E-commerce business has been growing quickly in the last few years. More than 10% of sales in the U.S. come through e-commerce, a number that's expected to rise to 12% in 2020.

Retailers who operate online businesses must meet the challenge of providing reliable services to their customers. LTL freight services and expedited shipping is one such service. Here is how these services are making a difference in online retail today.

Enhances Last-Mile Delivery

The last mile is the final part of import export transportation, where the goods are taken to their destination. For retailers, the last mile is the most critical part of supply chain logistics. It is where costly mistakes are likely to be made, and issues with customer satisfaction often arise.

Freight services now have fulfillment centers, which are storage spaces located near cities and residential areas. Timeliness is one of the important issues retailers need to addresses. Big companies like Amazon are now offering consumers same-day delivery options. To remain competitive, small businesses have to keep up or be overtaken.

Another solution for e-commerce businesses is expedited freight services. Retailers can delegate the tasks of delivering goods to the freight company. The solution may be ideal in situations where time is not on the side of the retailer, such as during a busy holiday season.

Expedited services are also making it easier for retailers to focus on customer-centric duties. The e-commerce business can focus on taking customer complaints. They have more time on their hands to ensure their online platform is always accessible to customers.

Ability To Deliver Diverse Inventory

For the last 10 years, LTL freight services have been growing faster than TL dry trucks when it comes to import-export transportation. The expansion of e-commerce has necessitated this growth partly. There are more services now possible with expedited freight.

E-commerce businesses have been trying to bring their distribution centers closer to their customers. One of the main challenges is in meeting the varying demands for products and services. As online purchases become more popular, consumers are ordering anything from apparel, groceries, to tools and machinery.

These goods require special trailers and containers that are following import-export transportation regulations. Refrigerated trucks are needed for groceries and materials that are temperature sensitive. You may also need to make special arrangements to transport fragile items.

LTL freight companies are responding to the growing need to offer cost-effective solutions to e-commerce businesses. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of special packages, such as limited access. The service provider will ask for the size and time of delivery to ensure the goods are properly packaged and transported.

Use of Application Data

An efficient delivery strategy will incorporate data to enhance tracking, efficiency, and customer service. For a long time, online businesses have only managed to use information from last-mile deliveries. In import-export transportation, the scope of what you can get from the data is limited.

But as retailers continue to work with expedited freight companies, the amount of data they can tap into is increasing. Also, more digital tools like GPS applications, have emerged to provide more accurate and reliable information. These tools have enhanced real-time tracking and reporting, which means customers get the most up to date information.

As more customers demand better and timely services, retailers have to conform to avoid creating the impression that they are complacent. Fortunately, the cost of implementing technology and data has gone down, as it becomes more commonplace in businesses today. There is an increase in collaboration between carriers and retailers, which is proving to be mutually beneficial. Collaboration helps to cut costs and keep businesses running efficiently.

In Conclusion

Even though the online retail market is still facing challenges, a lot of progress has been made in recent years. There is greater collaboration between carriers and retailers, which has led to an optimization of the use of data. Unreliable delivery can result in a backlash. It is, therefore, advisable to work closely with expedited services provider for your import-export transportation business.