Understanding the History of Logistics Industry

Warehousing and logistics companies form the backbone of the commodity industry. The duty of the storage and transport of the goods and commodities lies entirely upon these E-commerce logistics companies. Many companies have their inbuilt logistics and warehousing system, but some other specialize in this and they are very best at this business.

The logistics and warehousing systems have been around for centuries, with the point of origin being Europe.  Back in 19th century, when long distance businesses used to run through seaways, large warehouses were made at the ports for the storage of the goods to be shipped or the imported items. But the problem was the remote transportation of these items. Eventually, with time these problems have been resolved with logistics companies using almost all modes of transportation available on the face of the earth.

The warehousing spaces or godowns are used as the places to store, pack, upload and unload of all the items. These places serve as the space for long term storage of items or may be used as the junctions in between the supply chain. With the advent of ecommerce companies in India like flipkart, Snapdeal, and Amazon, the logistics companies have got a huge opportunity to capitalize over this business. Although many of these companies have their inbuilt logistics branches yet, at many occasions they have to take help from third party supply chains in order to execute their plans.

TCI Express is one of the leading logistics and supply chain companies around the world. With over 13,000 delivery locations across the country, it can be considered as the one of the vastest delivery services in India. The XPS tracking system is one of the best in the world in terms of its accuracy. The promise of last mile delivery makes it the most trustworthy supply chain companies in the world. The staff strength is of 3000 people who are totally committed to their service like no other company which turn TCI Express into the most dependable company.

Biggest Cargo Air Hubs in the World

The industry of cargo and freight has gained a lot of traction in recent years. From transporting consumer goods for the e-commerce industry to contributing in getting military goods and even transporting space shuttles and rocket components, cargo has become an important part of our lives.

With the introduction of new international courier services and the ever expanding fleet of the existing ones, transporting the goods is just one of the components of this industry. The other is having cargo air hubs which provide hangars and also are the ports where the goods are both loaded and dismounted. The best cargo air hubs provide world class facilities like fast refueling and even having storage facilities for excess goods.

CargoCity, Germany

CargoCity is divided into two major areas. CargoCity North is the main base of Lufthansa’s Cargo wing and CargoCity South, which is home to a number of global freight carriers such as the local freight-handling company Fraport. A range of features is available to air cargo companies in CargoCity which include special facilities for express freight, frozen foods, airmail, animals and even hazardous goods. The 9,000m² perishable centre, for instance, offers 20 different climate zones while the 3,750m² animal lounge is one of the world's most advanced animal-handling stations and features 42 large animals stalls and 12 individually climate-controllable chambers.

FedEx Express Super Hub, USA

The FedEx Express Super Hub which is based out of the Memphis International Airport has what is generally considered the largest cargo operation by volume of any airport worldwide. It was established in 1993 and handles approximately 3.3 million packages a day. Spread over five miles, the facility has parking slots for 175 aircraft and 300 miles of conveyor belts. It supports the largest air cargo fleet in the world.

Dubai Cargo Gateway, UAE

Located at the Dubai International Airport, Dubai Cargo Gateway has a total handling capacity of approximately 800,000 tons a year. It is Middle East's first cargo-handling facility to be awarded an ISO 9002 certificate in 1998 and the facility has set about establishing itself as a key location for air cargo goods between Europe and the Far East.

Different Types of Air Cargo

Over the last few decades, air cargo has grown leaps and bounds. With air travel becoming cheaper, more efficient and faster, the delivery and transportation of goods across distances as small as different states, and as large as different continents, has become highly convenient. The best delivery companies in the world specialize in express air cargo and other rapid means of courier, and it is no surprise that they can deliver almost anything you can think of.

So, what could be the different types of cargo traveling by way of air? Let’s have a look at some:

1. General cargo

Any goods that do not require special precautions for handling, storage and air transport are labelled as general cargo. These articles are usually not time-sensitive, and do not pose any hazard or danger if carried improperly or mishandled.

2. Valuable cargo

By definition, valuable cargo comprises of any set of goods that have a combined worth exceeding $1000 per kg. Commodities such as banknotes, jewellery, precious metals like gold, and precious art pieces fall under this category. Such cargo naturally demands high level of security.

3. Dangerous goods

As the name suggests, dangerous goods are items which might be flammable, corrosive, poisonous, or radioactive. Such goods pose a threat to health, safety, property, or the environment, and require extra cautious handling and care.

4. Perishable cargo

All time-sensitive goods which require a certain environment to prevent deterioration are called perishable cargo. They require a high degree of care, as temperature, humidity, pressure or ambient light changes might be detrimental to their safekeeping.

5. Live animals

Even live animals can be transported via aircrafts, and come under a special category of cargo. Carrying livestock requires certain maintenance conditions to be fulfilled, and thus makes this type of cargo highly sensitive.

6. Weapons, explosives and ammunition

Another category that demands not only special care, attention and security but legislation as well. This cargo is carefully handled and its transport is heavily regulated.

