Opus9 Blog

Securing truck capacity at an acceptable rate is one of the biggest challenges facing shippers today. Tendering loads to a wide net of carriers and brokers is a time consuming and frustrating process involving multiple emails, phone calls and faxes to get the right carrier at the right time at the right rate.

 SupplyChainBrain recently published an interesting article on the state of the supply chain for getting PPE efficiently distributed. In a conversation with Chris Garcia, CEO of Health Supply US, Robert Bowman of SupplyChainBrain uncovers what shippers are doing to ensure a national supply of PPE. As we enter the third wave of COVID-19 infections, it is more important than ever to get #criticalsupplies to front line workers quickly and efficiently, in a collaborative effort between shippers and truckers.

As a digital freight broker, Opus9 is staying up to date on the latest freight rates and forecasted trends, to provide the best service to our partner shippers and carriers. Starting today, we are adding a weekly update called Freight Broker News where we will provide the latest information on rates, trends, and industry news.

Opus9 Customer Survey reveals shipper
COVID preparedness with digital systems 

The Covid-19 crisis has knocked many companies off their feet. Shippers are altering business strategies mid-stream and coordinating truck movements with very volatile rates, adding to shipper challenges.

Opus9 recently conducted a survey of our most frequent users to get a better understanding of how they are faring during these difficult times. 

The logistics of shipping can be difficult to plan and manage. Full Truckload shipping can be especially challenging. Unlike Less Than Truckload (LTL) shipping, FTL shipping requires you to consider factors such as weight, space, transit times, and the possible need for specialized equipment.

The last few months has been a year of unprecedented change in the freight market. Rates are high and continue to rise. The driver shortage is climbing above 50,000 and threatening to hit 100,000 by 2021. And if natural disasters aren’t tightening capacity, then a booming economy is. Here at Opus9, we believe that a shipper’s best defense is to partner with a 3PL whose expertise and knowledge of the industry can mitigate some of these real challenges.

The freight market is volatile by nature, but more so now than ever. After all, capacity is tight and all evidence points to an ever-increasing crunch. A whopping 50,000 shortage of drivers could well exceed 100,000 by 2021 due to an aging driver population, long, lonely hours on the road, and pay that isn’t commensurate with a demanding lifestyle. Couple this with a strong US economy expecting more growth, and you have a recipe for disruption.

We, at Opus9, take supply chain visibility seriously. That’s why when businesses book their freight with us, they can expect to get free GPS tracking on all shipments.

Shipping is one of those expenses that can creep up when you’re not expecting it. After all, these costs tend come is smaller increments, rather than huge predictable chunks. So it can be easy for business owners to either underestimate these logistical costs, or possibly overlook them entirely, that is, until they’re coming in over budget far too regularly. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to cut shipping costs significantly.

There are a lot of reasons why you should choose Opus9 as your number one shipping platform. With our streamlined, efficient system, we have made shipping anything as easy as 1, 2, 3! No more shipping delays or lost shipments.