E-Commerce for LTL: What Freight Shippers Need to Know

On today’s The Freight Project Podcast episode we welcome Jeremy Curran President and Founder at Easy Logistics Management, helping freight shippers that align with his passions. Jeremy uses technology for efficiency in his business as a freight solutions company to not only improve his own business but to help shippers who are considering e-commerce channels to continue with excellent LTL shipping practices just as they have in more traditional shipping channels.

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We’ll publish every Tuesday right on the Cerasis blog and Freight Institute. We hope you enjoy!

How E-Commerce Integration to TMS will Improve LTL Shipping Practices

In this episode Roger and Cerasis’ Marketing Manager & “The Freight Project Podcast” host, Adam Robinson,

will continue to expand upon the use of technology, primarily e-commerce, as a way for shippers to improve & gain new market share.

On the episode, you’ll hear Jeremy answer the following:

It seems the two movements of e-commerce and final mile, go hand in hand. From your perspective, why are you seeing more LTL shippers start looking at e-commerce solutions so they may better manage freight processes in e-commerce?
How do shippers who don’t use a TMS to better manage e-commerce sales pull off e-commerce effectively? Will manual methods of faxing, emailing, and calling cut it?
I remember the old message of LTL freight shippers who said they have “e-commerce” often have a page that shows up upon checking out that says “Call us to arrange for freight.” That doesn’t seem like a great way to provide service in today’s internet age. What do you think of the role of a TMS in managing LTL shipping practices for e-commerce?
We recently wrote an article on the Cerasis blog talking about the role of APIs in integration, not only for connecting the TMS to major e-commerce shopping carts, but also as a way to provide further integration with other disparate systems like ERP. Can you help our audience understand the role of APIs in today’s modern freight environment?
Since we are addressing connectivity & integration with the TMS as the core hub, what is the larger value of integration of these systems for a shipper to better manage freight, especially in LTL?
E-commerce also involves, at least for things like furniture, appliances, big electronics, or perhaps things that can be installed at an office in a b2b setting, more final mile & white glove, often called premium services. Of course, this added move beyond the first leg of an LTL requires even more connectivity to bring better shipment level visibility to both the merchant and the customer. I think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg in final mile capability. Where do you think shippers should focus the most to make e-commerce & final mile pay off for them?
As we talk about e-commerce and the role of technology in LTL Freight shipping, what are your thoughts on some of the advanced technologies like Machine Learning and Blockchain. Will this further aid, and how will they aid, improved processes in e-commerce LTL shipping and LTL shipping at large?
Finally, as a transportation management company founder & practitioner yourself, what is your message to shippers out there who might feel sort of confused and in a state of exhaustion when it comes to effective logistics technology solutions?

We hope you enjoy this episode of the freight project podcast.