7. Human remains

This is a highly sensitive cargo type die to the sentiments attached with the material. Carriers pay special attention to handle and transport human remains without causing trouble for the family and friends that are grieving.

8. Courier

This type of cargo involves small packages and documentations that need to be shipped rapidly or across long distances.

5 Elements of Great Customer Service

Customer satisfaction is essential for any business. Great service, along with good products and commodities ensure customer satisfaction and repeated transactions for your business. Customer service is a part of daily activities. Management strategies must include pointers to tackle related issues. A satisfied customer not only revers the service, but also brings more business by referring your company to friends and relatives. Customer service is the only personal contact with customers; otherwise it’s a part of statistics. The following five elements define good customer service:

Deference

It is a known fact that customers reciprocate to respect. You’re bound to be treated well if you treat them with courtesy and the respect they deserve. Try to comply with their requests and don’t lose your composure even if they make silly inquiries. It is essential to thank them properly or apologize whenever required.

Intent Listening

It is indispensible for you to be a good listener if you want to provide great customer support. Identify the needs of the customer by asking appropriate questions and understanding what the customer wants to communicate. Always seek feedback or suggestions about your products and commodities.

Aim to Serve

You need to make sure that your customers understand your working systems. Even the best of systems can be misleading if the customers don’t fully comprehend it. Always try to provide more than what is asked for. Surprising the customers with immaculate service is beneficial for your company. Delivery service executives should be trained for proper client servicing.

Be Considerate

Customers buy products for different reasons and it’s essential to identify them. The products and services are acquired as solutions. You need to be understanding and thoughtful to identify their motive behind obtaining the product will aid you to help well. Engage in conversation with the customer regarding their needs.

Technology

Technological advancements are inevitable in businesses and take your company to the heights you desire. Online shopping has modified the ways of services and communications. Make sure the interface is such that can be easily understood and adapted by the customers. For example, express cargo tracking should be free of hassles and as easy as simple logging on a site.

4 Ways Drones Are Changing Logistics!

Drones have made quite a buzz in the global supply chain scenario. They have the potential to completely revolutionize how logistics works and sky is the limit to what drones can be used for. From deliveries, to tracking—they are the next big thing in the industry!

Let’s check out how delivery companies are harnessing the power of drones:

Direct Delivery to Consumer:

If you are a B2C logistics company, drones can really change how you make deliveries. They have the ability to locate a person using smartphone data. Once you feed in the right address, they can pinpoint an exact location and successfully make the delivery. In supply chain terms, this is known as delivering to the last mile.

Keeping Track of Inventory:

Drones have the capability to take over the tedious work of stock taking and record keeping. The aim here is to efficiently automate inventory. With hi-tech robotic assistance drones can keep track of exactly what’s happening in your warehouse! All you need is an employee who can sit and control the drone! The rest will be taken care off.

Warehouse Surveillance

Video camera days are now behind us. They don’t provide the edge that drones do. As video cameras are stationery and have limited reach, drones can hover around the compound and capture every minute detail. It’s now emerging as a superior alternative to traditional video cameras. The potential to reduce theft is significant and ensures total security.

Safety for Employees

As we all know, there’s a lot of hustle-bustle inside a warehouse. Heavy boxes, forklifts, machinery and what not are spread across the entire compound. All that makes a warehouse prone to accidents for workers. Employers can look for higher risk areas where employees can get injured and record a complete picture of the incident. Drone surveillance is great to aid employees in reviewing accidents.

Whether it’s internally or while making deliveries, drones are great to have around. It can be a great investment for express delivery service companies like TCI Express. Several other air cargo, trucking and seaway logistics companies are looking towards investing in drones. It’s time you do too!

Speed Post and Courier Services: The Difference

Ancient India used traditional ways to communicate over long distances such as pigeons and eagles. These methods took longer time and also were not very certain of the messages to  be delivered.  Later on messengers were used who rode on horses and camels to deliver confidential messages across states and provinces. Thankfully, the british introduced the postal service in time to let us know the easier methods for communication.

The technology  may have taken over today, but people still prefer  secured postal services or courier services for the delivery of their essential documents and goods such as forms, legal documents confidential brochures and parcels etc. These are the best and most secure methods of delivery and have been a great support to the rising and growing ecommerce industry as well. 

 Speed post and courier services may be very similar ways of delivering, however, they still have many differences between them.  While speed post unanimously delivers all across the world, it depends upon the range and strength of  courier services that if their delivery services would work within national boundaries or also internationally. 

The speed post being a government service, is unavailable on sundays; however, the courier services being a private entity is available 24*7.  This is one of the very important distinguishing factor as these services are mostly used in cases of urgent deliveries and emergencies. Sundays, although being the weekend, still hold a lot of relevance to many organisations and individuals in the matter of courier delivery.

One of the most important aspect of courier services is the express cargo delivery service. This service is not available with the postal service and therefore suffers a great deal because of it. Courier services have notched up their quality with the cargo delivery services as these are one of the most on demand and popular requirement. With the variety and versatile modus operandi courier services seem to have taken oner the postal services by a long way.