Streamlining the motherload of deliveries this Mother's Day

Mother's Day is celebrated annually in almost every country around the world. In Australia, the occasion was observed first in 1910 but it wasn’t until 1924 that the holiday became more widespread. This special day is dedicated to appreciating the tireless efforts and unconditional love of mothers & mother figures. As Sunday approaches, businesses across various sectors, including the logistics industry, have been gearing up to accommodate the increased demand for products and services to make every gift reach its destination.

With the rise in e-commerce and online shopping, the logistics of the logistics industry have become increasingly important in the lead-up to this big day. In fact, Australians are set to spend more than $700 million on Mother’s Day gifts with flowers, alcohol, food and clothing topping the list for mum. So, it’s no surprise that retailers and consumers rely on the efficient and timely delivery of their products and gifts respectively. However, this means shippers and transport operators hold much of the responsibility for ensuring that these gifts are delivered on time.

Securing deliveries with automation

The logistics sector plays a mum-umental role in ensuring that Mother’s Day celebrations are a success, and this process begins far in advance of Mother’s Day. To cope with the increased demand around annual occasions, shippers and transport operators typically ramp up their operations and tap into their networks. During peak periods, a solution that operators should be adopting is automation. Impacting every industry right now, automation has the potential to significantly impact the logistics industry more so than others.?

An example of this can be found in logistics planning and execution. This is an automation of systems and processes that can identify and capitalise on gaps in the market. The industry has begun to leverage this technology to manage and analyse data to make informed decisions and to increase efficiency. While the technology to provide real-time updates on staff and vehicle availability have been deployed, automation tools can deliver the extra mile of customer experience through visibility and transparency.??

Automating processes can play a large role in bringing certainty and calculable outcomes for logistic operations. For shippers and transport operators, this technology can analyse, predict and connect activity to ensure that trucks are optimized during peak periods.

Delivering on sustainability

Today’s road freight industry is incredibly wasteful―about a third of total kilometres trucks drive in Australia each week is with empty loads, and when they’re not empty, they’re not always completely full. During peak periods such as Mother’s Day, it’s important the industry is doing its part to keep carbon emissions down as deliveries ramp up. There are technology solutions available to better coordinate shipments and fleets at an industry level, ultimately reducing this waste. The challenge now is to educate every stakeholder on these solutions to make sure adoption takes off, and we create a more efficient industry.?Consumers need to be putting pressure on retailers to drive this industry change and accept that this may have a short-term impact on prices as new technology is deployed.

Doing our part for mum

At Ofload, we’re playing our part to streamline and automate deliveries this Mother’s Day. Our platform allows shippers and transport operators to keep track of all their orders in real-time, providing them with greater visibility and control over the delivery process. The automation of systems and processes helps identify and capitalise on gaps in the market during peak periods during the year. Meanwhile, we partner with businesses to achieve efficient, flexible and sustainable supply chains to streamline freight movements and give stronger visibility into supply chains, all while eliminating waste.?

Mother's Day is an important occasion that creates mum-ents of joy and appreciation to so many worldwide. The logistics industry plays a critical role in ensuring that the products and services required for a successful celebration are delivered efficiently and sustainably. With the increase in deliveries this time of year, it’s a reminder that our industry must take steps towards improving sustainability, recognising the need to minimise the impact on the environment. By leveraging technology and adopting sustainable practices, the logistics industry can make mum proud.

May 2023. Ofload.