www.dcvelocity.com MARCH 2019 DC VELOCITY 37
BY TOBY GOOLEY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
MOTOR FREIGHT
Transportation Report
WHEN MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILers announce that a new product—an
eagerly awaited mobile phone, for
instance, or footwear endorsed
by a famous athlete—will be
available for sale on a
particular date, consumers trust that
they’ll be able to buy
that product on that
day. But few, if any, of
them understand what it
takes to get those phones,
sneakers, and other hot new
products delivered and ready
for sale everywhere at the same
time.
What it takes is effective planning, coordination, and communication among shippers,
motor carriers, and the third-party
logistics service providers (3PLs) that
direct the truckers as they deliver the
new product to hundreds of locations
within strict delivery windows. In consumer
electronics, for instance, it’s not unusual for carriers to be tasked with delivering 1,000 or more pallets of
product and merchandising displays to an equal number of
stores within a span of just one or two days.
Regardless of the industry or product involved, there’s a
lot any shipper can do to help carriers and 3PLs execute this
complex choreography. Here are four recommendations.
1Provide plenty of advance notice. New-product launches—whether large or small, national or region- al—require flawless execution under tight deadlines.
That’s why giving carriers and 3PLs
advance notice is so important. For
a large-scale nationwide campaign, 90 days is ideal, says Jim
Monkmeyer, president, transportation, for 3PL DHL Supply
ed carriers to position the
necessary equipment and
personnel when and
where they will be
needed, he says.
In some cases, such as
when the shipper and carrier have
previously worked together and
have an established procedure
for rollouts, a month or even a
week may be sufficient, says Matthew
Bosko, senior logistics specialist and
project manager with the Erie, Pa.-based
3PL Logistics Plus. Bosko leads the company’s new-product rollout team, which
specializes in managing deliveries of time-sensitive new products and merchandising displays. But in
general, he says, “the more notice the better, so the motor
carriers will have at least a rough idea of start dates, pallet
quantities, delivery date requirements, and so forth.” As the
launch date nears, the shipper can update its forecast and
instructions to the carriers as needed.
If the product is specialized in some way and requires
new or different equipment from what’s normally used,
“then you would want to discuss that well in advance,
because the carrier can’t necessarily get that equipment
New-product launches come with a special set of delivery challenges. Here are some
steps you can take to ensure your new product arrives on time and ready to roll.
tips for a successful
new-product launch 4
