The modern logistics chain is impressive by any measure, especially in the meticulous way that so many individual people, actions, and services can all coordinate to bring a piece of cargo from one part of the world to another, sometimes in just a matter of hours. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect, and it’s no surprise that such an elaborate logistics mechanism can fail from time to time, requiring contingencies, such as insulated packaging, to provide extra protection. Here are four reasons why shipping cargo may experience a delay.
Peak Season
For shipping, “peak season” typically means from August until November. During this period, as school starts and holidays loom, many people, groups, and businesses require shipping, which can mean high demand with low supply. Scheduling conflicts can occur that result in shipping delays and may even leave temperature-sensitive cargo vulnerable unless it’s protected by insulated packaging.
Geopolitical Events
This is another anomalous phenomenon that no one can account for. The COVID-19 pandemic is one example of a global event that disrupted shipping around the world. To lesser effect, region-specific conflicts, such as the Ukraine-Russia conflict, will also impact shipping times in certain areas, which has a knock-on effect on worldwide shipping as everyone compensates.
Rolled Shipments
While companies that manage shipping logistics strive for accuracy, sometimes mistakes or even greed can result in overbooking a ship. When that happens, any cargo that can’t be loaded on due to max capacity is simply left behind until the next shipment is possible. This can have a huge impact on shipping and even sales schedules and may affect the viability of certain shipments if they are temperature-sensitive and not protected by insulated packaging.
Poor Administration
Provided that you have taken the correct actions and all your documentation is clear, legible, and proper, shipping should go through smoothly. However, one of the most common causes of shipping delays is when people don’t take the time to do this right. Not including all the required documents, filling them out improperly, missing licenses, improper labeling, or even illegible handwriting are just a few of the common ways that the administrative side of things can cause cargo to be held up as the mistake is worked through and eventually sorted out. It only takes a few minutes of careful diligence to ensure that any necessary paperwork you have is done in such a way as to guarantee no bureaucratic delays.
If you’re shipping temperature-sensitive products and want to know the best way to get those products to their destination safely, we can help. Contact us to explain your shipping needs and obtain a quote.
