These days consumers are searching for food items in stores that come from all across the world. To keep products fresh, on shelves, and at peak quality, there needs to be good communication among food and beverage supply chain partners.

Food & Beverage Challenges

Unlike other industries, the food and beverage industry face unique challenges with their shipping, such as;

• Deliveries needed before expiration dates
• items needing temperature-control,
• and items needing extra-careful handling

These are just some obstacles you have to face when shipping food products. These challenges closely connect the food manufacturing industry with logistics and transportation partners.

Shipping temperature-sensitive items? Check our our Temperature Shipping Guide. 

Logistics & Transportation Partners

With freight transportation, communication begins right from the start. Not all freight travels the same, so setting expectations is the best way to get started. Additionally, having a partner who understands the challenges of shipping your products will prove to be beneficial. Due to this, many food and beverage companies choose to outsource their logistics with a third-party logistics company (3PL).

3PLs have experience quickly solving complex freight solutions every day. You can feel relief when working with a 3PL to arrange your freight transportation. 3PLs have a vetted carrier network with experience in transporting food products and many modes to offer you shipping solutions. You can gain the use of their cutting-edge technology to track your freight.

Sometimes you can experience trouble with communication when outsourcing work to a third party. But you can feel confident when choosing to work with Trinity Logistics. You are kept in the know thanks to the communication processes and technology we have in place.

How Trinity Communicates

When you choose Trinity Logistics, you will work with an Account Representative you can trust as your daily point of contact. They quickly communicate your shipping options, the carrier(s) selected, and provide any solutions to problems that may arise throughout your shipment.

You get to choose from several options for tracing on your shipment, including FourKites, MacroPoint, or Trucker Tools. Your Account Representative keeps an open line of communication with access to our portal, emails, or phone calls to give you real-time visibility of your shipment’s whereabouts and estimated delivery time. You are never left in the dark and unsure of where your product is.

Just as a lack of communication can be a problem, in certain cases so can over-communication. Through the use of these applications, we can relieve the calling, emailing, and texting our carriers. This keeps them safe and focused on the goal at hand: delivering your product on time.

Sometimes you need solutions to problems outside of the typical 9-5 workday. No need to worry. You have access to Trinity’s 24/7 Team to accommodate your needs at any time of the day or night.

All Around Communication

If you are looking for an all-around solution to your problem of communication in your supply chain, a transportation management system (TMS) could be your answer. A TMS can help act as a communication hub for all partners in your supply chain. You can gain end-to-end visibility by working in one place, rather than across various sources. Looking to learn more about a TMS and its functions? Download our Guide to Transportation Management Systems.

All relationships need open communication to work well. That is no different for supply chain partners in food and beverage. Each partner in the supply chain should keep in communication as needed to provide full visibility and keep everyone in the loop. This can prevent damaged product, recalls, extra costs, and frustration. You don’t need to worry about communication issues when choosing Trinity Logistics as a partner in your supply chain. We are more than just a 3PL for shipping, but a 3PL for data and communication.

AUTHOR: Christine Griffith