up disappointed with the result. The mistakes of hiring inexperienced logistics companies can be very costly, why would you let their inexperience cost your company?
When it comes to project cargo, the cost of failure or delays can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This isn’t like missing a loading or unloading appointment at a warehouse dock, where they will just roll another truck in to cover the appointment time. There can be a crane waiting to lift the cargo off your trailer, a crew waiting, a ship crane waiting and they are all there for one reason; to unload the cargo you are transporting. Working with an experienced project transportation professional will improve your success and keep your costs low.
Listed below are some areas that make project freight unique and separate it from standard truckload transportation:
Site Surveys
Since many projects have many different types of components delivered to the site, it is important to review the site location. When transporting a permit load to the site, the permitted route will take you to the entrance by the state/county/city road. The actual offload location could be behind a building, around tree limbs, crossing over railroad tracks, crossing under power lines, and having to navigate tight turns in a parking lot made for personal vehicles. Reviewing the route, as well as the site, can help navigate tight turns and look out for obstructions. Choosing a transportation provider that can send experienced site managers to site locations to measure turns and review the route can eliminate many potential hazards and delays, which in turn, will cost you money.
Safety On Site
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is a requirement for every person on site. What about flame-resistant clothing? Are you delivering to a gas or chemical plant? Are your drivers clean-shaven in the event of an incident on-site? Are you delivering hazmat or hazardous cargo? Does your carrier have a hazmat endorsement? Many job sites will not allow passengers and/or pets of any kind, as they increase the risk of an incident on site. Every project has a different set of expectations for drivers arriving on site, so making sure those expectations are achieved requires a consistent process and procedure prior to dispatching the driver.
In-Bond Shipments / Free Trade Zones
When importing project cargo from overseas, in-bond shipments allow the owner to delay paying duties and taxes until the material is installed at the job site. The carrier must be a bonded carrier, and the bond must be closed out upon delivery of the material to the FTZ (free trade zone). Failure to do so will result in penalties, not to mention the administrative fees to reconcile the error. In-bond shipments are also utilized when the country port of entry is not the destination of the cargo, it is just transporting through the country (bridge).
Permit loads/Super loads
Every state has a different set of rules, based on cargo height/width and weight. Some states require a letter explaining why a load can’t be reduced or made smaller. The height restrictions of a load vary in many states, as well as the number of civilian escorts needed to transport a load. Some states require a different number of escorts, based on traveling a 2 or 4-lane road. Identifying a staging area for larger loads is an important yet often overlooked part of committing to job-site delivery times, not to mention curfew restrictions for traffic and/or poor weather. Choose a transportation partner that has in-house engineering capabilities, technology (auto-CAD), and a permit department, that works in conjunction with city/county and state officials to detail routes.
Trailer Equipment
Have you ever heard of the “Swiss Army” trailer? I can assure you, that many trucking companies try to buy that trailer. I am referring to a trailer that can put you in as many competitive advantages as it is designed to transport. Folks, this is where “experience” in the industry will really be advantageous. To reduce costs, having a trailer that is very efficient in handling a wide variety of equipment saves money. Some double drop trailers expand out to over 55’, they can accommodate higher loads, but they are heavier trailers. Some trailers have a very low ground clearance to accommodate higher loads, but the floors have too much arch (camber) and the cargo doesn’t have enough weight to take the camber out of the trailer. When it comes to heavy haul equipment, are the trailers self-steering? Do they have hydraulic towers to lift the base up for clearance of curbs/railroad tracks? The turn radius of equipment can really vary, so having steerable equipment is a big factor in navigating a tight route. This is even more important in high-traffic, heavily populated areas of the country. An experienced transportation project manager has a vast knowledge of the different trailers in the marketplace, so even if they don’t own the trailer, they know who does and they can get it.
Reporting Tools
The ability to track loads in real time and communicate quickly is essential in project management. It is important to identify your KPIs (key performance indicators) prior to starting a project and report those KPIs in real-time, as well as documentation reports. Develop a continuous improvement plan and determine how often the plan needs to be reviewed by all stakeholders. How a project begins, and ends will change, so your transportation company should have their CIP (continuous improvement plan) readily available for discussion. Requiring satellite tracking is an essential tool in reporting, as projects will change and evolve as loads are transported. Can your transportation provider EDI (electronic data interface) your load status and reporting information? Do they have custom website capabilities to share material flow and provide information in real-time?
The information outlined above is vital to good project management. In the end, project transportation management is about having the knowledge, the technology, and the people to see the trees through the forest. You have a vested interest in the project’s success, and you carry that success on to the next project. If you would like to reach out to Buchanan Hauling about your project, feel free to contact us.
