Parcel Tracking for Businesses and Complexities of Multiple Courier Consignments

One of the most significant industries in the world is freight shipping. It is a multi-step, highly complex procedure for moving products from point A to point B, and supply chain digitisation helps simplify this movement irrespective of the mode of transport.

Depending on the load, a shipper plans the trips and vehicles to optimise the entire movement. Full truckload (FTL), partial truckload (PTL), less-than-truckload (LTL), volume LTL (VLTL), and shared truckload (STL) are some of the ways in which you can plan your shipments. Sometimes, things do not take up much room, or the purchase order isn’t large enough to fill an entire truck. In this case, shippers will not need an entire truck for delivery in road shipment.

What is PTL?

Partial truckload (PTL) is loading the truck partly because the order is not enough to occupy the entire space. Parcels from multiple shippers are kept together in one truck and transported to various locations. It allows shippers to share the total truckload and pay only for the space they occupy. This makes it a very cost-effective shipping method.

The shipment quantity in PTL is larger than that in LTL but much lower than in FTL. Typically, partial truckload involves shipments over 2000 kgs or six or more pallets.

PTL Requirements of B2B and B2C Companies

B2B and B2C companies have different requirements from PTL. The major difference is in the shipment volume and the delivery speed. While B2C requirements include last-mile delivery of parcels to the end users, B2B logistics involve deliveries to and from warehouses and vendors.

Shipping goods using PTL is an ideal option for large loads that don’t require the entire space on a full trailer. The customer does not have to pay for a dedicated trailer, which makes it more economical than Full Truckload freight service. It thus helps in optimising the space better leading to reduced transportation costs. It is an effective solution for freight which is low-density, lightweight, fragile, or low-cost.

Reasons for Inefficiencies in PTL Logistics

Partial truckload shipments can be very complex. Here are some of the reasons for inefficiencies in part truckload services:

1. Multiple Courier Consignments: For B2B order fulfilment, multiple courier partners are involved, which makes the logistics process more complex.

2. Different Parcel Sizes & Types of Products: In PTL, there is no uniformity in the parcel size. These parcels are disbursed as courier consignments by different traders and wholesalers in the country. There is also a variety in the types of products being delivered. Delays in the distribution of items like perishable goods can adversely impact businesses.

3. Parcel Pickup Challenges: Different consignments require different measuring techniques, weighing scales, or sophisticated handling equipment. This increases the complexity of PTL logistics.

4. Complexities in Returns Handling: B2B return policies are complicated. They become challenging while handling returns of different courier consignments in PTL.

5. Inaccuracy in Transportation Cost Calculation: Most transporters are unaware of vital aspects of logistics, such as calculating transportation costs for courier consignments. This minimizes the profits of PTL service providers.

6. Lack of Communication: PTL service providers lack efficient communication among departments. This increases the time lag between systems and hampers the logistic process.

7. Compliance Issues: Delivery of multiple courier consignments requires more stoppages, leading to compliance issues. Environmental issues like anti-idling and other emission reduction regulations also impact PTL services.

Need for a Centralised Visibility Platform

A lot of the above-mentioned challenges can be catered to with a unified tracking of the deliveries in one place. A centralised integrated dashboard gives real-time tracking from all the courier partners on the same dashboard. It helps reduce the complexity and hassle of shifting from one website to another.

Here are some reasons that justify the need for a centralised integrated dashboard for your PTL movements:

• No Parcel Tracking: Traditional logistics players operate without supply chain digitisation. They lack tech-based integration like GPS tracking, electronic POD update, etc. This restricts you from having full transparency and live tracking. It leads to a cumbersome tracking experience.

• No Unified View: PTL shippers have no consolidated view of their shipments. They are dependent on courier partners to provide Daily Status Reports which makes real-time visibility a problem, resulting in reactive decision-making.

• No means to gauge performance: Lack of tools and adequate information makes vendor performance analysis tough. The shipper thus can’t make a data-driven decision for choosing the right vendor.

A centralised visibility platform can empower you with a unified view of all the consignments, automated notifications and alerts, exception management, vendor performance statistics, automated reports, courier partner recommendations, and more!

Intugine’s centralised PTL tracking dashboard called IntuParcel, is integrated with 700+ courier partners. They capture real-time data which assists in pro-active exception management and helps companies understand their logistics performance on specific lanes and also evaluate courier partners’ performance on essential parameters, like TAT, rate per kg, and delivery channels. They provide various modules for freight estimation, POD verification, payment reconciliation, control deck, analytics, and remarks. Get in touch with us to know more.