When you send your freight out for shipment, you typically have to relinquish control. You probably don’t know what route drivers will take, what time loads will arrive or the condition they’ll be in. Without constantly checking in with your carrier, days may pass before you receive a load delivery update.
But what if you could easily check where your freight is at any given time? You could see your freight’s location at all times, know about in-transit delays and always have up-to-date delivery ETAs. With load tracking capabilities, you can seamlessly keep an eye on your freight to ensure it’s going where it needs to be.
Why is it important for brokers and shippers to track loads?
Imagine being able to pinpoint the exact location of your freight at any time. Load tracking gives you up-to-the-minute insight into where your freight is, where it has been and where it’s going. It also allows you to view continuously refreshed ETAs and insights. It’s a game-changer in the logistics industry, providing more transparency between shipper and carrier.
By partnering with a carrier that offers load tracking, you’ll be able to:
- Provide accurate ETAs to your freight delivery location
- Increase efficiency by reducing carrier check calls
- Collect more comprehensive data for compliance purposes
- Ensure drivers are on the right track
Tracking freight enables shippers to optimize their transport. With historical delivery data, for instance, shippers can arrange for a load delivery to occur just before a recipient needs the freight. This helps customers minimize their warehousing expenses, potentially giving you a leg up on competitors.
4 steps to track loads from pickup to delivery
Being able to track your freight from the moment it leaves a location through delivery can improve communication and efficiency across the board. Here’s how to do it in four easy steps.
Work with a trusted freight broker
Freight brokers handle the heavy lifting when it comes to shipping your freight. They’ll find and coordinate with a carrier, plan the freight pickup and be your line of communication throughout the process. Some brokers may be equipped with technology that allows them to track loads from freight pickup to load delivery. These tools allow brokers to communicate with carriers on one intuitive platform, increasing transparency between all parties.
When picking a broker, it’s imperative to find a reputable and licensed broker. A legit broker will have:
- A motor carrier (MC) number/freight broker license
- Insurance
- A freight broker bond
In addition to these bare minimum requirements, look for a highly-rated broker that’s established good relationships with an extensive carrier roster. Ask other shippers in your industry for their recommendations.
Keep account of your BOL
When you or your broker makes a deal with a carrier to ship your freight, you’ll receive a bill of lading (BOL). The BOL details each item in your shipment, and provides safe handling instructions for your carrier. It essentially outlines the shipper-carrier agreement, which helps reduce any potential misunderstandings.
Perhaps most importantly, the BOL provides shippers with a BOL number that can double as a tracking number. Using this unique identifier, you should be able to obtain updates on your freight’s location.
Your BOL has a lot of important information to keep for your records, so make sure it’s stored somewhere readily accessible and safe.
Work with freight companies using digital freight tracking
If load tracking is a high priority, you should partner with carrier companies that use digital tracking tools. These technologies and applications streamline tracking pickup and delivery, and offer highly detailed information. It’ll be easier to see where loads are, along with their ETA. Without tracking, you’d have to call the company, which would need to call the driver, who may or may not be available. You can easily use digital tracking technologies for immediate updates.
Provide accurate information from the beginning
To help your carrier deliver freight on time, it’s important to provide accurate, comprehensive information from the beginning. Ensure your carrier is clear on the pickup and load delivery locations and times. They should also have instructions on what to do upon arrival at the delivery location, including where to go and whom to contact. This helps limit confusion and prevents mistakes that can cause delays.
Have peace of mind with transparent shipping
Shipping is crucial to many businesses, but it can be nerve-wracking to turn freight over to carriers without location visibility. By partnering with a broker or carrier that offers freight tracking, you can keep up with your shipment and benefit from continuously updated ETAs. This increases communication and transparency between shipper and carrier, as well as shipper and receiver.
FAQ
Freight does not have a tracking number, but it does have a BOL number that helps you track your freight.
The freight bill, or BOL, provides a freight bill number that can be used to access information about your shipment via a digital platform.
Freight tracking technologies offer up-to-the-minute shipment location details. They enable you to see transport routes and access updated ETAs.
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